Dept. of Ag Dumps Co-op's Raw Milk and Organic Eggs

A dairy truck that regularly delivers raw milk and organic eggs to Oakland County residents was seized by the Department of Agriculture in Washington Township earlier this month — causing $3,600 in unregulated farm goods to go in the trash.

A truck from My Family Co-Op, which carries goods from High Hill Dairy, located in Standish, Michigan, was forced to dump nearly 250 gallons of raw milk and crack 100 dozen organic eggs.

Raw milk, by definition, is milk that has not been pasteurized. Its sale is illegal in Michigan, so consumers must own or lease a cow to obtain it. High Hill Dairy leases its cows out to consumers, also know as “cowshares.”

Jennifer Holton, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said cowshare operations are not regulated by the department, but confirmed this seizure was part of routine inspection. It is so regular that she said the department made 773 seizures in 2013.

Read the full article at The Oakland Press

Go to the GEO front page