Raw milk in southwestern Ontario

Here’s an excerpt from a recent post by ontariolocavore:

Part of the blog header from Southwestern Ontario Locavore blog

“I got a liter of milk today from our friendly neighborhood jersey cow, and I’m quite delighted. I haven’t been able to get fresh milk for several weeks now, having been away, and I have missed it sorely! I did end up breaking down and buying some organic pasturized milk (which I use to make yogurt with when Miss Jersey is not producing enough for me to both drink and turn into yogurt).

I have a thing for hot chocolate in the winter, and since you have to heat hot chocolate to make it hot, I figure I might as well use already pasteurized milk. Still, I miss the raw stuff and was pretty happy to get some this week. Seasonal dependency on products is something we just aren’t used to dealing with anymore. When a cow is relying just on hay, her production goes down considerably.

U.S. and A. food writer promotes Michael Schmidt rally Thurs. Jan. 21, 2010 in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Augie over on the Journal of Natural Food and Health blog has a new post up complete with polls, and is encouraging folks to come out and show their support for Michael Schmidt and raw milk this coming Thursday at the court in Newmarket. Here’s a little of what he has to say:

“TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA–From CN-ARM – Canadian Alliance for Raw Milk

Thursday, a long awaited verdict will be handed down for Michael Schmidt. It will be decided if he is fined and jailed for disobeying court orders in Ontario to stop providing his clean, organic raw milk to his friends and customers that need it to restore and maintain their health.

Fraser “Health” attempts to shut down Home on the Range cowshare in B.C.

Hot news from Gordon Watson, in Vancouver:

Children learn how to milk a cow at the Home on the Range cowshare farm in Chilliwack B.C.

Fraser Health has begun a court case against our cowshare / file S 124618 in the Supreme Court of BC at New Westminster. They are attempting to get a Court Order which will permanently prevent our agister from distributing our milk. As well as applying to Alice Jongerden, such an Order would apply to all the shareholders. This is a rank, underhanded abuse of the Court system… starting a new action while my appeals are pending from the Order in 2008, on the very same issue.

There is a Hearing set for February 1st. In an application for an Injunction, anyone who deems that his or her interests may be affected, is entitled to be heard.

I encourage all shareholders to enter an APPEARANCE in this case. I have posted the form on my website  www.freewebs.com/bovinity; on the page 124618

In three days, the verdict on raw milk and Michael Schmidt will be handed down, on Jan. 21, in Newmarket court

The latest dispatch from farmer Michael Schmidt, at Glencolton Farms:

Wales, the cheesemeister -- good news from home

“Wales our cheese man is happy. He just received a call that his family in Haiti is alive and well. At least as good as one can expect under the circumstances.”

That’s Wales in the picture, walking down the lane beside the barn and balancing a stack of empty plastic produce crates on his head. We’re not sure if that’s standard practice on all raw milk farms in southwestern Ontario but it seems to be what they do at Glencolton Farms….

Food politics lowers the quality of food

This excerpt is from a recent post on the “Trusted M.D.” blog titled “Raw milk, health authorities and the right to choose what we eat”. The subhead tells it all in a nutshell: “Because in Canada one can only buy pasteurized milk, those who want raw milk from grass-fed cows go to great lengths to get this food.”

Maximizing milk production the modern way? NOT at "Home on the Range" cowshare

“Well the dust is settling after the latest skirmish between Fraser Health and my cow share, Home on the Range Farm, which distributes raw milk to the owners of the cows that live in the city of Vancouver. This kind of arrangement is common for city-living horse owners who pay someone in the country to board and look after their horses. The owners can come out and ride their horses whenever they want.