Jackson Whole Grocer is a unique food provider in Jackson, Wyoming. It's a place where customers are accustomed to getting what they ask for. The shelves and refrigerated cases in this business are stocked with many standard grocery store food items, but they also offer a wide range of choices in response to customer demand. This grocer is responsive to niche market interests such as low carbohydrate, organic, vegan, and all natural products. The Jackson Whole Grocer is one of those rare hybrid grocery stores providing conventional and organic products.
On April 7th of 2010, the county health inspector paid a visit and informed the store that they could no longer have raw milk available for purchase as it was contrary to state regulations. As a result of the health department visit, this unique grocer isn't able to satisfy customer desires for raw milk products, and the customers are plenty upset about it. Many people who enjoy raw milk do so because of its nutritional properties that haven't been "cooked" out by the pasteurization process. Some individuals who were formerly lactose intolerant find that they can digest raw milk without incident. Clearly, the demand for this premium priced natural and unprocessed food demonstrates a base of consumers who are well informed about its benefits. All raw milk products in stock typically sell out in less than 24 hours. This speaks volumes about customer demand.
Stacey Breidenstein told me, "We're about food choices. Our products range from traditional to organic. We're here to meet customer demand - not tell them what to buy." I get the sense that Stacey favors unprocessed and organic foods, but she isn't about to do any arm twisting with her customers - she wants them to decide for themselves. Most certainly this is a model for a successful business - selling customers what they want!
Unfortunately, customer demand in Jackson runs contrary to government rules that prohibit raw milk sales. Some would argue that raw milk presents potential health risks because it isn't pasteurized, yet many states allow the sale and consumption of raw milk. It's typically a small family-owned dairy that provides raw milk and raw milk food products to consumers, and rarely are there instances of tainted product. Oddly enough, salmonella, E-coli and other contamination issues most often come from large conventional food processing facilities that are subject to government regulation. There are health risks associated with anything that we consume, however the Jackson Whole Grocer has no report of problems linked to the sale of their raw milk products.
It's time we start to put things in perspective. Customers want more choice and more control over the foodstuffs available for purchase. Raw and organic products aren't something new. They were introduced in response to customer demand for pure foods. Let's also not lose sight of the fact that grocery stores commonly sell a wide range of raw products, including: chicken, fish, sausage, shellfish, beef, pork, eggs, fruits and vegetables. It's clear that consumers are very comfortable with raw and unprocessed foods. This same degree of comfort should extend as well to milk and milk products such as butter, cream and cheese.
Perhaps our legislators will hear the message that Stacey and her customers would like to convey. They intend to make their voices heard at the interim session meeting of the Joint Ag Committee that will be held in Dubois, Wyoming on April 19th, 2010. Many in the halls of power believe that they know better about the food choices people should be making. If only such food choice sermons were limited to their own family and friends, perhaps that would allow well informed consumers to make their own choices about what is good and healthy food.
Thomas Paine advised us many years ago in Common Sense that the habit of thinking something "not wrong" gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and that brings about defense of tradition when it's challenged by people who know better. It's time to challenge Wyoming's prohibition against raw milk simply because it's wrong to deny a good source of natural food to people who desire it. Supporting free choice in the marketplace will help restore business that the Jackson Whole Grocer lost on April 7th, and it will help restore confidence that we still have common sense enough in the legislature to recognize the right of the people to have free choice about the food they would like to consume.
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