Chaz Self said his dairy farm is producing grade A milk under Wisconsin's state standards, but was still ordered to pay a hefty fine. An online fundraiser to cover those fines has raised more than $40,000 so far.Self owns Grassw ay Organics in the town of Troy, which specializes in producing and selling raw milk. He claims he has followed the laws set by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection during that time.TMJ4 News reporter Taj Simmons has the story in the video below: Walworth County dairy farmer specializing in raw milk says state is unfairly fining his business"For five years, DATCP was like, 'Sounds great,'" Self said. "All of a sudden, they flipped a switch and said, 'Now you're illegal.'"In a video posted to his social media pages, Self claims DATCP served him with a civil forfeiture document which carries a one-time fine of $10,000 plus a daily $50 fine if the farm continues operating. In response, Self served a temporary restraining order against DATCP for their actions.He believes the agency is targeting him for his strategy of selling raw milk to customers."It really is the taste of freedom, it's what is financially available to farmers to be successful," Self said. "If you don't want to drink raw milk, you should have the choice not to drink raw milk, but people who do want to drink raw milk should also have the choice to do it." TMJ4 asked DATCP's media team for their side of the situation with Grassway Organics. A member of the team told TMJ4 they would check on it and return with more details, but did not do so before deadline.Self believes people have gravitated to his farm and his fundraiser because of the dwindling number of dairy farms in Wisconsin. "Now we're down to under 5,000 farms," Self said. "They're going to continue to eat the small. The big are just going to get bigger."According to Self, the hearing in the temporary restraining order case will start in May 2027.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less