HAPPY COW
I get requests like this from time to time and I thought this one especially well written and heartfelt. When people take me to task for being libertarian, this is why. Unless and until you've had that big-badged bureaucrat step into your house threatening to destroy your livelihood, you can take a cavalier approach to big government tyranny. But once it's happened to you, it becomes real. Read and weep. I'm posting this with permission.
Your book Everything I Want to Do is Illegal has seemingly been a roadmap for us!!
I hope you'll hear my story. I'm not sure who will read this first but I sure hope you get it. I'm not sure what to expect but somehow being heard feels important.
Our homestead is in jeopardy with the state of Minnesota! I would think this state would have enough to worry about without going after us and our 3 cows!!
My husband and I (and 5 kids) got a milk cow about 13 years ago. We started selling A2 raw milk at that time. We actually have our same customers from the beginning! To make a long story short she had babies and we had lots of milk! So, like any good homesteader I started making cheese! In 2020 I started making hard cheese! We had so much cheese we were filling up our milk fridge.
A friend invited me to the farmer's market! I didn't think it would be worth it. She finally said to come do a booth about raw milk and bring your cheese!! After looking at the MN laws it looked like as long as it was ages 60 days it was fine to sell. People went crazy for the cheese! So began our farmer's market journey! We were so well received! In 2022 we were selected as Farm Family of the Year for our county!
After the award ceremony for Farm Family of the Year and the booklet with all the families came out we got a call...from the Dept of Ag! "Are you making your cheese in an inspected facility?". That was the beginning of the end. After discussing this with Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund folks we opted to keep selling since they did not issue a cease and disist at that time. We honestly thought we were small enough to not be significant. Fast forward to 2025....our local PBS station asked if they could feature us in their self sustainable program and they made a 30 minute video with us making cheese. Well, then we got the certified letter "Notice of Warning". Stop or there would be a $1,500 fine per incident.
We met with the head of the Dept of Ag, Nicole, via zoom. She actually admitted they have been following my Facebook page (HAPPY COW) and knew we were selling at the marketS, from our home and other events.
I wrote to the MN Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen and he arranged to have the Dept of Ag dairy inspector come and look at our situation to give us an idea of where to start on trying to be inspected.
While she, Amanda, was here it actually sounded possible but when I got her written report it looks like we would need $50,000-$80,000 to get what they expect.
So, we have 3 cows (2 heifers added since then so lots of milk) and we make 10# of cheese a day!!! That math ain't mathing!!
With this last warning we opted to stop our farmer's market sales. We continue to sell our raw milk. We have about 45 families that depend on us for their families milk supply. Of course, I am still making cheese because of our abundance of milk!!
We have families that cannot drink other milk or eat other cheese. The raw A2 milk and cheese really is important to them.
So, right now we are drowning in milk. Yes, we have pigs...pastured happy pigs! It's hard to go from the barn to the pig!!
We now have 5 girls we are milking. All from our first cow, Daisy Belle! They were all bottle raised by us and our kids. My kids have shown them at the fair, we've cared for them and they have become part of our family. This year we have 4 heifer calves from them. Beautiful jersey girls we've hoped and planned for.
My husband and I are getting older. He retired in 2020 due to government overreach. (He opted to retire vs being put on leave of absence for non-compliance) He worked for the MN state DNR for over 35 years.
The farmer's market timing was perfect he retired and poured ourselves into our community.
At this point our thought is maybe we stand up and fight the fight for other small dairies.
Ooh, I wanted to add that I had been asked by a former cheese customer to make a Finnish cheese for a Finnish reunion in June. It is a special celebration cheese, leipejuusto. They are excited to have this cheese. I asked the dairy inspector what they thought of that. Her comment (in writing on email) is that as long as I don't sell the cheese and it is a private event they would have no problem with that. Tell me...if this is about food safety how does that work? As long as I only make one Finnish family sick? As long as I don't make money?
If there is a loophole we haven't found it. FTCLDF tells us that cheese in exchange for donations doesn't work in a court of law.
I don't know if there is anything that can be done but maybe if you hear our story it will just make it real and highlight our need for food freedom.
I know you are busy but we would love to have you visit our modest homestead and meet our dairy girls while you are in Minnesota. If I could feed you a farm to table meal it would be my honor.
You've encouraged us through the years or maybe I could say, "you got us into this mess!".
If you are reading this, Joel, I appreciate you!
From the homestead,
Julia Carter
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