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With the recent news of the Vrebahoff citings I thought it was appropriate
to mention that addition to the tremendous environmental consequences,
factory farms have created an enormous public health risk which affects
milk, cheese, ice cream, butter..anything made with milk, including milk
given to school children every day, by the processes they now use.
Most large dairy producers have quit using "vat pasteurization" and
started using HTST pasteurization (high temperature, short time) or "super
pasteurization." In doing so they may have saved some time and money for
the corporate dairy interests.
Not all dairy producers are doing this however.
There's a farm that needs and wants to continue to deliver high-quality
dairy products that do not come about as result of feed-lot/factory farm
exploits. Spring House Creamery is located in Croswell Michigan, and produces
bottled un-homogenized, vat-pasteurized cow and goat milk. Bill Marshall
owns and runs the creamery and can be reached at 810 679 4910, or at wcd@triton.net.
The reason for this post is that he is looking to network with other
non-factory farm dairies in Michigan. I think we should stand behind him and
help Michigan's local family-operated dairies get some of our
business--especially producers that refuse to use hormones, antibiotics and
instead practice humane animal husbandry according to the National Organic
Standards.
"If conservationists are willing to eat whatever the supermarket provides
and the government allows, they are giving economic support to all-out
industrial food production: to the animal factories; to the depletion of rivers
and aquifers . . . and the consequent losses of biological and genetic
diversity"
-- Wendell Berry
Sierra Magazine May/June 2002 "For Love of the Land" Mary C. LaFrance
Lakeplain Prairie Farm and CSA
22353 Beech Daly
Flatrock, MI 48134
734-789-1164 |