Wisconsin Ag Connection - State Files Charges Against Raw Milk Violator

Wisconsin Ag News Headlines

State Files Charges Against Raw Milk Violator
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 12/08/2011

The Wisconsin Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against a Sauk County raw milk distributor, who's operation was raided by state inspectors last year. According to the criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Sauk County Circuit Court, the DOJ charged Vernon Hershberger, owner of Grazin' Acres near Loganville, with operating a food establishment without a license, producing milk without a license, operating a dairy plant without a license and violating a hold order that was placed on his coolers during a June 2010 raid.

The DOJ says Hershberger was informed in 2007 that the sale of refrigerated or frozen food without a retail food establishment license violated the law, but he continued to operate the business anyway. He was also informed that his milk producer license was going to be considered abandoned if he did not resume shipping milk to a licensed dairy plant. Despite that warning, Hershberger operated as a milk producer without a license, so a holding order was served on him which prohibited the sale or movement of specific food products.

The complaint further alleges that Hershberger violated this order by removing food products that were subject to the holding order.

In 2010, Hershberger told the media that he continued to sell dairy products from his small shop through agreements that allowed customers part ownership of the animals from which they received goods.

He is scheduled to appear in court on January 4.

Other Wisconsin Headlines