Dairies seek to deliver raw milk

The bill, filed last month, would loosen current state regulations that allow raw, or unpasteurized, milk to be sold only on farm property where the cows are kept — a restriction that can mean a long trip for a few glasses of milk for the consumer.

In addition to allowing for delivery, the bill would allow farmers to sell raw milk from farm stands they own or rent, even if the stand isn’t on the property where the cows are milked.

The Massachusetts Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association plans to push for the passage of the bill, filed by state Representative Anne Gobi, a Spencer Democrat.

“They’re doing their best to keep their farms viable,’’ Gobi said of the raw milk farmers in her district, adding, “A number of legislators from across the state have signed on to the bill.’’

South of Boston, Oake Knoll Ayrshires, the dairy component of the Lawton Family Farm in Foxborough, and Anderson Bros. farm in West Bridge water both sell raw milk.

Terri Lawton, a tenth-generation farmer, oversees the raw milk business in Foxborough. The money made from raw milk can help a farmer pay off loans or take care of long-deferred maintenance, she said.

“We lost a section of the cow barn in a snowstorm last week,’’ Lawton said. “If we weren’t able to sell raw milk, we wouldn’t have the money to repair it. We wouldn’t be able to survive.’’

Lawton’s credentials include experience as a dairy inspector for the Department of Agricultural Resources. She went into the raw milk business in 2006 and currently sells about 100 gallons a week, produced by her pasture-fed herd. “Some people come from far away,’’ Lawton said. “We have a lot of customers from Rhode Island because the sale of raw milk isn’t legal there.’’

Raw milk goes from the cow to the customer with no pasteurization in between. With the public increasingly interested in ingesting fewer processed foods, the drink is gaining popularity. For the dairy farmer, raw milk means more money, with prices ranging from $10 to $14 a gallon. Dairy farmers who sell their milk to companies that pasteurize and sell it in retail markets currently aren’t making any money on the product, according to Pitcoff, and sometimes have to rely on government subsidies.

In 2006, there were only 10 raw milk dairies certified by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture. The number has now increased to 27. The current movement to loosen state regulations is being driven by both farmers and consumers.

Enthusiasts say raw milk provides several health benefits because it contains more vitamins, enzymes, and good bacteria than the pasteurized product. But not everyone agrees. Regulators such as the US Food and Drug Administration argue that raw milk, if not properly handled, can cause illnesses because it could contain pathogens such as E. coli, listeria, Staphylococcus aureus, and salmonella.

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources keeps a close watch on the raw milk licensees, regularly inspecting the operations. That agency has not taken a position on Gobi’s bill, according to spokeswoman Catherine Williams.

But noting the increase in certified raw milk dairies, she said: “We recognize that raw milk represents an economic opportunity for our dairy farm businesses and an option that holds appeal for some consumers.’’

Lawton supports Gobi’s bill because it would allow farmers to maintain control of the product until it’s placed in the consumer’s hands. Although it’s illegal, there are distributors who buy raw milk and then sell it to customers, giving the farmer no control over how the milk is handled during transport.

“Those people aren’t as invested in the integrity of the product as we are,’’ Lawton said. “Our goal is when we put the milk in the bottle it will be exactly the way it was in the cow: clean and nutritious.’’

“These dairy farmers have proven, by their stellar track record, that they can produce and handle raw milk safely for their customers,’’ said Winton Pitcoff, the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s raw milk network coordinator. “A way of acknowledging that is by expanding what they can do.’’

Association members, as well as raw milk providers and their customers, will be lobbying their legislators in the coming months, Pitcoff said.

Pitcoff said the loosening of raw milk regulations will help Massachusetts dairies stay competitive. “Connecticut and Maine are able to sell raw milk at retail stores,’’ he said. “And Vermont farmers can deliver it to their customers. In a big way, this is an economic issue.’’

Christine Legere can be reached at christinelegere@yahoo.com.