House Ag committee hears months of testimony on bill to allow sale of raw milk products; labeling and regulation remain key concerns

Representative Dawson Holly, sponsor of House Bill 1131, introduced the bill to the House Agriculture Committee as a way to allow sale of raw milk products and create new revenue streams for small North Dakota dairy farms.

“By expanding the law to include raw milk products, we're giving North Dakota farmers a fresh shot at survival,” Representative Dawson Holly told the committee, citing a long‑term drop in the state's dairy farms and an informal count of 17 raw‑milk operations he found online.

The bill drew dozens of supporters who described homestead and small dairy operations that already sell raw milk directly to consumers and who said the change would allow producers to legally sell butter, cream, kefir, yogurt and some cheeses. Leanne Harner, a small dairy goat operator, described the role that home‑produced cheeses and yogurts can play in family diets and said small producers take the safety of their product seriously.

“This has been going on in the state for 12 years without any problem,” Harner said, adding she tracks foodborne‑illness…