A Vermont farm advocacy group that was ordered to stop offering raw milk workshops will get to resume the classes under a bill proposed in the state Legislature, The Associated Press reports.
Rural Vermont had taught people how to turn raw milk into butter, yogurt and cheeses until it received an order to stop or face possible legal action from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture on Feb. 10.
The state said the group violated Vermont law “by holding classes in which raw milk is processed and served,” Daniel L. Scruton, the agency’s dairy chief, wrote in the order.
Supporters of raw milk say that pasteurization, which kills harmful bacteria and extends shelf life, depletes milk of beneficial nutrients.
But the federal government doesn’t allow sales of raw milk because of concerns about food-borne illness. States can allow raw milk sales as long as the milk doesn’t cross state lines.
