Michael Schmidt legal news roundup

Lawyer Derek From and farmer Michael Schmidt hold a news conference on the steps of Osgoode Hall in Toronto February 5th. The results of the appeal are not expected to be announced soon.

Farmer and activist Michael Schmidt has more than one legal controversy on the go. A couple of weeks ago Michael was in the news for taking Ontario raw milk case to Ontario’s highest court. 

Video of Dr. Thierry Vrain in Surrey; India’s own Monsanto Protection Act; GMO alfalfa comes to Canadian fields

Edited and compiled  by Raoul Bedi, BASc (www.biofield.ca ). This is a sampling of some important articles and campaigns in the world of anti-GMO activism during the month of June 2013. 

1. Dr. Thierry Vrain in Surrey, BC  – A Critique of GE Agriculture

By Tony Mitra

Dr. Thierry Vrain

Dr. Thierry Vrain visited Surrey, BC on June 5 to address the general public at the Northwood United Church. He made an hour long speech accompanied by  a powerpoint presentation projected on a large screen behind him. Thierry, in his soft and patient manner, untangles the long story of how  GMOs came to interest farmers on the promise of lowering labour for weed and pest control efforts, by replacing it with easily available and applicable pesticides, and also by using specialized genetically engineered crops that are either tolerant to specific pesticide/herbicides or produce toxins themselves, that would kill the pests without the need for additional pesticide. That, initially, worked like magic, and saved a lot of labour for the farmers. But, the gain proved to be short lived, while the damage and danger, turned out to be rather ominous for the health of  people as well as the sustainability of a biologically diverse ecology.

Farmer Michael Schmidt calls B.C. raw milk cosmetics battle “ridiculous”

From the Owen Sound Sun Times:

Durham area raw milk advocate Michael Schmidt and his four year old son William at his Durham area farm on Friday September 30, 2011. James Masters\The Sun Times

DURHAM – Local raw milk advocate Michael Schmidt’s appeal of a British Columbia judge’s contempt of court finding against him is based what he views as the lack of proof anyone drank his milk and lack of clarity of the court order he was found to have breached, he said Tuesday in an interview.

Schmidt said he restructured a Chilliwack, B.C. dairy farm to produce cosmetics to comply with an injunction which ordered him and others not to package and distribute unpasteurized milk for human consumption.

But Superior Court Justice Randall Wong called the cosmetics claim a “ruse” and found Schmidt and farm owner Gordon Watson in contempt of the court by violating the injunction.

Raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt to appeal contempt conviction in B.C.

From Scott Dunn in the Owen Sound Sun Times:

Michael Schmidt raises a glass of raw milk in a toast to his supporters at a raw milk rally outside the Grey Bruce Health Unit in Owen Sound in October 2011. Photo via Owen Sound Sun Times.

“Local raw milk advocate Michael Schmidt is appealing a British Columbia Supreme Court judge’s finding of contempt against him for violating an injunction to stop the distribution of raw milk for human consumption under the “ruse” of saying his raw milk was a cosmetic.

Justice Randall Wong, in a June 5 written decision, found Schmidt and B.C. farm owner Gordon Watson in contempt of the court’s March 18, 2010 injunction after the Fraser Health Authority filed a petition calling for a finding of contempt and special costs.

Dr. Thierry Vrain on GMO dangers; March against Monsanto May 25th

A: Introduced and compiled by Raoul Bedi, BASc:

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In my May 1, 2013 two part article, on the work of Vandana Shiva and major milestones achieved in the overall anti-GMO  movement, that was published exclusively in The Bovine, and that has since gone viral across North America, I acknowledged some of the major food security and anti-GMO activists of our time.

Go ask Alice — interview with BC raw milk pioneer Alice Jongerden, who will speak at the “Fresh Milk, Food Politics” symposium on April 6th, in Vancouver

Michael Schmidt, Alice Jongerden, at a rally in BC November 2, 2011. Photo by Tirra Del Giudice. Click image for more pictures from that event.

The Bovine: There’s a major raw milk symposium in Vancouver April 6th and you’re one of the speakers, Alice. Could you tell us a little about what you’re going to be sharing with the participants at that event?

Alice Jongerden: I will be sharing my story and discussing the Challenges of Farming, Losing the Family Farm, and what is needed to bring it back and how that can be done.  Also highlighting herdshares, and why they make sense.

The Bovine: Perhaps you could start by telling us how you personally got interested in raw milk, and how that interest led to you becoming agister for the original “Home on the Range” cowshare farm in Chilliwack.

Raw milk family’s day in court in B.C.

From the Hella Delicious blog:

Image of Michael Schmidt and Gordon Watson via Hella Delicious blog

“Just got back from the New Westminster courthouse. Our cowshare family spent a loving day together listening to the interactions between the lawyers, judge, Gordon Watson and witnesses over what seems to be unravelling as a case of malicious intent on the part of Fraser Health against this private local community of people who enjoy owning a lovingly cared for and properly fed cow.

Michael Schmidt in B.C. re charges

Michael Schmidt was to appear in B.C. court to face contempt charges, along with fellow raw milk advocate Gordon Watson, Feb 13 – 15th. As yet we’ve had no report on the outcome of those court proceedings. However the story excepted below has appeared in The Urban Diner. It’s by Fernando Medrano:

MIchael Schmidt addresses a group in B.C. during his visit there this past week. Photo via The Urban Diner.

“It’s after-hours at Woodland Smokehouse on Commercial Drive, the setting of a small gathering of people here to meet Ontario’s Michael Schmidt, Canada’s most visible advocate of the burgeoning raw milk movement.

Michael Schmidt in court yesterday in Cobourg re sheep conspiracy charges

Michael Schmidt, speaking at a fund-raising event at Montana Jones’ farm in September 2012

Yesterday, Michael Schmidt appeared in court in Cobourg to face criminal charges related to the disappearance of Montana Jones’ flock of heritage Shropshire sheep which the CFIA had placed under quarantine and were planning to slaughter for testing. Montana Jones is also among the three others charged with conspiracy in this case.

Some months after their disappearance, most of the missing sheep were discovered, then slaughtered by the CFIA, and found to be not infected with the dread Scrapie, a disease in sheep that’s similar to mad cow in cattle. The CFIA had been particularly suspicious of Montana’s flock because their genotype supposedly made them more susceptible to the disease, and because a sheep that was originally from Montana’s flock was, some years later, connected with the disease.

Michael Schmidt off to court this month

Michael Schmidt, in his kitchen, getting ready for an interview with documentary filmmakers, two years ago, in January 2010 on the eve of his acquittal on raw milk charges. The Province has since appealed that acquittal and, as a result, Michael has been convicted and fined on charges related to raw milk distribution. Last year a judge granted permission for Michael to appeal that conviction.

We’ve gone a long time without much overt legal sparring in the Canadian raw milk and food rights scene. But that’s soon to change as raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt heads to court later this month to face charges of conspiracy in connection with the disappearance of a herd of controversial heritage sheep that were under quarantine by the CFIA.