Amish Farmer Challenges Ohio's Milk Regulations

In New Hope, Ohio, an Amish farmer is mounting a religiously-based court challenge to Ohio's prohibition on the sale of unpasteurized milk (ORC 917.04). Yesterday's Akron Beacon-Journal reports that the challenge comes after Arlie Stutzman had his license to sell milk suspended for two months for selling unlabelled milk to a state Department of Agriculture undercover agent. Even though his license was returned, regulators have asked a Holmes county common pleas court judge to formally order Stutzman to comply with dairy laws. Stutzman argues that his religious beliefs call for him to share his milk with others. Stutzman believes he was targeted because he is part of an arrangement that skirts the prohibitions on selling unpasteurized milk. His cows are partly "owned" by a group of 150 families in a "herd share" agreement under which all of the owners, for a fee, are entitled to a portion of the milk.