By Joseph Edelen

DOVER — The legalization of farm-to-consumer raw milk sales is imminent in the First State.

The House of Representatives provided final passage to Senate Bill 273 Thursday, which would allow Delaware’s 13 dairy farms to sell non-pasteurized milk to consumers.

A similar attempt was made by state lawmakers in 2014, but it failed to garner enough support to become law in Delaware. Back then, there were 44 dairy farms in the state, and the number has been dwindling ever since.

That prompted Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Camden, to introduce legislation to legalize farm-to-consumer sales, which is currently legal in Pennsylvania; where many Delawareans seeking raw milk travel to obtain it.

“Folks want products that are organic. They want to trust the food sources that they have, not just because of something like pasteurization, but because of the additives that are included in the milk that you consume, the food products that you consume,” Sen. Buckson said during the bill’s May 15 committee hearing.

“To the consumer, it’s your choice. To the dairy industry, it’s still your choice. But (this is) also a way to say we’re going to help to keep you viable.”

Throughout the bill’s passage in the General Assembly, it had the support of the Department of Agriculture and other organizations, as well as Delaware’s dairy farmers.

Th legislation will require on-farm daily testing of the product, which would require participating dairy farms to invest in technology to carry out the tests, as well as monthly testing by an independent laboratory and monthly inspections by Department of Agriculture staff.

Of those were Stephanie Knutsen, co-owner of G&S Dairy in Harrington, who estimates the bill would double her farm’s profits just by switching five of their 50 cows to raw milk production. In total, the farmer said the measure would create at least $15.6 million for Delaware’s 13 dairy farms.

House lawmakers donned cow-print pins that read “Food Choice!” on Thursday and there were plenty of light-hearted puns during the bill’s consideration.

Once lawmakers moo-ved to a roll call vote, the bill passed by a vote of 39 yes and two no. It now heads to the governor’s desk where, if signed, the measure will become law.