Please pass the genetically altered corn

Here’s an excerpt from a recent National Post report by Meghan Telpner, titled “Making Love in the Kitchen: Pass Me The Genetically Altered Corn Please”:

Michael Schmidt (far right), who was recently acquitted of all charges relating to selling and distributing raw milk and raw milk produect. The dapper gentleman on the left is Percy Schmeiser, who was sued by Monsanto when his canola crops were contaminated with Monsanto's GMO seeds. One of the two young ladies in the middle is author/journalist Vanessa Farquharson. National Post photo.

“Meghan Telpner is a Toronto-based nutritionist and holistic lifestyle consultant. Her Making Love In The Kitchen video series will bring you tips on how to prepare healthful, nutritious goodness from whole foods. Visit her site for more love.

Last weekend, I attended Your Food, Your Choice: Grounds For Change conference put on by the Canadian Organic Growers where the theme of the day was simply to say no to GMO.

Farmer’s Daughter talks about raw milk

Here’s an excerpt from a recent post on “Tales of a Farmer’s Daughter” blog, along with a University of Waterloo radio interview with Mark McAfee:

“An editorial in Tuesday’s Ontario Farmer addresses the issue of farmers drinking raw milk. The author, Paul Mahon, says there is a contradiction in the dairy industry as farmers are permitted to drink their own raw milk, but they aren’t permitted to sell raw milk to consumers.

MNR stages a Michael Schmidt style raid on an Army Major butchering a pig in his garage for himself and a friend

The amateur butcher of Carlsbad Springs, Major Mark Tijssen with his sons. Landowner photo.

When I first read the story that follows, in the recent Dec. Jan. Landowner magazine, my first reaction was to note many similarities to the story of the raid on Michael Schmidt’s raw milk dairy farm in November of 2006.

Seventy truckloads of meat bypassing Canada’s border inspection process since January 4th, 2010, faced NO real consequences or government action

Here’s an excerpt from the Windsor Star story from February 19, 2010, titled “Meat Safety system needs an overhaul”:

Seventy truckloads of U.S. meat have evaded inspection since January 4th, 2010 . Picture from the Keepbreathing blog.

“Food safety became a huge issue for Canadians in 2008, when at least 20 people died from consuming deli meats tainted with listeria. We’d always put faith in our system of checks and balances, assuming that our food supply was well-regulated and meat products were inspected frequently.

In the aftermath of those devastating deaths, Canadians expected inspections would become even more rigorous, yet Brian Masse has exposed a serious flaw that could cause more harm to consumers.

Enviropigs “Trojan Horse” transgenics?

Excerpt from a National Post story by Sarah Schmidt titled “Genetically engineered pigs a step closer to dinner plate“:

University of Guelph developed these Ecopigs. University of Guelph photo.

“OTTAWA — Genetically engineered pigs are one step closer to becoming meat on Canadian kitchen tables with the federal government poised to declare that they do not harm the environment.

Canwest News Service has learned Environment Canada has determined that Yorkshire pigs developed at the University of Guelph are not toxic to the environment under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The official declaration will be made on Saturday.

Marler Clark reviews developments in recent raw milk controversy in Ontario

Bill Marler, of the legal firm Marler Clark, has been involved in a number of high profile litigations involving raw milk damage claims in the U.S., notably with Organic Pastures in California.

American lawyer Bill Marler plays a role in the raw milk movement, as a vocal opponent, but one who follows the news and has often been willing to enter into dialog on the issues.

Marler Clark, through their several internet blogs, have published numerous stories following developments in the raw milk movement stateside and commenting on the safety issues involving raw milk generally. Here’s an excerpt from a recent story by Kristeva Dowling on the Ontario raw milk situation, with Michael Schmidt:

“Ontario made pasteurization of milk mandatory in 1938, but Health Canada did not make it mandatory until 1991. Canada bans the sale of raw milk but not its consumption.

Although it is illegal to sell raw milk in Canada, consumers can own a share in the ‘source’ cow, which is what dairy farmer Michael Schmidt’s (owner of Glencolton Farms) customers do.

Talking ’bout “food freedom” — and that doesn’t mean how many days of the year you will have to work to pay off your supermarket grocery bills for the year

A letter to the Brantford Expositor:

“One of the first things I did when I moved out to my Princeton area farm was to buy a family cow so my wife and I and our five young children could benefit from the health-giving properties of real natural milk in its raw or untreated state.

And so it is with anger and regret that I learned of the province’s recent decision to appeal the not-guilty verdict delivered last month in the case of raw milk producer, Michael Schmidt, a Durham region dairy farmer.

Many people feel that raw milk is healthier because the active enzymes in it have not been neutralized by pasteurization. And, in countries around the world, including Mr. Schmidt’s native Germany, unpasteurized milk is readily available in stores.

Besides, a government that allows pop machines in schools has forfeited its credibility to make judgments on nutrition.

“A lot of folks believe that raw milk is bad and big brother should ban it and anyone drinking it, processing it or daring to say anything good about it….”

That’s how Bruce of “Bruce on the Bruce” blog opens his post titled “The Milkman’s being milked and we are being suckered!”. Here’s more from that:

Michael Schmidt picture via "Bruce on the Bruce"

“…Put them in Chains , is the battle cry of our protectors and those who do all for the common good!

A lot of folks think the attack by big brother against Michael Schmidt is about Raw Milk well guess again!

The truth of the matter is that Mr. Schmidt’s quest is all about your right to choose, its about freedom of choice, its about property rights its about your right to contract,  its about your right to decide what you can feed your self and or your children, ITS ABOUT THE RIGHT TO MAKE A LIVING!

Food police go after raw cheese makers — is it an economic war of attrition?

The following is excerpted from a Chelsea Green blog post by David E. Gumpert titled “Food Police Send Message to Raw Milk Cheese Makers: You Can Run But You Can’t Hide; Behind FTCLDF Criticism”:

Danger -- interest in raw dairy is "escalating"!

“Many dairies that would love to sell raw milk have opted instead for the attractive income, and seeming security, of producing raw milk cheeses instead. They figure they can still get the equivalent of $10 to or more a gallon of milk by producing artisinal cheese, and avoid the hassles with regulators so long as they age it 60 days as required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. I’m an irregular buyer of a number of these cheeses made from raw cow’s, goat’s, and sheep’s milk, and they’re wonderful.

U.S. psychiatrist contends that the same “emotional plague” that led to Wilhelm Reich’s imprisonment in 1957 is behind “official” opposition to raw milk today

Orgonomist blog author Richard Schwartzman, D.O. has been a practicing psychiatrist and psychiatric orgone therapist for more than 35 years.

Wilhem Reich -- radical thinker, scientist, pioneer, died in 1957, while he was being held in a U.S. prison.

In a post titled “The Government vs Raw Milk“, he explores the parallels between the “mentality” of FDA officials who presided over the imprisonment and destruction of orgone pioneer Wilhelm Reich, and the mindset behind the forces currently arrayed against raw milk. Here’s an excerpt from that post:

“….No one argues the assertion that pasteurization was an enormous advance for public health, or that it remains valuable. However, healthy cows raised in a clean environment don’t produce contaminated milk, and refrigeration keeps it fresh. Today’s dairy farmers who produce unpasteurized milk take pride in their clean facilities and in their first-rate healthy cows, certified free of disease.