States Where Raw Milk is Legal

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Introduction

In every state within the United States, it is either entirely legal or at least ambivalently legal to purchase raw milk. Raw milk is milk that has been taken from a cow that hasn’t been pasteurized. The pasteurization of raw milk ensures that all of the potentially harmful bacteria that is often in the milk mixture are killed, such as salmonella. However, pasteurizing raw milk also removes much of its naturally occurring nutrient content.

The only state where there is no legal way to obtain raw milk is New Jersey. It is explicitly stated in New Jersey state statute 24:10-57.17. that “No person shall sell, offer for sale, or distribute to the ultimate consumer any milk or cream that is not pasteurized.” In other words, all milk that is produced, sold, and distributed from New Jersey must be pasteurized.

In every other state, however, raw milk can be obtained legally. People who are proponents of consuming raw milk argue that it’s more naturally nutritious than milk which has been essentially sterilized through the pasteurization process, and they are correct. The removal of potentially harmful bacteria is the purpose of pasteurization, but that process also removes many of the nutrients in milk. Because of that, the nutrients have to be artificially reintroduced into the milk so that it regains its original nutrient content.

To learn more about states where raw milk is legal, scroll through the data in the charts.

StateRaw Milk LawsTotal Milk Production
ArkansasFarm-to-Consumer Sales60 Mlb
GeorgiaFarm-to-Consumer Sales1,798 Mlb
IllinoisFarm-to-Consumer Sales1,774 Mlb
KansasFarm-to-Consumer Sales4,098 Mlb
MassachusettsFarm-to-Consumer Sales197 Mlb
MinnesotaFarm-to-Consumer Sales10,548 Mlb
MississippiFarm-to-Consumer Sales106 Mlb
MissouriFarm-to-Consumer Sales1,010 Mlb
MontanaFarm-to-Consumer Sales243 Mlb
NebraskaFarm-to-Consumer Sales1,423 Mlb
New YorkFarm-to-Consumer Sales15,540 Mlb
OklahomaFarm-to-Consumer Sales692 Mlb
OregonFarm-to-Consumer Sales2,622 Mlb
South DakotaFarm-to-Consumer Sales3,603 Mlb
TexasFarm-to-Consumer Sales15,599 Mlb
VermontFarm-to-Consumer Sales2,566 Mlb
WisconsinFarm-to-Consumer Sales31,702 Mlb
WyomingFarm-to-Consumer Sales220.3 Mlb
AlabamaHerdshare Sales39 Mlb
AlaskaHerdshare Sales
ColoradoHerdshare Sales5,271 Mlb
DelawareHerdshare Sales52 Mlb
HawaiiHerdshare Sales
IowaHerdshare Sales5,538 Mlb
KentuckyHerdshare Sales907 Mlb
LouisianaHerdshare Sales126 Mlb
MichiganHerdshare Sales11,952 Mlb
North CarolinaHerdshare Sales917 Mlb
North DakotaHerdshare Sales335 Mlb
OhioHerdshare Sales5,643 Mlb
Rhode IslandHerdshare Sales10.1 Mlb
TennesseeHerdshare Sales508 Mlb
VirginiaHerdshare Sales1,471 Mlb
West VirginiaHerdshare Sales75 Mlb
New JerseyIllegal90 Mlb
FloridaPet Food Sales2,170 Mlb
IndianaPet Food Sales4,532 Mlb
MarylandPet Food Sales875 Mlb
ArizonaRetail Sales4,818 Mlb
CaliforniaRetail Sales41,864 Mlb
ConnecticutRetail Sales434 Mlb
IdahoRetail Sales16,412 Mlb
MaineRetail Sales572 Mlb
NevadaRetail Sales810 Mlb
New HampshireRetail Sales226 Mlb
New MexicoRetail Sales7,804 Mlb
PennsylvaniaRetail Sales10,114 Mlb
South CarolinaRetail Sales159 Mlb
UtahRetail Sales2,223 Mlb
WashingtonRetail Sales6,504 Mlb
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Raw Milk Laws by State

Alabama

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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39 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#47

Total Milk Production

Alaska

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Arizona

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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4,818 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#14

Total Milk Production

Arkansas

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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60 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#45

Total Milk Production

California

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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41,864 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#1

Total Milk Production

Colorado

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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5,271 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#13

Total Milk Production

Connecticut

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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434 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#34

Total Milk Production

Delaware

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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52 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#46

Total Milk Production

Florida

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Raw Milk Laws

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Pet Food Sales

Total Milk Production

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2,170 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#21

Total Milk Production

Georgia

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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1,798 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#22

Total Milk Production

Hawaii

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Idaho

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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16,412 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#3

Total Milk Production

Illinois

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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1,774 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#23

Total Milk Production

Indiana

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Raw Milk Laws

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Pet Food Sales

Total Milk Production

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4,532 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#15

Total Milk Production

Iowa

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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5,538 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#12

Total Milk Production

Kansas

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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4,098 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#16

Total Milk Production

Kentucky

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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907 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#28

Total Milk Production

Louisiana

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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126 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#41

Total Milk Production

Maine

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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572 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#32

Total Milk Production

Maryland

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Raw Milk Laws

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Pet Food Sales

Total Milk Production

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875 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#29

Total Milk Production

Massachusetts

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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197 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#39

Total Milk Production

Michigan

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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11,952 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#6

Total Milk Production

Minnesota

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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10,548 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#7

Total Milk Production

Mississippi

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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106 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#42

Total Milk Production

Missouri

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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1,010 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#26

Total Milk Production

Montana

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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243 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#36

Total Milk Production

Nebraska

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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1,423 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#25

Total Milk Production

Nevada

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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810 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#30

Total Milk Production

New Hampshire

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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226 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#37

Total Milk Production

New Jersey

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Raw Milk Laws

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Illegal

Total Milk Production

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90 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#43

Total Milk Production

New Mexico

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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7,804 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#9

Total Milk Production

New York

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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15,540 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#5

Total Milk Production

North Carolina

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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917 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#27

Total Milk Production

North Dakota

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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335 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#35

Total Milk Production

Ohio

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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5,643 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#11

Total Milk Production

Oklahoma

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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692 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#31

Total Milk Production

Oregon

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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2,622 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#18

Total Milk Production

Pennsylvania

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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10,114 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#8

Total Milk Production

Rhode Island

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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10.1 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#48

Total Milk Production

South Carolina

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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159 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#40

Total Milk Production

South Dakota

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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3,603 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#17

Total Milk Production

Tennessee

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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508 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#33

Total Milk Production

Texas

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add_circle

Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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15,599 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#4

Total Milk Production

Utah

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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2,223 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#20

Total Milk Production

Vermont

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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2,566 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#19

Total Milk Production

Virginia

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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1,471 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#24

Total Milk Production

Washington

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Raw Milk Laws

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Retail Sales

Total Milk Production

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6,504 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#10

Total Milk Production

West Virginia

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Raw Milk Laws

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Herdshare Sales

Total Milk Production

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75 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#44

Total Milk Production

Wisconsin

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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31,702 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#2

Total Milk Production

Wyoming

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Raw Milk Laws

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Farm-to-Consumer Sales

Total Milk Production

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220.3 Mlb

Ranked in the US

#38

Total Milk Production

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