ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. — There is a debate over the consumption of raw milk in North Carolina.
While some who drink it believe it has possible health benefits, others, including leaders with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, said it poses health risks and should be banned.
An Orange County farmer shared why he loves milking on a smaller farm.
“Spending that extra time with him [the cow] is a bonus of running a small farm,” Rob Benor said. “I’ve milked on larger farms where there were 40-50 cows. I prefer this because I like having a small herd. “
Out of his Cedar Grove fields comes the raw milk he sells by the bottle. He began milking here about six years ago.
“I would say the majority of their job is hanging out,” Benor said.
This first-generation, small herd farmer found himself at the center of a heated discussion this week about raw milk.
It’s State Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler who is fearful of people drinking it.
“Raw milk presents a significant public health risk as there is absolutely no way to ensure its safety," Troxler said in a statement. "We have been given the job over food safety and grade A milk, and it is a big responsibility. Science says raw milk is not safe.”
There is a consensus among federal agencies and the American Academy of Pediatrics that raw milk is unsafe because of the risk of dangerous pathogens causing foodborne illnesses such as E. coli, listeria and salmonella.
But after dairy farmers and advocates descended on the state capital Tuesday, legislators reversed course on repealing the sale of raw milk in this year’s North Carolina Farm Act bill.
Benor said if they're going to regulate raw milk it might not hurt to talk to the farmers who milk these cows.
“They never contacted us. So if you're going to regulate an industry, but you're not going to talk to anybody who works in that industry, it seems like willfully ignorant not to do that. So we're asking, moving forward, that like if they feel the urge to pass legislation about us, at the very least, come and speak with one of us, if not a few of us,” Benor said.
Benor contends that the products he uses are safe.
He said every piece of equipment is cleaned with a dry soap under at least 140 degrees of water. He uses stainless steel, which he said keeps out unhealthy bacteria.
“Everything with a dairy always needs to be marine grade, because everything is always going to be wet, because you are cleaning all the time,” Benor said.
The owner of Benor Farm said he washes out the inside of his big milk tub every 72 hours where that milk is tapped.
“The big difference when it comes to raw milk is the attention and care we put into sanitation,” he said.
