Rah Raw!

Thank you so much for you article on the benefits of raw milk (“Is Milk Still Milk?” Aug. 2). I actually grew up drinking the milk from Mr. Peake’s farm--the original Claravale dairy. He was an incredible man, supporting small business, standing up for his beliefs and providing a source of good health. Toward the end of his life, at 90, he would still get up every morning at 4 o’clock to tend to his beloved Jerseys. All his old land was bought by newly wealthy Silicon Valley millionaires. His house and silo and the barn in which the cows lived, stood on top of a hill surrounded by garish gaudy Spanish-style compounds. After his death last year, a lot of people fought to have his place turned into a historical monument, but to no avail. The rest of his farm has been torn down and turned into another mansion. I haven’t driven by.

LINDSAY BELCHERS

Los Angeles

Since 1945, Americans have had access to the most bounteous and inexpensive food supply in the history of humankind. Almost all items have been produced with uniform color, texture, and consistency, have excellent storage characteristics, and have been processed so as to almost eliminate them as a cause of disease. The price of this trend, which a resident of almost any other country in the world will tell us, is taste. Anyone who has spent time in Europe, for example, can appreciate that the simplest meal--a boiled egg, bread and butter, and coffee for example--can be a be a symphony of profound flavors, due to artisanal production methods. Furthermore, these foods help remind us that everything we eat is not manufactured, but is a product of earth, sun, water, and a lot of care.

Fortunately, the recent trend toward the production of handmade foods in smaller quantities has re-awakened our desire to get closer to the essence of what eating is about. Emily Green’s article points out another large component of our diet which most are unaware has been processed with the same objectives of other mass-produced food items. I hope that the growing trend in which flavor is emphasized will extend to milk as well.

JONATHAN KAUNITZ, M.D

Los Angeles

Kaunitz is on the faculty at UCLA School of Medicine.