In reading the report (which you can download below), I was struck by this one passage:
The dairy operator was found to be knowledgeable of sanitary standards and testing methods. However, sanitary measures such as having hand washing stations, the use of bleach for sanitizing bottles, proper dishwashing water temperatures, and monitoring of transport temperatures were not implemented. In addition, the milking parlor was partially open to the elements, had a dirt floor, and milk was hand carried from the parlor to the bottling house. After the multiple potential routes of contamination were reviewed with the operator, he installed a temporary hand sink in the milk parlor, added bleach to the dishwasher, and labeled the jars indicating that the milk was unpasteurized.
So much for knowing your farmer. In order to sell raw milk safely (if that is truly possible), farmers, like the Kinikin Corner Dairy, need to not only “be knowledgeable of sanitary standards and testing methods,” but also actually apply and observe them. As raw milk proponents continue to push for their rights to sell and drink raw milk, they need to also understand the need to make food safety a part of the equation. Not having “hand washing stations,” not using “bleach for sanitizing bottles,” not using “proper dishwashing water temperatures, and [not] monitoring of transport temperatures” simply is irresponsible.