News flash: Bipartisan group at Queen’s Park, including Randy Hillier and Greg Sorbara, working on raw milk solution

From Charlott VanGenechten, on the Support Michael Schmidt Facebook group:

Demonstrator at last Tuesday's Queen's Park rally. The message may actually be getting through!

“IMPORTANT!!! This just came in. A bipartisan group started by Randy Hillier and Greg Sorbara has been formed to pressure Premier McGinty into talking to Michael Schmidt.

The meeting should potentially be next week. DONT RELENT IN YOUR EFFORTS!!! Continue to rock the milk can!”

You can be we’ll be watching the situation closely over the next week.

Next Tuesday Michael is scheduled to speak at the Raw Milk Freedom Riders rally in Maryland, and on Wednesday he’ll be in Vancouver to face contempt of court charges related to the “Our Cows” cowshare farm, of which he is the agister.

Dalton McGuinty — “always looking for new ideas on how to make Ontario an even better place to live and work…”

From the Support Michael Schmidt Facebook group, now with 4053 members:

.

Michael Schmidt’s message: urgent mobilization to protect food rights

From the Biodynamics blog:

Michael Schmidt gives a keynote speech at the Biodynamic Association's 2010 National Conference on the topic of food rights. Picture via Biodynamics blog.

On Wednesday, September 28, 2011, the Ontario government won its appeal against biodynamic farmer, Michael Schmidt. The appeal reversed the former ruling, which confirmed cow share members’ right to obtain raw milk products. Justice Peter Tetley rejected Schmidt’s argument that providing raw milk to cow share owners who are aware of any health risks was his legal right.

Schmidt has been fighting for the right to provide raw milk at his Grey County farm ever since it was raided by government officials in 1994. The recent ruling convicts Michael on 15 of 19 charges and reverses last year’s lower court decision to acquit him of all charges. This latest judicial ruling basically endorses governmental interference of property ownership rights and violates basic human rights to food freedom.

Dr. Ron Paul sets an example other politicians would do well to emulate

Raw milk and cookies could get moms arrested — Event at FDA HQ Nov. 1st

From 3 Wheeled Cheese blog:

Challenging the FDA on interstate transport of raw milk

“In less than two weeks, a caravan of raw milk lovers headed by a group of mothers will transport the taboo food from Pennsylvania into Maryland, and stage a “drink-in” in front of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in Silver Spring. And some of the biggest names in the health freedom movement will be there to offer support and speak publicly about important health freedom issues.

Raw milk policy review in New Zealand

From the 3 Wheeled Cheese blog:

.

“Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson today released a discussion document on options to continue farm gate sales of raw drinking milk.

“Selling small quantities of raw milk direct to people at the farm gate is a long standing tradition and there is support for that to continue,” Ms Wilkinson says.

“At present, the law lets farmers sell a daily maximum of five litres of raw milk from their farm to people to drink and give to their family.

“The discussion document focuses on how to provide for limited sales of raw milk for drinking, as the Government is not proposing to allow commercial-scale sale of this product at this time.”

Readers write their politicians, part 9

More and more readers continue to write to Premier Dalton McGuinty to beseech him to begin talking, or as he says in his autoresponder “working together” with Michael Schmidt to bring some sanity to the subject of raw milk in Ontario. When YOU write to your elected representatives, please be sure to drop us a copy at thebovine AT gmx DOT com

---

From Tuesday's rally at Queen's Park

Dear Mr. McGuinty,

Michael Schmidt is 28 days into his hunger strike and is now under a doctor’s care. Please speak with him. There is no harm in doing so. You will not lose face. In fact, many of we raw milk drinkers will raise a glass to applaud your decision. We only pass by in this world but once. We should not make people’s lives miserable for the wrong reasons.

There is a 1968 precedent for a similar situation involving Robert Kennedy and a farmer on a hunger strike:

Forbidden dining: Would you like some raw milk with that shark fin soup?

From Mike Strobel in the Toronto Sun:

Cartoon from Toronto Sun.

“TORONTO – C’mon in, ladies and gents. Get it while it’s hot. I mean hot as a stolen Chevy. Welcome to Mikey’s Endangered Species Diner.

Our specialty? Politically incorrect cuisine and illegal edibles. Choose from our mouth-watering and rapidly expanding a la carte of wild, ill-gotten, even immoral dishes. Our meals are fresh from the boats, safari wagons and camps of the world’s finest poachers — or your local rebel farmer or grocer.

Moi, Masai Mikey, your host, brings a lifetime of culinary cognition to your table. I have supped on roast rat in the Amazon, consumed crocodile kebob in Kenya and scarfed down just about everything else that runs, crawls, trots, slithers, swims, hops or flutters on God’s green earth….”