About a raw milk consumer initiative

From Margo McIntosh:

It has been pointed out to me that some people do not approve of the rawmilkconsumer.ca initiative because we are asking for legal government regulated milk.  We are not and I will explain in a moment.  Some have said they would support it if it was linked to Cow Share Canada, others that they wouldn’t support it if it was linked to Cow Share Canada etc. etc.  Some seem to think that this initiative was spearheaded by Michael Schmidt, others that think we are doing this behind his back.  Neither of these has any speck of truth to it.  Michael knows what we are doing but has had no influence on anything we do. In fact he has not given any input nay or for.  I welcome his input but it won’t change what we do as a working group.

I thought this was explained clearly but let me give it another go.  We are collecting consumer support to take a package of raw milk information to our MP’s and MPP’s in order to give them another perspective to look at this from that isn’t the current dogma from Health Canada.  I became very aware that many of the politicians no nothing about safe raw milk being consumed in all the other G8 countries and half the US.  They also have no idea that the reported outbreaks and illnesses from raw milk, when taken in the larger context of total illness from raw foods of any kind, is very small.  We have someone working on a paper for research and one for how this is regulated in other countries.

A new Canadian raw milk consumer advocacy group has now been formed

A guest post by Margo McIntosh:

A new consumer group has formed to coordinate the efforts of many across Canada to make headway with raw milk legislation.  There is a working group consisting of consumers from various walks of life across Canada.  Our website is www.rawmilkconsumer.ca.  I have just been informed that Slow Food Montreal is gearing up to create the same type of group in French so we will be collaborating our efforts with them.  This is a Federal and Provincial advocacy effort and we need your help.

On the Welcome page of the website is a petition that we need hand signed and returned to us by September 15, 2012.  In order to present this to the House of Commons, the petition has to be in original format.  Please help us by circulating this petition and collecting as many signatures as you can.  Anyone who believes that Canadians have the right to access natural foods if they want them can sign this petition.  You will find the address to mail the petition to printed right on it.  We need your help!  Help us make a difference!

Cow Share Canada Level 1 course Sat. October 29th with Tim Wightman

Farmer and educator Tim Wightman, at Glencolton Farms during an earlier visit.

Despite the current stalemate Cow Share Canada is holding another level one Cow Share College at Glencolton Farms this coming Saturday.

This course is open to Farmers and Consumers alike to understand the requirements, standards, and social implications before venturing into the new concept.

The following topics will be addressed:

Virtual grocery shopping in South Korea

Thanks to Cryptogon for the heads up:

Farmer Michael Schmidt on the role of Cow Share Canada in establishing respected raw milk standards

Michael weighs in on the discussion about Cow Share Canada and it’s emerging role in the raw milk marketplace:

Michael Schmidt is on his way home.

I reviewed with interest the responses to my last post on the Bovine and on several Facebook pages.

Once again it is remarkable how quickly people jump to conclusions with or without in fact knowing all the relevant facts.

The repeated call for CSC guidelines to be published indicates as if there is the assumption that CSC has assumed the authority to supervise the raw milk production or control the raw milk market.
Nothing is further from the truth. Any farmer can jump into the raw milk market under the cow share model if they wish to do so. They can create their own safety standards, their own cow share contracts and their own way of marketing be it on or off the farm.

Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors power point on Raw Milk

Thanks to Gordon Watson for sending this document our way:

Click image to download pdf of power point slide show.

Click here to download pdf file (392 Kb)

Families fight back against raw milk ban

Here’s the story, from KSPR news in Missouri:

“….More raw emotions over raw milk as the Christian County Health Department Board of Trustees votes to ban the distribution of the product at the county’s farmer’s markets.

Those who sell it say it isn’t right,and they are finding ways to circumvent the system- they claim- on behalf of their customers.

“The farmer’s market is one of our biggest outlets.”

Still is, even though technically, it’s not supposed to be.

Heckled at Raw Milk Symposium — Amanda Rose reads the entrails

Amanda Rose was the sole consumer representative invited to be a presenter and panel member at the recent American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) Raw Milk Symposium in Seattle. The AVMA folks also asked her to prepare a survey of consumer attitudes to present at the Symposium. This is an excerpt from her retrospective on the experience. Thanks to Matti for the link!

Dr. Amanda Rose addresses the American Veterinary Medical Association Raw Milk Symposium in Seattle. Photo by David E. Gumpert, from the Complete Patient blog.

First, an abstract from Amanda’s presentation: “Raw milk advocates cite the regulatory restrictions across the country as impeding the right of consumers to choose raw milk. However, this limitation on consumer behavior would be better defined as an issue of “free access.”

“Choice” is a psychological process whereby consumers decide to consume raw milk over some other food product. This paper makes the distinction between “access” and “choice” where “access” is the structural barrier to the purchase of raw milk, structures typically built by government regulators.

Survey for American raw milk drinkers — results to be presented at raw milk symposium in Seattle this summer

Amanda Rose is doing a survey of raw milk drinkers in the United States to gather information for the American Veterinary Association’s raw milk symposium. David E. Gumpert took the survey and had this to say about it:

Amanda Rose surveys the thoughts and habits of American raw milk drinkers.

“….The most interesting part of the survey is a list of statements about raw milk, which respondents are supposed to rate for accuracy, for example:

“Raw milk does not contain pathogens if the cows (or goats) are on grass-based diets.”

“Raw milk kills babies.”

“Raw milk contains deadly pathogens.”

“Raw milk is a food that is uniquely safe.”

“Raw cow milk is as safe as raw human breast milk.”

While I have my opinions on certain statements, I have to say that I don’t have the drop-dead research to support some of the statements–for example, milk from grass-fed animals doesn’t support pathogens. We can debate such questions, but there is definitely a research void.

If, as some sources have suggested, something on the order of three million Americans are consuming raw milk, why isn’t the government at least interested in learning more about their habits and attitudes? The problem is that the government isn’t interested in learning more. While a number of raw milk proponents have been critical of the American Veterinary Medical Association for seeming to exclude prominent raw milk backers at its July session on the subject, I want to credit the AVMA organizers of the raw milk session. By promoting original research on raw milk, they have taken an important step—one that even raw milk proponents haven’t been super aggressive on….”

Raw milk driven by consumer demand

Here are some excerpts from a story by Kimberly Hartke which has appeared in at least two online “papers”, the Owen Sound Sun Times and the Woodstock Sentinel Review.

“The Michael Schmidt case boils down to this. Is a cow boarding program a scam, or is it a legitimate, legal means of exercising one’s rights to consume a legal food, in places where it is illegal to sell it?

Judge Cary Boswell, who found Schmidt guilty of contempt, acknowledged that his ruling “had nothing to do with whether or not people have the right to consume raw milk.” Canadians have the right to consume raw milk, yet its sale is prohibited by law. Is it not logical for citizens to find a legal way to exercise their rights? And, should it not be the role of government to secure those rights?

Schmidt of Glencolton Farms is not the only farmer who sells his cows to shareholders. Numerous farms in British Columbia offer cow shares. In the U.S., 28 states allow raw milk sales in some form. In the remaining states, where sales are banned, there are hundreds of cow-boarding programs.