Right now in North Carolina, raw milk exists in a legal gray zone. While it’s technically illegal to buy and sell raw milk directly, there’s a widely used workaround: cow-share agreements. In these arrangements, people buy a share of a cow and receive part of its milk — raw and unpasteurized — as co-owners. But that small window of food freedom is now under threat. 

The North Carolina Farm Act of 2025 (Senate Bill 639), as currently written, could ban even this legal method of obtaining raw milk in North Carolina. It would eliminate the only lawful avenue for residents to access raw milk in the state and criminalize a practice that thousands rely on. 

Another bill, House Bill (HB) 609, would do the opposite: legalize the sale of raw milk directly from farmers and at farm stands. However, it has seen hardly any movement within the General Assembly. 

Why legalizing raw milk sales matters 

The debate about raw milk is too often framed around fear of foodborne illness. But what’s often missing from that conversation is the overwhelming evidence supporting raw milk’s health benefits. Raw Milk Institute cites numerous scientific studies finding that raw milk consumption is correlated with decreased rates of: 

  • Asthma 
  • Allergies 
  • Eczema 
  • Otitis (ear infections) 
  • Fevers 
  • Respiratory infections 

In addition, raw milk is said to be rich in gut-friendly probiotics and enzymes that help aid digestion and improve immune function. It also supports the recovery of a healthy gut microbiome after antibiotic use — something pasteurized milk simply cannot do. 

Even though some consumers may question these alleged health benefits, raw milk is still no more risky than many other foods we already allow. We don’t ban sushi, rare steak, and raw oysters — despite their foodborne illness risks. Instead, we use transparency, sanitation, and labeling to protect consumers.  

The right to choose 

Legalizing raw milk isn’t about forcing people to drink it — it’s about letting individuals make informed choices about what they consume. It’s about trusting consumers to make the best decisions for their families and trusting local farmers to provide a product their communities want. 

While North Carolina is not one of the states where raw milk sales are fully outlawed, the state is behind the curve. A ban would push us even further backwards. Legal cow-share agreements exist precisely because people want access to food in its natural, unprocessed form. Shutting that down would remove consumer choice and hurt small-scale farmers. 

Source: Campaign for Real Milk 

North Carolina prides itself on agricultural independence and local food systems. We should be empowering farmers, not regulating them out of the market. And we should be encouraging innovation and transparency, not criminalizing the sale of a product people actively seek out. 

It’s time to legalize raw milk sales 

The process proposed by HB 609 would be a sensible, bipartisan solution. It would not remove oversight or mandate raw milk sales. Instead, it would create a clear, legal path for consumers to purchase raw milk directly from farmers under well-defined safety standards. They include: 

  • Regular pathogen testing 
  • Annual veterinary inspections 
  • Sanitation and refrigeration standards 
  • Health warning labels on all raw milk products 

In other words, it would align raw milk regulation with how we handle risk in other parts of our food system. Raw milk should not be treated like contraband. It should be regulated and sold openly, just as other foods. That allows for better safety standards, consumer education, and access. Prohibition is rooted more in outdated policy than in science or public demand. 

As debates over the 2025 farm bill continue, North Carolinians need to speak out — both to defend cow-share agreements and to support full legalization of raw milk sales. Our farmers deserve clarity, and our families deserve choice.