Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) reps were scared off by Michael Schmidt at a recent Ontario Cheese Society meeting

Here’s a report about what went down at the meeting, as well as background information, from a source who wishes to remain anonymous:

Cheese tasting plate from the conference. Photo by Jennifer Bain/Toronto Star

The Ontario Cheese Society was founded six or seven years ago as a result of an article about the severe restrictions put on by the Dairy Farmers of Ontario regarding the development of artisan cheeses in Ontario. The licensing process made it impossible for most farmers to venture into on farm processing.

In the meantime thanks to the Ontario Cheese Society, the pressure of foodies and high profile chefs, the emergence of small cheese plants has become a significant new player in the gourmet world of Ontario.

No wonder that the Dairy Farmers of Ontario had to get involved for two reasons:

Massachusetts regulators suddenly going after raw milk buying clubs — legislator admits off the record meetings with big dairy are behind the push

David E. Gumpert has this fast-breaking story on his “The Complete Patient” blog — an excerpt:

“In advance of a hearing May 10 on the proposed regulation, a Massachusetts legislator friendly with the MDAR commissioner, Scott Soares, set up a meeting last Monday for the regulator to discuss with a few consumers his reasons for going after the buying clubs.

Surprise–15 consumers and farmers showed up for the meeting, and started peppering the startled Soares with questions about why he was taking an action that will inevitably reduce consumers’ access to raw milk, and quite possibly put at least a few of the more than twenty dairy farms selling raw milk out of business.

These 15 consumers weren’t just a few people off the street. They included some prominent local citizens who know how the system works—a local lawyer, a public health professional, the head of a nonprofit organization, and a high-ranking federal regulator. The latter, Hugh Kaufman, was Chief Investigator with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Ombudsman Office, among other high-level positions over a forty-year period.

The FDA shows its hand in FTCLDF suit

Latest analysis of the American scene from David E. Gumpert at the Complete Patient blog. An excerpt:

“…..The FDA even suggests that it is being benevolent by not banning raw milk entirely, pointing out that the 1987 court decision that led it to implement a ban on interstate shipment and sale of raw milk asserted “that ‘it is within HHS’s authority…to institute an intrastate ban as well’… FDA could have…prohibited intrastate sales but concluded ‘that State and local authorities may be better situated to deal with the public health problems attributable to unpasteurized milk.’” Thank you, thank you, most wonderful FDA.

The brief is most notable for its view of the evolution of food safety regulations, and the emerging issue of food rights. In the FDA’s view, an assortment of court decisions backing up federal legislation give it pretty much carte blanche to decide what food is safe.

Sally Fallon at Wise Traditions U.K.

Kimberly Hartke has a report and videos from Sally Fallon’s talk at Wise Traditions U.K.:

Click picture to go to Kimberly Hartke's post about the conference

“Go ask Alice….” Radio-Canada TV airs the Alice Jongerden and Home on the Range raw milk story on French channel

Woman of the hour... agister Alice Jongerden of "Home on the Range"

Go to the Radio Canada French TV page, click on April 17 on the calendar to open an excerpt from that days programming.

Raw Milk — Max Kane risks prison by refusing to disclose who sells and who buys that “controlled substance”

Here’s an excerpt from the “before it’s news.com” edition of the Max Kane raw milk saga:

Max Kane has been under considerable legal pressure to reveal the names of suppliers and customers involved in his "Belle's Lunchbox" raw milk buying group in Wisonsin.

Max Kane has been charged with nothing. There is no case being prosecuted against him or anyone else for anything, not even for selling or buying raw milk. Yet, he has been ordered by the state of Wisconsin to inform on his friends. They want him to name people who sell or buy raw milk. He has refused, and for that, he’s been under threat of prison.

Raw milk helps build strong humans

Raw milk around the world -- this photo of a Masai woman milking a cow in Africa is from art.com

Food security and its urban challenges

The experience of New Orleans in the wake of hurricane Katrina highlights the structural challenges involved in feeding cities. Here’s an excerpt from a story in The Nation titled “Green Shoots in New Orleans“, accompanied by a link to a TED talk with Carolyn Steele, titled “How do we feed a city?”:

Click image to go to the video on the Sociological Images blog

“Margarine, margarine, ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.'” Poppy Tooker recalls the months of food shortages after Hurricane Katrina ripped the Gulf Coast apart. “I could not believe there was no butter.”

A tale of two American dairy farms

The latest reflections from America’s foremost raw milk journalist David E. Gumpert, from his The Complete Patient blog:

Feedlot dairy cattle in New England. Photo via Complete Patient blog

“….One thing that struck me, which was a little different than what impressed Kim Hartke, was how non-political Scott was in giving his one-hour or so farm tour. There was no belly-aching, as one might have expected, given that Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has come down so hard on him. No pot shots that would have been easy–“Here is the milk parlor DATCP has such problems with. Does it look like a problem to you?” (For Scott’s description of his political challenges, see his blog.)

The Canadian revolution — owning the podium on agricultural renewal — seeds

Thanks to Jim Scott at Salt Spring News for bringing this story to our attention. From Salt Spring Seeds — “Oh Canada, how can I grow for thee“:

Dan Jason of Salt Spring Seeds -- outstanding in his field! Salt Spring Seeds picture.

“There’s a revolution that is happening in Canada. Not many people know about it yet but a lot of people are part of it.