Raw milk symposium being planned for January 31st, 2009 in Toronto

Farmer Michael Schmidt talks raw milk to the media at Queen's Park

UPDATED Dec. 22, 2008

The Bovine learned yesterday that raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt and his supporters plan to host a raw milk symposium during the final weekend of January 2009 in Toronto.  The plan is to bring in luminaries in the raw milk movement to address a wide range of topics related to raw milk. The legal side of things will also be addressed.

The symposium will take place Saturday January 31, from 10 am to 5 pm and will be followed by a wine and cheese party from 5 to 8 pm .  Speakers will included Dr. Ron Hull, Dr. Ted Beals, Mark McAfee and Michael Schmidt. The symposium will be the week following the Guelph Organic conference and will be in the middle of Michael Schmidt’s trial on charges laid in connection with the raid on Glencolton Farms in November of 2006. The Bovine will be reporting further details as they become available.

Q-fever test condemns lead cow to death in Washington state raw dairy

Dinah, the lead cow

Once again we see that legalization and state regulation of raw milk production is not always a complete or easy solution. Here’s an example of a Washington state farmer who’s getting the feeling that government regulators are intentionally making it “difficult” for him to operate his legal raw dairy. Sounds like California all over again. But this time it’s not bacteria levels in milk that’s been sitting on store shelves, it’s a positive test for an obscure illness. One wonders how accurate that test is, anyway. Some “scientific” tests have been known to be less accurate and dependable than one might have expected.

Excerpts and photos are from Kurtwood Farms blog, and in particular, these posts:  The tough world of a dairy (Oct 30, and La Vie Simple (Dec. 11).

From “The tough world of a dairy”:

“I had no idea having a small dairy would be so difficult.  Really.  No idea.  It seemed like it would be all goodness and fun.  Cows are lovely, beautiful and fresh milk is tasty and good.  Deal, I’m in.

I had no idea.