University to host talk on raw milk

New Brunswick — Raw milk is a hot topic. So hot that Reuters called it one of the most talked about foods of 2007 and the number one health issue in the news for 2008. Here in New Jersey, there is great interest in raw milk both from those who would like to see it legally available for sale and from those who see it as a public health threat. Although some health professionals view raw, or unpasteurized, milk as a dangerous fad, others recommend it to their clients for its ability to heal a wide variety of conditions. Where does the truth lie? If you are interested in learning more about raw milk, you will want to hear Mark Mcafée speak on the topic of “Raw Milk, Mother Nature’s Inconvenient Truth,” at Rutgers University, Wednesday, Feb. 6. Mark is the owner of the largest raw milk dairy in the United States, Organic Pastures, located in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and is a noted speaker on the topic of raw milk. He will be presenting information on the safety and health benefits of raw milk, as well as on the economic opportunities that raw milk can create for independent dairy farmers. Raw milk from healthy cows or goats contains beneficial probiotic bacteria, immune-enhancing proteins, healthful fats, and highly absorbable vitamins and minerals. New Jersey used to be home to hundreds of small dairy farms, and those that remain face an uncertain future. Making raw milk sales legal again in New Jersey may be a way to save these farms. Mcafée’s seminar will be repeated at two locations on the George H. Cook Campus: in Foran Hall room 138B at 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and then in the Cook Student Center, Multipurpose Room, at 7 p.m. A second seminar, “Raw Milk Wars, Government’s Attempt to Dictate What Foods We Can Consume,” is scheduled for Feb. 20. The speaker is David G. Cox, an attorney. He will speak on the George H. Cook Campus in the Marine Science Building at 1 p.m. Directions to the lecture sites can be found at maps.rutgers.edu/building. A group of raw milk advocates in New Jersey are currently working to legalize in-state sales of raw milk. Their group, Garden State Raw Milk under the auspices of the Foodshed Alliance of Blairstown, is working with Marcia Karrow, Republican Assemblywoman of District 23, to introduce a bill to the New Jersey legislature later this year. Mcafée’s talk is co-sponsored by the Rutgers New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station, the Rutgers Organic Garden Club, and the Foodshed Alliance. For more information about Mcafée’s talk and the Garden State Raw Milk Campaign, visit www.foodshedalliance.org.