We’re giving a big “Welcome!” to Wisconsin’s Grassway Organics, the latest farm to become LISTED by the Raw Milk Institute. Chaz and Meghan Self have been farming at Grassway Organics since 2016, producing raw milk as well as pasture-raised chickens and eggs, beef, turkeys, and hogs. They’ve also innovated with “Pizza on the Farm,” where they serve up wood fired pizzas to their local community.

Although Wisconsin is the Dairy State, dairy farms all over Wisconsin are failing at an unprecedented rate. The state lost 773 dairies in 2019 alone! Conventional dairies are floundering amidst low prices that make it nearly impossible to break even. Like many other dairy farmers, Chaz and Meghan Self have found that producing raw milk provides a way to stay viable while providing a product that consumers are clamoring for. With raw milk’s extensive health benefits, and increasing evidence that raw milk can be produced safely, more and more consumers are choosing to drink raw milk.

Even though consumers are demanding raw milk, Wisconsin’s laws make it very difficult to produce raw milk. By law, only “incidental sales” of raw milk are allowed in Wisconsin. Chaz and Meghan Self are hoping to lead a change, thereby allowing healthy, low-risk raw milk to move into the mainstream in Wisconsin.

Grassway Organics has worked diligently to become LISTED by the Raw Milk Institute, developing their own Risk Assessment and Management Plan and even building their own on-farm lab for bacteria testing. They are testing their milk frequently to ensure that it meets the RAWMI Common Standards for low-risk raw milk. Grassway Organics will be a great addition to the Raw Milk Institute’s community of farmers.