Raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt with supporters at the blue bus outside the Newmarket courthouse following the contempt of court motion hearing July 31, 2008
The story of recent events in a nutshell (excerpted from a letter in the October edition of Vitality magazine):
“Michael Schmidt’s three-day contempt-of-court trial over raw milk ended Sept.12 with no verdict expected until late October. Cow share members, health officials and a Toronto Sun reporter were called as witnesses.
York Region counsel tried to prove with circumstantial evidence that Mr. Schmidt had knowingly violated an order to cease and desist. The court heard that milk continues to be provided to cow share members from the blue bus in Thornhill. York Region entered as evidence several letters and postings from the Glencolton Farms website.
Michael Schmidt defended himself, having already spent $170,000 on lawyers before getting to trial. His defense centered around the insufficiency of York Region’s evidence and called into question the integrity of York Region in prosecuting this case. No sample of milk was in fact tested to establish whether it actually was “raw”.
Most of the Toronto papers covered the trial, as did CBC, Global and Channel A television, as well as radio stations from Toronto, Kitchener and Calgary. Norman Loft’s documentary about the story to date: “Michael Schmidt, Organic Hero or Bioterrorist” will premiere at the Toronto “Planet in Focus” film festival October 23, 2008….”
Exact time and place details for October 20th in Barrie will be posted when available.
The Bovine 