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How far will fans of raw milk go to get it? When the Jackson family first discovered it, they would drive nearly three hours round-trip from Williamsburg, Va., for their fix. That was when they had nine kids and no cows. Ultimately, Kendra and Timothy Jackson went even further, mov- ing the family to a 66- acre homestead in War- saw, on Virginia's North- ern Neck, about a year ago. Now, they have 11 kids and three cows, and obtaining unpasteurized milk is as easy as going to the barn (and then, of course, milking the cows). "Once we started to have the milk, that was it," said Kendra, 38. "I really love the cows, and all of the kids love milk, so we found a place that was the best deal finan- cially." Because of health risks, laws in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia prohibit the retail sale of unpasteur- ized milk for human con- sumption. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required since 1987 that all milk sold across state lines be pasteurized, because it can otherwise contain dangerous bacte- ria that could cause ill- ness. But that doesn't mean the only option for those who want to drink it — who say the purported health benefits outweigh the risks — is to buy a farm and a herd. Virginia allows "cow share" pro- grams in which members pay to own a portion of the herd and receive its milk. And FDA officials say they don't pursue individuals who transport raw milk across state lines solely for personal consumption. Some delivery programs inter- pret the laws in their favor — or operate some- what underground. Maryland is one of four states that don't allow cow share pro- grams. In the District of Columbia, there are no cows to be shared. "D.C. has no farms, so it's kind of an anomaly. It's so close to areas where you can get it that a lot of people in D.C. drink raw milk," said Sally Fallon Morell, pres- ident of the Washington- based Weston A. Price Foundation, which pro- motes a diet of whole foods and fats, including raw milk. Best known for her 1999 cookbook "Nourishing T r a d i t i o n s , " F a l l o n Morell is one of raw milk's most passionate advocates (and milks her own cows in Maryland). Because so much of the distribution takes place under the radar, the number of raw-milk drinkers in the region is impossible to pin down. The Price Foundation estimates that 3 percent of people nationwide drink raw milk. The FDA, meanwhile, puts the num- ber at less than 1 percent. Joy Alexander, co- owner of Avery's Branch Farms in Amelia, Va., west of Richmond, said the farm's herd share pro- gram has delivered "hun- dreds" of shares of milk to members in Northern Virginia each week since its launch six years ago. She was hesitant to disclose an exact number of members, worried it might draw unwanted attention to the operation. Her family worked with a legal fund at the outset to perfect the wording for its raw-milk program, which is openly advertised on the farm's Web site. "We had no idea how great the demand would be," said Alexander, whose farm delivers only to Virginia locations. Many D.C. drinkers get their fix through buy- ing clubs or "citizens associations." Instead of driving to Pennsylvania, where retail sale of raw milk is legal, they hire a "driver" (who is often the farmer) to deliver the milk to their neighbor- hoods. A woman in Arling- ton, Va., who participates in such a club was eager to share her raw-milk story and invited a reporter to see a delivery firsthand. But when the farmer found out the reporter knew her address, he said he could no longer use her house as the drop-off point for the neighborhood. "On one hand, I want to make a stink about what the government isn't allowing," the woman said, asking that her name not be used. "But, at the same time, my bigger goal is to be able to nour- ish my family." Such clubs have been prosecuted, both region- ally and nationwide. In February 2012, a federal judge granted the FDA's petition for a per- manent injunction against a Pennsylvania farmer who said he was "leas- ing" his cows through a private organization to consumers in the District of Columbia. Frustration over the crackdown had spilled onto the Capitol lawn the previous spring, after the FDA filed for the injunc- tion, as members of the farmer's Grassfed on the Hill buying club milked and drank from a cow in protest. Not much has happened with the group since, and its Facebook page is dedicated more to supporting national raw- milk cases than answer- ing followers' queries about where to buy the product locally. Finding folks who consume raw milk in the D.C. area — and who are willing to be interviewed — is kind of like finding raw milk itself. You have to know the right people. But once a reporter's query started circulating through the Price Foun- dation's membership, e- mail responses flowed in. Many said they had first tasted raw milk, which some describe as rich and creamy, in Europe or in states where sales of the unpasteurized product are legal. Others came to it as part of their quest to con- sume the least-processed foods. Some claimed raw milk had cured acid reflux, eczema or osteo- porosis, and more than a few said they could drink it despite lactose intoler- ance with the pasteurized version. The FDA dis- putes each of those health claims on its Web site. One woman said she was having trouble find- ing raw milk in Maryland and didn't have the time to drive to Pennsylvania. She said she was contem- plating buying frozen raw goat's milk from a pet food store to get her raw- milk fix. "But, I have to admit, I'm a little afraid to try it," she said. Several e-mails digressed into rants about the role of government and access to food, including one that ended with the assertion, "but I am really a liberal." "In terms of the politi- cal spectrum, you'll find people across the board. It's not all right or left," said Chris Downey, 44, of Annandale, Va., who turned his wife and three kids on to raw milk in 2009. "Once you apply some standards to the food you're eating for you and your kids, it's just a natural progression to look for something that's even better." Downey said he's not concerned about health risks, such as the fact that by drinking unpasteur- ized milk he could be exposed to such bacteria as salmonella, listeria and E. coli. He had to sign a legal agreement as "a free citizen of the United States" to join the associ- ation through which he gets the milk. The cost of membership comes to about $7 a gallon. Hilda Gore, 51, said her first step away from processed foods for her family didn't take her much farther than the Whole Foods Market near her home here. Then, she said, after committing to one food tenet, then more — local meat, local eggs, no genetically modified foods — raw milk became "the next step." But most of her friends haven't joined her. "I don't run around in hipster, crunchy-granola crowds," Gore said. "Now and then, I'll men- tion it to a neighbor or friend, and some will express dismay, and some will express interest." 3B Friday, January 31, 2014 – Daily News Some milk drinkers still prefer it raw Ricky Carioti/Washington Post photo The Gores, Hilda, left, with daughter Rebeca, husband Mitch and daughter Emilia, drink raw milk. Hilda Gore says she found it a natural progression in her move away from processed foods.