Things are done a little differently in Sedgwick, Maine — both in terms of democracy and food production. In the first of its kind legislation passed in the nation, residents of the community of 1,100 are living free from state and federal food regulations.
The 2011 vote, made when community residents unanimously approved it by way of hands, set in motion a unique ‘food sovereignty’ law, one that explicitly deems it illegal for state and federal regulators from interfering with farmers who sell raw milk and slaughtered meat directly to consumers, neighbors included.
“It shall be unlawful for any law or regulation adopted by the state or federal government to interfere with the rights recognized by this Ordinance,” it states.
While the vote sent a strong message to a national regulatory system, it was also a real victory for area farmers, many of whom have struggles with oppressive rules that have nearly destroyed their livelihood.
“My family is already working on some ideas we can do from home to help pay the bills and get our farm going,” Bob St. Peter, a local farmer and cottage producer said in a press release published by The Complete Patient.
For consumers, it was about freeing themselves from regulatory burdens that made it a legal act to purchase raw milk or freshly slaughtered meat from their neighbors.
“Tears of joy welled in my eyes as my town voted to adopt this ordinance,” Mia Strong said in the press release. “I am so proud of my community. They made a stand for local food and our fundamental rights as citizens to choose that food.”
Three more Maine towns are taking note of the action of the community of 1,100 — Penobscot, Brooksville and Blue Hill are expected to vote on similar measures.
What does it mean on a national scale?
Buying and selling raw milk has been a controversial topic — one that has pitted farmers and regulators against one another.
The Real Milk campaign describes raw milk as “milk that comes from pastured cows, that contains all the fat and that has not been processed in any way — it is raw and unhomogenized.”
In 1987, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required all milk sold to be pasteurized before being sold. The administration cites 85 outbreaks of human infections resulting from raw milk consumption from 1998 to 2008. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), raw milk “harbors dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks.”
Yet advocates for the trade of raw milk point to research that indicates it has its health benefits, too. A study published by Lancet, a leading medical journal, indicates a correlation between raw milk consumption and protection against development of asthma and hay fever. Another study published in the Internet Journal of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology came to the same understanding, claiming raw milk reduced children’s risk of suffering from allergies by a rate of 40 percent.
Raw milk advocates also point to the benefits of the product for those who have a difficult time digesting pasteurized, homogenized milk. Some lactose-intolerant individuals are able to drink raw milk as an alternative, as it breaks down lactase, an enzyme that helps individuals break down and digest lactose, according to kinesiologist and nutritionist Sheryl Walters.
A new agreement, under law, without regulation
Farmers and consumers aren’t denying there’s a risk that goes along with consuming raw milk, but say there’s also a safe way to store and consume the produce — and they think residents should be able to make that decision for themselves. Their sovereignty law puts in place a process by which the buyer and seller negotiate with one another.
“Patrons purchasing food for home consumption may enter into private agreements with those producers or processors of local foods to waive any liability for the consumption of that food,” the law states. “Producers or processors of local foods shall be exempt from licensure and inspection requirements for that food as long as those agreements are in effect.”
In order to cover itself legally, the city ordinance references key points in the U.S. Constitution, which state that, in reference to the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, that in order to secure such rights, “governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” It also looks to Article 1, section 2 of the Maine Constitution, which states that people may alter, change or reform the power of the government.
Supporters also point to Maine’s Revised Statutes that indicates municipalities have the right to “regulate health, safety and welfare.”
Regardless of state or federal backlash against the town’s ordinance, those involved are willing to continue to stand up for the measures they believe in, which include the ability to create a sustainable food system within their own backyard.