Fax Gov. Strickland: Don't Muzzle Ohio's Dairy Farmers

Some dairy farmers choose to use an artificial growth hormone (recombinant bovine growth hormone or rbGH), produced and sold by Eli Lilly, to make cows produce more milk. Unfortunately, rBGH has numerous harmful side effects for cows, and has been linked to a wide range of health problems for consumers.

But many retailers sell milk products from cows that are NOT injected with synthetic growth hormones. They tell you that on the label, so you can choose the "no artificial growth hormones" or "rbGH-free" if you prefer it. Last year, Ohio issued a rule that will make this distinction more difficult for Ohio shoppers to find, and the state is defending the rule in an expensive court proceeding.

The milk labeling rule, issued in May, 2008, prohibits dairies (both organic and conventional) from labeling their milk as "rbGH-free" and adds other unnecessary bureaucratic requirements that are getting in the way of dairy companies that want to tell you that their milk is produced without synthetic growth hormones. Although a court upheld the rule after a lawsuit brought by the Organic Trade Association and the International Dairy Foods Association, both OTA and IDFA have appealed the judge's decision; in the meantime, the rule has not gone into effect.

Rather than spend any more of your tax dollars to keep fighting, tell the Governor that it's time to stop this foolishness and just rescind this milk labeling rule.

Send a free fax to Governor Strickland today to let him know that you support Ohio's small dairy farmers and their right to communicate freely and truthfully with consumers. We must stand by them so they can continue to produce a safe product that not only nourishes our children, but also our rural communities.

For more information on this issue, please visit the websites of Consumers Union, the Organic Trade Association or the International Dairy Foods Association. Also, check out this great Cleveland Plain Dealer op-ed from Carol Goland, Executive Director of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association.