Last week, Logan Duvall’s farmers market, Me & McGee, got a visit from the Arkansas Department of Health. Inspectors were there after they got a complaint that the market was selling raw milk, albeit labeled for pet consumption.
Laws governing the sale of unpasteurized milk vary from state to state. In Arkansas, raw milk can be legally purchased only on the farm where it was produced.
So Duvall had to throw out his raw milk stock. Now, he’s leading what he calls a “Raw Milk Revolution,” aiming to change the regulations that make it difficult for people to buy fresh milk that hasn’t undergone high-heat pasteurization to kill potentially harmful bacteria. Raw milk advocates say pasteurization zaps helpful bacteria, too. And some say raw milk is tastier and more nutritious.
Duvall has been using social media to stoke conversation about raw milk regulations.
He told Arkansas Times that by labeling raw milk as a product for pets, he was using a loophole that tiny markets utilize to sell unpasteurized milk to customers. But he also clearly labeled the product in his store as raw milk, and he told the Arkansas Times that he would never try to mislead consumers about a product.
“My point is that I am not trying to force you to drink raw milk, we’re just trying to make sure that people who want that can get it,” Duvall said. “Nobody is trying to make someone else sick, the safety and health and wellness are extremely important to me.”
Duvall sees the demand for raw milk, and he said he simply wants to make sure farmers who want to supply that demand can do so.
The Arkansas Department of Health did not respond to Arkansas Times’ request for comment on the raw milk debate as of the publication of this article. But they did forward the complaint made about Me & McGee, along with a picture of the sign Duvall used. The complaint can be found below:
Now, a movement is afoot to make changes to the law that brought the health department to Duvall’s shop. On Thursday, Me & McGee will host the Arkansas Prosperity and Food Sovereignty Roundtable, an event that “brings together key stakeholders committed to strengthening Arkansas’s local food system.”
Duvall advocates for “reducing regulations within the local food system–particularly regarding raw milk, meat, and egg production.” And he already drafted the framework for a law for the state Legislature to consider that would legalize the retail sale of raw milk.
Arkansas lawmakers last made changes to regulations on raw milk sales in 2013 when they allowed farmers to sell 500 gallons of raw milk a month to the public from their farms. The law also instructed sellers of raw milk to include a sign stating that the milk has not been pasteurized or inspected by the state health department, and that consumers assume liability for health issues that may result from the consumption.
And those health risks are numerous. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the consumption of raw, unpasteurized milk can lead to “diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting” and in some cases more severe outcomes like Guillain-Barre syndrome or hemolytic uremic syndrome, leading to paralysis, kidney failure, or even death. Consumers also may be exposed to germs like salmonella and E. coli.
The CDC also says children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk.
Duvall wants retail stores like Me & McGee to be able to legally sell raw milk and he wants to allow dairy farmers to produce and sell more than 500 gallons of raw milk a month. He said he has already met with several state legislators about the topic and would like to see it become a priority in the 2025 legislative session.
“We’ve made it extremely challenging for consumers that want raw dairy if we are limiting them by making them travel an hour, an hour and a half, three hours to get this milk,” Duvall said. “And again, I can’t see what that has to do with public health.”
Duvall emphasized that dairy farmers often do not have the time to sell directly from their farms, and that markets like Me & McGee support smaller, local farmers. He wants to aid farmers sell their products locally, and limit regulations that prevent local growers and consumers from buying and eating locally.
The University of Arkansas’ Division of Agriculture Public Policy Center wrote an analysis of the 2013 law that predicted liability issues for sellers could become a major problem.
Duvall’s proposal, “The Arkansas Prosperity and Food Sovereignty Act,” would establish liability protection for farmers and retailers selling raw milk, meaning they wouldn’t be held accountable if someone became ill from drinking the raw milk they produced. The proposal would also make sure retailers and farmers are putting signs up to ensure consumers know the milk on offer has not been pasteurized.
“Nobody is trying to sneak in raw milk, no one is trying to make people drink raw milk if they don’t want it,” Duvall said. “But a lot of people just want it.”
