Meeting Public Comments

Meeting informations are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: RM 102, Sup. Ct. Consult
Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.
Comments Submitted:

02-28-2023
Ahna Brandhof []
Good morning,I hope this message reaches the committee in time. My name is Ahna Brandhof. I am the mother of 3 girls (12, 3, and 2). my husband and I have been blessed with healthy children, however, we noticed our youngest would get terrible stomach pains after consuming store bought milk. She would wake up at night and scream for no less than 20 minutes, until the pains passed. She was unable to be consoled, and nothing I did helped ease her pain. We tried changing milk brands, trying lactose free and organic, but were met with the same problem. We even tried milk alternatives (pea protein, almond, and coconut), but those made her throw up.I felt like a failure, because I couldnt figure out how to help her, thinking we would just have to make sure she avoided dairy altogether. One day I decided to look up raw milk, as I had seen other friends mention it, and to my surprise there were testimonies from people with lactose intolerance that were able to consume raw milk with no issues. I decided to give it a shot, because at that point I had already dealt with her issues off and on for a couple of months, so what was another interrupted night?We acquired milk from a reputable source, gave her a small amount, and to our surprise, we were not awoken by her pained cries. Serving after serving, we continued to be surprised. She was thriving and loved the milk, as did our other two girls. Since switching to raw milk, she has not had any stomach pains. I felt a huge weight off my shoulders, and much relief knowing she was getting much needed nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to grow.Please vote YES on HF 338. Consumers, such as myself, deserve the right to have local, raw milk. The bill supports consumer choice. The consumption of all raw milk products is legal in Iowa. Instead of having to cross state lines to exercise their legal right, shouldnt Iowans have access to those products from Iowa farmers?Passage of HF 338 would enable family farmers to make a better living. Raw milk in other states is often the product that first draws the consumer to set foot on the farm leading to sales of other foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, and produce.Passage of HF 338 will keep more of the food dollar in the state economy. With the sale of raw milk being legal in all of Iowas bordering states, there are lost revenues.Thank you for your time and consideration.