Milk Not Jail
I recently read about this non-profit and was so moved, I decided to share their story.
MILK NOT JAILS is a non-profit started by Lauren Melodia. She saw that Prisons were built in the Northern & Western areas of New York, to boost their economies. The same towns that housed dairy farms.
Government support & funding ($2.5 billion to be exact) , is being designated to these correctional facilities, not the local farmers.
Milk No Jail is an economic alternative to the prison industry. They’re a dairy marketing and distribution co-operative. But they are also a political campaign that is building an alliance for a sustainable and regional economy for New York State.
Their belief is that imprisonment hurts communities and if change doesn’t occur, society and economies will be affected. How you ask?
- Increased Crime
- Increased Juvenile Delinquency
- Decreased Housing Values
- Decreased Public Health
So how can you help? Buy their products. Encourage your schools, stores, daycare centers, coffee shops and super markets to carry their products. You can even purchase them directly.
Their cows are antibiotic free and are raised humanely. If dairy isn’t your thing, they’ll happily accept donations.
I commend Lauren and her team for not only walking the walk but talking the talk.
Happiness, $25 and under.
“INCARCERATION SHOULDN’T BE A JOBS PROGRAM”
Comments
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Thanks so much, guys. Thanks to NY’s abject neglect of rural economies we now have 3,000,000 acres of abandoned dairy farms up here. Wherever you drive you see barns falling down, farms being subdivided or grasslands growing to scrub. Its a pity, we are the largest major grassland closest to NYC. NYC has a 2 day supply of food on the shelves. For food security alone, support the farmers of your region. I agree totally on your points about sending inmates to isolated areas where they are cut off from their families when they need them the most. The only other thing I would add is that all milk in NY is anbiotic free. NY has very rigorous testing standards. If a farmer were caught shipping antibiotic milk, they have to pay for the entire tractor trailer load of milk. If you say you support only the tiny % who are certiied organic, then what about the 99% of us who try our best to put out a quality product.