A Minnesota farmer who volunteers at the Freedom
Farm co-op, which distributes raw milk (along with many other
products) to about 130 members, says no one has ever gotten sick
from the milk he regularly picks up from local Amish farmers.

He was nonetheless charged with three misdemeanor counts of
selling unpasteurized milk, operating without a food license and
handling adulterated or misbranded food. After a three-day
trial and more than four hours of deliberation, during which the
city attorney argued that the purpose of anti-raw milk laws is to
protect the public health, a jury found Alvin Schlangen not
guilty.

While this victory sets no precedent, raw milk advocates were
pretty pumped:

Schlangen’s attorney, Nathan Hansen [called it] “it’s a huge
victory for food freedom.”

“I think the jury read the statute correctly,” Hansen said. “The
Department of Agriculture reads a lot of things into the statute
that just aren’t there.

Schlangen is set to appear in court again in nearby Stearns
County next month on similar charges.

Check out Reason TV on
other raw milk providers who haven’t been so lucky: