Raw milk man Michael Schmidt attends premier Dalton McGuinty’s swearing in

We saw them setting up the staging for this on Tuesday when we were there at Queen’s Park for Michael’s news conference. From the pictures and the commentary that he sent, it looks like Michael Schmidt attended this event and made eye contact with the Premier. 

Michael says: "I was standing directly behind the new agricultural minister of Ontario. McGuinty locked eyes with me coming in as he was proudly looking at his cabinet. After that he "had " to look over twenty times towards me during every ministers swearing in." Photos from Michael.

A reader states the case for raw milk, briefly, succinctly and to the point

From Brenda Blakely:

I have a lot to say about raw milk, but I’m starting to feel that if I don’t keep it short and sweet, I won’t get my point across, so here it is.

It doesn’t matter if you believe the science that says raw milk is healthier. It doesn’t matter if you believe the science that says that raw milk is safe. It doesn’t matter if you believe in an economic model that supports the people who produce our food. It doesn’t matter if you believe in buying locally. But in a world where it s acceptable to buy raw spinach, raw eggs, sushi, carpaccio, processed meats, raw beef, raw chicken, raw pork, raw cheeses, cooked cheeses, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and over the counter drugs, it must also be acceptable for people to drink milk from their own cowshare.

Thanks for the opportunity to speak my mind.

David Gumpert deciphers a “subtext” in the saga of Michael Schmidt and other raw milk farmers in North America

From David E. Gumpert on The Complete Patient blog:

Michael Schmidt, accompanied by native friend and supporter Danny Beaton, makes his case to the media at last Tuesday's raw milk news conference at Queen's Park in Toronto.

“There’s one sentence in Michael Schmidt’s letter to Ontario’s Premier McGuinty, published as my previous post, that I can’t get out of my head.

“In return, my farm has been raided by armed officers, my family has been terrorized and I been dragged through the courts – first being acquitted and then being found guilty.”

The reason those words stay with me is that they don’t represent the slightest bit of exaggeration. If anything, they are understated. He doesn’t even mention any of the repercussions– that he’s lost large tracts of land, lots of money, and that his first marriage broke up in part because of the government’s assault. 

Canadian dairyman’s hunger strike for raw milk justice moves into third week while supporters fear raid on farm

Here’s one of the best summaries of the state of the Michael Schmidt raw mik story that we’ve seen in a long time. This is from Sarah Foster on News with Views.com:

Raw milk farmer and advocate Michael Schmidt with native supporter Danny Beaton on the steps of the Ontario Legislature, Queen's Park, last Tuesday, following his news conference

“It’s been over two weeks since raw-milk advocate Michael Schmidt has drunk any fluids other than water, refusing even the nutrient-dense milk that’s at the center of his on-going battle with Canadian health authorities.

“As a result of the recent legal developments in British Columbia and Ontario I will once again enter into a hunger strike as of today, to activate and encourage more and more people to openly join this battle for our fundamental rights and freedom to choose our food and our health,” Schmidt stated in a Food Rights Declaration he wrote and posted on his blog, The Bovine, on Sept. 29.

Ontario MPP Randy Hillier Applauds Raw Milk Activist Michael Schmidt

Farmer Michael Schmidt, seen here on Tuesday at a farmshare members' meeting in Thornhill, after having lost more than 30 pounds. Michael is now on day 20 of his hunger strike for responsible food freedom, drinking only water.

(QUEEN’S PARK) Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox & Addington applauded raw milk activist Michael Schmidt for his persistent battle for individual freedom. Last month, the Ontario Court of Justice overturned a lower court’s ruling against Schmidt and upheld the 15 charges that were brought against him by the province in 2006.

Schmidt held a press conference today at Queen’s Park; he is three weeks into a hunger strike to protest against the current regulations that prohibit individuals from legally acquiring raw milk in Ontario.

“Michael’s case with raw milk is a perfect example of the overzealous limits we place on individual freedom,” said Hillier. “His ongoing battle is just another example of the regulatory burden that an individual must deal with on a daily basis in this province.”

Readers write to their politicians, part 1

Minister Michael de Jong October 16 2011

Room 337
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC
V8V 1X4

Dear Minister,

My name is Lisa Virtue.  I am a McMaster University graduate of Humanities, and a certified Natural Chef, having attended Bauman College, a Holistic Nutrition School in Berkeley California.  I currently work as a personal chef in Vancouver.