This is not an ordinary cup of coffee. It is not actually just coffee, it is a cappuccino. A double such, in fact. But it is not the regular double cappuccino. It is a double cappuccino with milk straight from the cow.
As I am now - what shall I call it - volunteering, learning, working/spending time with cows on a farm up here on Fridays, I was given the option during lunch if I wanted a coffee. If you know me well, you'll know that I rarely decline that offer. When asked whether I wanted milk in it - of course I accepted the offer.
The reason why I became interested in this topic - and a reading tip for the agriculturally minded of you, is this book by David E. Gumpert. A lot of things are sure to have happened on this topic since I read the book, some in favour and highly probable actions opposing unpasteurized milk. I really enjoyed the book, and became more aware of the pasteurization policies in Norway after this. (I may or may not write about the pros and cons of this in another blog post).
But you need to know a farmer to be able to access milk outside of the all-mixed, homogenized, pasteurized, bland milk we have in Norway. Today, I had a new first. My first raw cappuccino.
Var det godt?
SvarSlettHI love, we have the same debate going on in Finland, I guess much with the same conditions as you have in terms of environment (pest pressure + legislation on the topic).
SvarSlettOur agencies have had always a very strict view on unpaseurized milk, but it has been possible to buy it straight from farms in small quantities, but only if the farms have a "food hygiene" accepted facilities for giving the milk on to people (in most cases the "tank room" with tiles / roster walls will not suffice as the requirements are ridiculous). So as is your case, we have a few farms where it is possible to access it, but mostly you just have to know the farmer.
Lately there has been some progress, the government sees how the level of subsidies is going to significantly drop and the direct sales (from the farm) are supposedly to be supported with more allowing legislation in the future. (Both in terms of milk & meat.)
Yet there has been a major setback just last autumn. A child almost died from contaminated, unpasteurized milk, which obviously gave the industry lobbers a great deal of fuel. So currently we are at a standstill. Our hygiene level (+ average cell count) is so good that there is no real reason for the high restrictions. Yet the consumers don't really understand the risk levels of doing this, many who buy the raw milk do so for other than rational reasons. This places a great deal of instability on it, either they stick with their own believes or jump ship, because it hasn't been a well informed decision to start with.
So on the other hand we have the well-prepared industry lobbyers and on the other side the idealists with no real back -up. Its clear where the power balance is on that struggle, we all know how ideals measure in political decision making (vs. "hard facts").
The farmers have been strangely passive on this one, guess all their effort goes really to combating the subsidy- losses and the retail monopoly that we have here and is getting uglier by the day.
Vow, this turned out to be a long comment:). Happy to see someone else is interested:).
As always everything is linked to everything:). I'm going to organize this event on alternative market routes & risk control on farms for young farmers. I think the old generation is too old to adapt to the change. One of the options presented is going to be the Termines- predefined industry- based prices, as go with the American model, and the rest is more along with CSA- farm markets, food circles (like the Fokhol one), etc.
Would be great to meet you, not only to get to talk to someone that cares:). The people around me are getting tired of all my "activism".
Your new places looks amazing. I'm really happy for you.