Chaz Self, a dairy farmer with Grassway Organics in Walworth County, is seeking a temporary restraining order against the state of Wisconsin over the suspension of his milk producer license for distributing raw milk, according to a report by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Self, who described the legal fight in a social media post and GoFundMe page, claims that state regulators from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection had approved his process for distributing raw milk to people who purchase an ownership interest in his farm.
After reapplying for his license in fall 2025, he said regulators suspended his milk producer license in April 2026.
He said the state imposed a $10,000 fine with an additional $50 added for every day he continues to operate, but he has since raised more than $60,000 through GoFundMe.
In a statement, a DATCP spokesperson said commercial sales of raw milk are illegal and the agency expects every farmer to follow state law.
But Self denied that he sells raw milk commercially.
“I’m not advertising that I sell raw milk,” he said. “I have created a program that allows people to buy into my farm as a bona fide owner. They buy into ownership, which allows me to distribute a product for them that is legally theirs.”
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