The House Agriculture Committee is considering H.218 an act relating to the sale of raw milk. The bill would allow for raw milk to be sold at a farmstand or from a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) within 30 miles of where the milk is produced. The same contact tracing and temperature regulations as currently exist in statute for raw milk would still apply. The bill provides definitions of farm stands and CSAs so that they are included in Required Agricultural Practices and would not become subject to Act 250 review. It also eliminates the verbal requirement that farmers tell customers that the product requires refrigeration. Since this bill enables third party sales there are insurance concerns regarding liability should someone get sick.
Various witnesses from the Vermont dairy industry, health professionals and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture gave differing testimony on the benefits and health risks of the consumption of raw milk. There are instances every year where people get sick and the health professionals testified against loosening restrictions on the sale of this product.