Real dialogue on raw milk with Michael Schmidt at the University of Guelph

By Margo McIntosh:

Michael Schmidt (second from right) and friends at the University of Guelph raw milk symposium April 22nd, 2014. Photos via the Canadian Consumer Raw Milk Advocacy blog.

“On April 22, 2014, the University of Guelph held a Science To Policy Symposium with raw milk as the case study.  Approximately 90 people attended.  As far as could be determined 90% of these people were from Public Health, CFIA and interested scientists.

The other 10% were raw milk advocates and supporters.  For a list of the presenters and other information about the symposium, go to this link http://ennect.com/e2340.  Before you read this you might want to read the bios of these speakers. 

How the 20-year-long Michael Schmidt raw milk rights struggle is seen in India

From David E. Gumpert on The Complete Patient blog:

“In India, and many other parts of the world, the struggle of Schmidt, and other farmers in North America, is incomprehensible. In India, farmers still take their cows or buffalo around to towns and cities, and provide fresh milk on the spot to customers. Customers then decide for themselves if they want to boil the milk or not—self pasteurize.

Indeed, one study indicates that India is the largest dairy producing country in the world, and that something approaching half its milk is distributed raw, by small farms. “Consumers often regard raw milk and traditional products obtained from reliable vendors as of better quality than formally processed dairy products,” says the study.

Raw milk symposium today in Guelph

Today is the day for “Raw Milk — Science to Policy” symposium at the University of Guelph. Although Michael Schmidt has been invited to be among the speakers at this event, he has been given only 10 or 15 minutes of the all-day programme in which to share his views.

Michael said that he was required to submit the text of his presentation in advance. Would that be so that refutations could be prepared?

Although one could see it as a positive that raw milk is finally being given the time of day by Ontario’s foremost agricultural university, it remains to be seen how unbiased the proceedings will be.

In any case, the Guelph symposium is unlikely to bear much resemblance to the 2009 raw milk symposium at O.I.S.E. Click link to read the Bovine’s coverage of that symposium

 

Fukushima spring? Dysmorphic specimens in the supermarkets

Today is Good Friday. Perhaps it’s not much of a stretch to see that nowadays instead of Christ being nailed to on the cross, it’s the earth and its biosphere that is being crucified through the irresponsible use of mutagenic technologies by people. We all have some share in the responsibility for this. Can this too be healed and redeemed?

From Rad Chick via Video Rebel blog:

Photo via Mutation Watch FB page

“Perusing the floral section in the supermarket is usually the first thing on my grocery list these days. For the past 3 years I have documented genetic damage not only plants growing locally in SE Michigan, but in domestic and imported plants, fruits, and produce being sold to the public. Some of my best finds have come from items grown along the Pacific Coast, and this week a recent shipment of spring bouquets and potted plants at Trader Joe’s proved the same is still happening, as I suspected it would.

First, I comb through the bouquets, camera in hand. I look at the most obvious part of the plant, the flower head including petals and center. If I can spot a mutation, I check the stem and related leaves included. I look for color anomalies as well, as we know from past research mutations in color genes is another known effect of exposure

The way to legal raw milk in Ontario?

From Glencolton Farms’ farmshare member Gary Wilson:

Steve Paikin’s The Agenda is a TVO public affairs program which recently dealt with raw milk.

I sent the following as an email to Sandra Gionas, the producer of “The Agenda with Steve Paikin” in response to the program ” Arthur Hill: Getting to a Raw Milk Deal”:

“Hi Sandra:

Although I was unable to watch this program at the time it was broadcast live, I was able to watch it later on your website. I was interested in watching this program because, since the year 2000, I have been drinking unpasteurized, unhomogenized milk from the Glencolton Farm. You may be surprised to learn that, after watching the program, I am largely in agreement with everthing Arthur Hill said. In particular, I am against the legalization of the sale of raw milk in Ontario without clear restrictions and guidelines.

Illinois Legislators Honour Right of Consumers to Buy Farm Fresh Milk

From Kimberly Hartke at the Weston A. Price Foundation:

Washington, DC –April 10, 2014–( GlobeNewswire )– A proposed bill in Illinois banning the sale and distribution of natural or “raw” milk, is not going anywhere this session after legislators heard from “thousands” of natural milk proponents. The restriction, which was introduced as an amendment to an unrelated bill, would have banned the sale and distribution of raw milk in Illinois.

The sponsor, Daniel Burke (D-23rd district), chose not to move the bill out of committee after legislators were inundated with calls and emails from concerned Illinois citizens.

Today, The Weston A. Price Foundation issued a point-by-point rebuttal of Illinois public health official claims that a ban was warranted. See Response to the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium, Inc. on the Campaign for Real Milk website.

The Farmer and the Government

From The Dean of Tea:

Michael Schmidt handcuffed by police during a non-violent protest over a dump that was to be established over a major aquifer in Simcoe County, Ontario a few years ago. The protest was successful. Plans to build the dump were scrapped in light of community opposition.

Last month, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of Durham, Ontario farmer and raw milk advocate Michael Schmidt. The court’s decision found that Schmidt’s cow-share program does not exempt him from regulations concerning the sale and distribution of unpasteurized milk. Schmidt has vowed to take his case to the Supreme Court.

Will Michael Schmidt take his raw milk case to the Supreme Court? Or not?

Michael Schmidt talks to reporters outside Osgoode Hall during a break in the Ontario Court of Appeal hearings earlier this year. Michael lost that appeal and might still appeal the case further.

From Scott Dunn/QMI via the Sun News Network:

“OWEN SOUND, Ont. — Durham, Ont., raw milk proponent Michael Schmidt said Monday he’s still pondering whether it’s worth seeking leave to appeal an Ontario Court of Appeal decision against him to the Supreme Court of Canada.

“Is it worthwhile going to the Supreme Court to look at that and throw that ruling out? Or if we just, you know, leave it at that because we’ve moved on anyhow,” he said in a telephone interview.

Competition for “ultimate evil” brand?

It would really take a dedicated blog to keep up with the flow of GMO news and information out there these days. Although the Bovine is primarily focused on raw milk, we do sometimes give a nod to other issues in the food rights sphere. And while raw milk has always been a minority concern, GMOs in food will affect everyone. What will our children’s children think about this time in history when they look back from 2050 or so? The following is from Jon Rappoport’s blog:

What will the children think? Click image for photo source.

“I recognized my two selves: a crusading idealist and a cold, granitic believer in the law of the jungle” – Edgar Monsanto Queeny, Monsanto chairman, 1943-63, “The Spirit of Enterprise”, 1934.

“Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the F.D.A.’s job” – Phil Angell, Monsanto’s director of corporate communications. “Playing God in the Garden” New York Times Magazine, October 25, 1998.

How will the dairy oligarchs defend their turf against raw milk intruders?

David E. Gumpert, of The Complete Patient blog, thinks it will be by amping up the fear factor. From his latest post:

“The proposed legislation to rescind or liberalize the federal ban on interstate raw milk sales holds out the prospect of a national debate on raw milk.

How so? There will need to be one or more hearings on the legislation before the House committee with responsibility for the legislation.

An aide to Kentucky Cong.[Congressman] Thomas Massie, who is leading the bipartisan “Milk Freedom” legislative effort, says he doesn’t have a specific timetable for when hearings could be held, but emailed me, “We hope sooner rather than later.” The hearings would be held before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.