Want raw milk? You better know a guy!

A raw milk ban seems to have been averted in North Carolina, but consumer access is still under fire. 

On Tuesday, May 6, North Carolina lawmakers backed away from a full-blown raw milk ban, but not without narrowing how and where consumers can access it. In a packed Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, nearly 100 activists showed up to defend the right to choose unpasteurized milk. The grassroots pressure appeared to have worked: the committee voted against a proposed ban in Senate Bill (SB) 639, the North Carolina Farm Act of 2025. 

The original version of the bill introduced by Sen. Brent Jackson (R-Sampson), would have, among other things, repealed existing legal protections for raw milk altogether, citing speculative concerns over bird flu transmission pushed by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. After intense public backlash, lawmakers amended the bill to keep herd share agreements legal — a model that allows individuals to “buy into” a farm’s dairy animals and receive raw milk in return. Herd shares have quietly been the backbone of raw milk access in North Carolina for the past seven years, and preserving them is a meaningful win for both small farmers and informed consumers. 

But the amended bill wasn’t all good news. Taking a step backward for food freedom, the new version would ban the sale of raw milk as “pet milk” at places like farm stands and farmers markets — one of the few ways consumers without herd share agreements could access it. For years, farmers labeled raw milk as “not for human consumption” to navigate around restrictive laws, trusting their customers to make educated choices. Lawmakers argue that this workaround was being abused and that raw milk was clearly being consumed without proper oversight. 

This change would narrow access considerably, making raw milk harder to obtain for those who don’t live near a participating farm or can’t join a herd share. In short, while raw milk isn’t being banned, it’s being boxed in, with fewer avenues for consumers to make personal choices outside of state-approved channels. 

One amendment to the bill calls for the Agriculture and Forestry Awareness Study Commission to investigate the potential full legalization and regulated distribution of raw milk in North Carolina. That’s not nothing, and it could lead to positive change in future years. But it’s also a telling example of government believing it knows best —better than the farmer who raised the cow and better than the customer who wants the milk.  

This week’s vote is proof that public pressure matters. The loud, passionate response to the proposed ban helped preserve herd sharing, a system that already works for thousands of North Carolinians. But the ban on pet milk sales is a clear retreat.  

As the bill heads to the Rules committee, raw milk advocates should continue pushing for genuine food freedom. In a time when processed foods and big agriculture dominate, defending direct farm-to-consumer relationships isn’t just about milk — it’s about the right to choose what we eat, who we buy from, and how we live. 

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