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for crafting legislation that would minimize opposition while not compromising what they were trying to accomplish.
Connor Boyack, the president of the non-profit Libertas Institute, has helped significantly since 2015.
The Pattersons received earlier funding to help their legislative work from the Farm-to-Consumer Legal De-
fense Fund and the State Policy Network but thanks to their formation of the non-profit Red Acre Center (RAC,
redacrecenter.org), they are now able to pay for lobbying and other expenses related to legislative efforts through
donations to RAC. Among expenses is paying a farm manager when the Pattersons are away lobbying in Salt Lake
City. Their Red Acre Farm in Cedar City operates a thriving vegetable CSA and sells meat and poultry products as
well. The RAC is an education and advocacy nonprofit center that holds an annual conference in January. RAC has
quickly become part of the conversation about who the influential organizations are in Utah food and agricultural
policy. The Pattersons are building Red Acre Center for the long haul to be part of the political and educational
landscape of food and agriculture in the state.
An interesting dynamic in SB 108 was that the bill likely would not have passed without the support of the
Utah business empire, Redmond Inc. Redmond is primarily known for its manufacture of salt but it also has a raw
milk operation, Redmond Heritage Dairy, which sells raw milk in several stores Redmond owns throughout Utah.
Redmond wanted SB 108 to pass so it could deliver around the state. The company was the driver behind the
2007 legislation that banned herdshares while allowing the sale of raw milk in retail stores by a permitted producer
that held a majority ownership interest in the store selling the raw milk. The Pattersons partially rectified the ban
on herdshares with the 2015 legislation legalizing micro-dairy herdshare programs; they worked with officials from
Redmond on the passage of SB 108.
RAC has joined Redmond, the Utah Farm Bureau, the conventional dairy industry and UDAF as a player in
Utah food and agriculture legislation. Red Acre Center's efforts show the success that can result when you have a
few dedicated individuals who don’t take “no” for an answer.

RAW MILK EVENTS IN SWITZERLAND

Judith Mudrak, Bern chapter leader and
event organizer, with speakers at the Raw
Milk Day, April 2, in Basel, Switzerland:
Sally Fallon Morell, President,
the Weston A. Price Foundation;
Roland Braendle, President,
EM Associates; and
Dr. Konstantina M. Vanevski,
clinical pharmacologist with her
daughter Agnija Tanevska.

Berthe Darras (right), event organizer,
with speakers Andre Muller, raw milk
farmer, and Sally Fallon Morell. The event
was April 5 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

SUMMER 2018 Wise Traditions 91