Book Review: The Raw Milk Revolution

Behind America's Emerging Battle Over Food Rights
By David E. Gumpert

Note:  This is one of three new books we are carrying in the book section of our online store.

Let's face it-most of us are not scientists.  How do we know whether raw milk is safe for our children to drink?  We don't know.  Many folks and some studies claim that there are real benefits to drinking raw milk.  However, even if there are, what about the risk?  Is it a factor or not?

The answer to this question is not located in the pages of this book.  In fact, you may have begun the book with a firm conviction, but ended it confused.  You thought raw milk was safe, but what about those kids in such and such a state?  Or, you thought you would never serve your children raw milk, but what about those kids who recovered from such and such an ailment the minute they started drinking it?

David Gumpert doesn't know the answers.  He doesn't take a stand.  He simply documents the events that have transpired since the 1970's when folks began to question the usefulness of pasteurization.  How interesting could that be?  You have no idea!

It's hard to believe some of the lengths the authorities in this country have gone to in order to keep us from drinking raw milk.  You could understand this if we were talking about drugs, but we are not.  We are talking about a food that has been consumed in it's natural state for thousands of years.  Folks who want nothing more than to provide their children with healthy food are buying it on the "black market" as if it were heroin!

If you think we are exaggerating, we are not.  Read this book and you will see just how complicated and charged with emotion the raw milk issue has become.  Farmers are being taken to jail, prosecuted, convicted, fined and ordered to cease and desist selling raw milk, even when their customers have bought shares in their cows and signed releases (as consenting adults)!  We may not be scientists, but we know this is wrong!

We think consumers should be able to make choices for themselves and their children about what they eat.  We think farmers should be able to get licenses to sell unpasteurized milk if they follow fair guidelines to ensure safety.  Of course, dairy farms must be strictly regulated and frequently inspected.  However, statistically speaking, eating hot dogs is 10 times as dangerous as drinking raw milk.  Maybe we should be dragging hot dog vendors out of the ball parks and taking them to jail!

In the end, this is a book review and not a call to arms.  We recommend David Gumpert's book because it is a good read about a very controversial subject.  After you've read it, please let us know what you think.