MADISON, Wis. — Proponents of unpasteurized milk hope a victory in "America's Dairyland" will encourage other states to legalize sales and make it more available nationwide.
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has indicated he will sign a bill the Legislature passed late last month allowing farms to sell raw milk directly to consumers through 2011. Although the bill is limited in scope, advocates who've worked for years promoting raw milk say legalization in Wisconsin could lead to broader acceptance nationwide.
"It's the best state this could have happened in for us," said Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Washington-based Weston A. Price Foundation, a nonprofit group that advocates drinking raw milk.
The federal government doesn't allow sales of raw milk because of concerns about food-borne illness, but states can allow them as long as the milk doesn't cross state lines. With Doyle's signature, Wisconsin would become the 20th state to allow direct sales of raw milk from dairy farmers to individuals. Another nine states allow retail sales.
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