Raw Milk's Biggest Producer Rides a Political Tailwind

Mark McAfee runs Raw Farm, the largest raw-milk dairy in the country. He built it by betting that a product long dismissed as fringe would find a mainstream audience. That bet is paying off.

Raw milk sales have climbed steadily as consumers question pasteurization and seek out what they see as a more natural product. McAfee's dairy now produces roughly 10,000 gallons a day, up from a few hundred a decade ago. The growth has come despite repeated warnings from the FDA and CDC, which cite risks of bacterial contamination including E. coli and listeria.

McAfee has found an ally in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime raw-milk advocate who has publicly questioned pasteurization mandates. Kennedy's position gives the industry a powerful voice inside the administration, McAfee said in an interview. "We've never had a Health Secretary who actually drinks raw milk," he said.

The FDA maintains that pasteurization is the only reliable way to eliminate pathogens in milk. The agency has not changed its stance under Kennedy. Raw-milk producers say enforcement has eased. McAfee said state-level inspections have become less aggressive in recent months.

Raw Farm's distribution network now reaches 12 states, up from four in 2020. The dairy sells through natural-grocery chains and direct-to-consumer subscriptions. McAfee said the company is profitable and reinvesting in production capacity.

Critics point to outbreak data. Between 2013 and 2018, raw milk caused 75% of dairy-related illness outbreaks in the U.S., according to the CDC, despite representing a tiny fraction of total milk consumption. McAfee argues that the numbers are inflated by poor handling and that his operation's testing protocols exceed industry standards.

The debate is unlikely to settle soon. Kennedy has called for a review of FDA food-safety policies. No formal rulemaking has been announced. McAfee said he expects the political tailwind to persist. "The genie is out of the bottle," he said.