Milk was on tap at the Boston Common this morning, but it wasn't
any supermarket or corner store brand. This milk was raw -- from
a dairy cow transported to the park in a trailer.
The fresh milk was collected in a pitcher and poured into clear
plastic cups as part of a Milk-In event on the Common. The event
was organized by members of the Massachusetts Raw Milk Network
to protest the state's proposal to prohibit the sale or
distribution of raw milk at any location other than the farm on
which it was collected and produced.
Currently, residents can visit dairy farms and purchase raw
milk. With milk-buying clubs, a designated member or organizer
travels to the farms, usually in a vehicle with refrigeration
capabilities, buys large quantities of raw milk, and returns to
a pickup spot to distribute it to local members.
In recent years, the popularity of such clubs has grown, enough
to catch the attention of the state's Department of Agricultural
Resources. The department had scheduled to revise its ordinances
today pertaining to the sale and distribution of raw milk to
make the activities of such clubs illegal. But after the
widespread outcry from the groups, it decided to postpone any
action and instead hosted a public-input session on the topic.
After the Milk-In at the park, the members of the network
marched, hoisting banners and posters, to the state agency's
headquarters on Causeway Street to attend the session.
Commissioner Scott Soares chaired the meeting and listened to
dozens of raw-milk drinkers as they touted the economic and
health qualities of non-pasteurized milk.