As Thursday morning's preliminary court hearing for the “Rawesome Three” draws near, raw milk activists are holding a teach-in and rally designed to promote their agenda of unpasteurized dairy. Three of the movement's leading activists will speak tonight in advance of a rally planned for tomorrow outside the county courthouse.

On August 3rd, government agents raided Rawesome Foods, a raw foods buying club in Venice and arrested the store's owner, James Stewart. That same day, agents raided Healthy Family Farms in Ventura County and arrested owner Sharon Palmer. They also arrested Victoria Bloch, a liaison for the Weston A. Price Foundation, an organization devoted to reducing processed foods in the American diet.

The most serious charges against the trio, who were arrested after a year-long multi-agency sting (your tax dollars at work), include criminal conspiracy charges stemming from the alleged illegal production and sale of unpasteurized goat milk, goat cheese, yogurt and kefir.

Tonight, Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures Dairy Company will discuss the nutritional value of raw dairy, while David Gumpert, author of The Raw Milk Revolution and activist Max Kane will discuss the patchwork of laws and policies regarding raw dairy in various parts of the country.

Teach-In: 6 – 9:30 p.m., Oct. 5. The Multipurpose Room, Veteran's Memorial Complex, 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City.

Rally: 8 a.m., Oct. 6. L.A. County Courthouse, 210 W. Temple St., LA.

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