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COLORADO COW-SHARE PROGRAM IN JEOPARDY
Guidestone Farm in Loveland, Colorado, instituted the first US cow-share
program and for many years it has operated peacefully and without incident with
the full approval of Colorado Board of Health (BOH). The program has become
so popular that Guidestone now has a long waiting list, in spite of doubling
production (they now serve 450 families), and other farmers are initiating similar
programs. In response, the BOH has suggested regulatory changes forbidding
other cow-share programs and grandfathering the Guidestone program—that is,
allowing Guidestone to continue until they voluntarily stop the program or move,
a likely event since Guidestone operates on leased land. David Lynch, owner of
Guidestone, refused to agree to the grandfathering provision—which would have
effectively bought him off. The proposed regulations thus would forbid all cow-
share programs and threaten to shut down Guidestone.
The showdown will be a public hearing scheduled for May 19th. Letter-writing
campaigns are underway (the letter from Mark McAfee, above, is one of
hundreds written in support of raw milk) and Guidestone’s efforts are supported
by the expert legal help of attorney Jim Dean. Three hundred people are
expected to be there in support of raw milk at the largest public health hearing in
the history of the state. Jim is giving many hours pro bono and Guidestone is
depending on donations to defray legal expenses. If you can help, please send
your donation to WAPF marked Colorado Raw Milk Campaign and we will pass
100 percent of your donation on to our friends in Colorado.
COLORADO BOARD OF HEALTH M I N U T E S March, 2004
Discussion/Request for Rulemaking Hearing: Proposed amendments to Colorado Grade A
Pasteurized Milk and Fluid Milk Products Regulations – Patti Klocker, Assistant Division
Director, Consumer Protection Division
Patti Klocker, assistant director, Consumer Protection Division, asked the Board to schedule a
public rulemaking hearing in May to consider proposed amendments to the Colorado Grade A
Pasteurized Milk and Fluid Milk Products Regulations. She stated that the purpose of the
proposed amendments is to clarify the prohibition of the sale of raw milk in Colorado; and to
include an exemption for one facility.
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