[MR] Virginia Dairy legislation

[Gorm of Berra]

Before we get into a major tizzy over this, is it possible for the SCA
Inc to spend some of our membership dollars and get an opinion from a
Lawyer on if this regulation would affect us?  Folks who are against
any particular regulation tend to get...well...a bit aggressive...in
their forecasts of doom and gloom on occasion, so it would be best to
get an uninterested observers point of view on this before we go off
all half-cocked.

I seem to recall a legal committee being formed at one point, this
would seem right up their alley...

I am concerned about the impact, not from the "You can't sell cheese
unless you have a permit" aspect, since any of our feast cooks
probably should be acquiring product from reputable (and therefore
licensed) sources, but I am concerned about possible impacts on A&S
folks wanting to study cheesemaking and the like.

Is it possible there is an educational exemption?  We are a 501c3
educational organization after all :)


On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 00:19:23 -0500, Roy B. Scherer
<rscherer at infionline.net> wrote:
> Latest info on this -- which it seems WILL affect at least some SCA events:
> If you enjoy locally made goat cheese and have bought it at farmers'
> markets, you need to act now.  The legislature, Governor Warner and his
> agricultural secretary, Robert Bloxom, are about to make it illegal to buy
> or sell goat cheese unless the farmer has a license for a Grade A Dairy,
> which costs about $50,000.  THE LAW WILL TAKE EFFECT ON JAN. 26TH!  Please
> call the hot line at 800-889-0229 TODAY and say that you are opposed to new
> regulations that cover the storing and handling of milk and the manufacture
> of dairy products.  Ask the legislators to suspend the effective date of
> the regulations so they may review the Agricultural Department's action.
> Other states, such as Pennsylvania, allow small farmers to conduct their
> operations without this type of legislation.