New York state judge rules lab workers CAN be questioned in raw milk case

The latest news on the American raw milk front, from David E. Gumpert of the Complete Patient blog:

We don't really think lab workers wear these when dealing with raw milk samples. See credit at bottom.

“It’s our way of the highway. That’s essentially been the position of New York’s Department of Agriculture & Markets over the last nearly five years, when New York raw dairy farmers have questioned the agency’s testing procedures for listeria in raw milk.

Ag & Markets has, during that time, shuttered half a dozen or so dairies for days on the basis of having supposedly found listeria in raw milk. In a couple cases where dairies have had private tests of split samples they’ve held in reserve that disputed the state’s findings, the response was always the same: Our test is the only one that counts. End of discussion.

Now, Ag & Markets will have to pull back the veil on its testing procedures. That’s because a state judge has ruled that lawyers from the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, representing dairy owner Chuck Phippen, can cross examine state lab workers.

New B.C. Premier Christy Clark used to drink raw milk, interviewed Michael Schmidt in September on CKNW

Christy Clark, a radio host who interviewed Michael Schmidt last September, was just chosen as the new leader of the B.C. Liberals last Saturday Feb. 26th. She will be replacing Gordon Campbell as Premier:

Christy Clark hugs her son Hamish after being named the new leader of the BC Liberal Party at the Liberal leadership election at the Vancouver Convention Centre on Saturday, February 26, 2011. Photograph by: Les Baszo, PNG, via The Province

A brief bio of the new Premier of B.C., from The Province:

“NAME: Christina Joan Clark

“Ignoring Ontario’s cow share ruling will endanger future access to raw milk in Canada” — farmer Michael Schmidt

Michael Schmidt shares some thoughts on the state of raw milk in Canada:

Michael Schmidt with host during a recent visit to Wisconsin, with a glass of raw milk.

Things have drastically changed in Ontario since January last year. As soon as the celebration of the historical cow share ruling by Paul Kowarsky was over, many farmers who had been silently waiting on the sidelines jumped at the “golden opportunity to milk the opportunity”.

The market is there and is expanding at a frightening pace. There have been countless requests by people searching for raw milk:

Raw milk farming and cheese making internships offered in Massachusetts.

From the Greenhorn’s “The Irresistable Fleet of Bicycles” blog:

Picture via Greenhorns blog

“Cricket Creek Farm is a small grass-based dairy in Western Massachusetts.  We make several award-winning cheeses from the milk of our registered herd of Brown Swiss and Jersey cows (currently milking about 20 cows).

In addition to the cheese, we sell raw milk from our farm store.  We also raise pigs and beef, as well as chickens for eggs.  We have a bakery located on the farm that supplies the store with fresh bread, cookies, granola, and other baked goods.

We are a member of Berkshire Grown and sell cheese to many shops & restaurants in the Berkshires.

“A Modern Day Canadian Hero” — raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt speaks at Slow Food Edmonton Wed. Feb. 23rd

From Slow Food Edmonton.ca — Michael Schmidt: A Modern Day Canadian Hero (Our Raw Milk and Food Freedom Advocate)

Michael Schmidt was featured guest speaker at a Slow Foods Edmonton event last Wednesday.

by Valerie Rodgers Lugonja from http://www.acanadianfoodie.com

Slow Food Edmonton hosted an Evening with Michael Schmidt at the downtown Edmonton Public Library last night and this is an accounting of that evening. Dear readers, you are aware that while I have been known to write lengthy posts, they are not politically charged. This one is. Please read every word.

“Food rights a matter of the will” says raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt

Michael Schmidt writes, in a guest post on Kimberly Hartke’s blog:

Who at the end is responsible?

Michael Schmidt, Perhaps Describing the Chasm Between Raw Milk Proponents and Gov't Regulators. Photo via Kimberly Hartke's Hartke is Online blog.

“The war on raw is in full swing. I guarantee that we have not seen yet the full escalation of this battle. Dreaming of a better future in regards to our food rights seems to become a nightmare beyond imagining. Thinking that logic, common sense and justice would resolve this dilemma seems to fade day by day.

Breast milk ice cream is pasteurized

Boing Boing has the story:

Logo from the Icecreamists website.

“Icecreamists, an ice-cream parlour in London’s Covent Garden, is selling human breast milk ice-cream for £14 a scoop. The breastmilk is purchased from lactating mothers, and the product (called “Baby Gaga”) is intended to raise awareness of breastmilk’s deliciousness and encourage more breastfeeding. The milk is pasteurised and flavoured with lemon zest and vanilla pods.

Is raw milk as dangerous as say, prescription pharmaceuticals?

The latest, from David E. Gumpert at The Complete Patient blog:

“….I’m not especially enamored of the public employees in Wisconsin. Remember, they include bureaucrats with the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, who have been going after dairy farmers with a vengeance during the last couple of years. I wouldn’t mind seeing their budgets cut so far back that many of them would have to find real jobs. But I dislike even more the scapegoating that is driving the Wisconsin budgetary situation.

It’s a situation not unlike what we face with the regulation of raw dairy. We see the regulators jump on any indication of illness, while sanctioning huge numbers of illnesses and deaths from prescription drugs and all kinds of lifestyle problems.

Third Annual International Raw Milk Symposium May 7, 2011 in Minnesota

Save the Date!! May 7, 2011

Third Annual International Raw Milk Symposium

In Minnesota’s Twin Cities

at the beautiful Embassy Suites Hotel in Bloomington (Complementary shuttles to the Airport and the Mall of America)

Your Food will be prepared by the hotels French-trained, award-winning Executive Chef, Pierre Jean Laupies (Stay tuned for the unveiling of our traditional foods menu)

Registration for Saturdays full day of speakers begins at 7:30 AM

Why I am committed to seek co-operation with Government and Regulators [regarding raw milk] — Ontario farmer Michael Schmidt

This just in from Ontario raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt:

Raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt. Photo via Nelson Daily

I have to be thankful for the rather degrading and heated discussion following my post about the need to support Eric and Judith in their struggle to fight for their cow share operation in Alberta.

The discussion laid open the variety of positions dealing with the issue of how to deal with the current underground raw milk trade across Canada and across Province lines.