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Striking Out with County, McAfee Wins with Tribe

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

Score one for Mark McAfee, owner of California's Organic Pastures Dairy.
McAfee failed earlier this year to persuade Humboldt County to permit the sales of raw milk.   Now McAfee has come up with a way to serve one of the few California markets closed to his OP product.  
He just signed up the Blue Lake Rancheria, an Indian tribe, to open its retail outlets to raw milk sales.
The tribal council adopted an ordinance authorizing raw milk sales with requirements similar to California state law.  It requires signage to warn the public of the potential health risks involved.
Blue Lake Rancheria is a federally recognized Indian tribe and its property is not subject to county ordinances. Among its retail outlets is a casino convenience store.
Jana Ganion, tribal spokeswoman, said raw milk is not being sold along side regular milk and cashiers are asking customers if they are sure they want raw milk to ensure that no one purchases it by mistake.  It also has brochures available on the differences between pasteurized and unpasteurized milk.
McAfee's campaign to make raw milk sales legal throughout Humboldt County failed when county commissioner's opted to go with the advice of public health experts over raw milk advocates.

Full post as published by Food Safety News on March 22, 2011 (boomark / email).