Michael Schmidt’s Queen’s Park news conference video from Nov. 25th, 2015

Click here to watch video of Michael Schmidt’s Nov. 25th news conference.

Food rights declaration signing Nov. 26

QUEENS PARK, TORONTO: An estimated 80-some food rights supporters converged on Queen’s Park for a rally and food rights declaration signing today. Elisa and Michael Schmidt started things off by speaking briefly about recent developments in the ongoing raw milk saga.

Michael Schmidt speaks to the crowd, prior to the signing of today’s Food Rights Declaration, flanked by his wife Elisa and farm share member Mascha Perrone. Nov. 26th, at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

Michael then read the text of the Food Rights Declaration, which was also printed on both sides of the milk truck, which had been brought to Queen’s Park for the occasion. After that, folks were invited to sign both a smaller copy of the declaration to be presented to Premier Wynn and then the large copy on the side of the truck.

Food Rights Declaration Signing is Now Planned for Queens Park Thurs. Nov. 26

If you support the right of people to make their own food choices, you are invited to sign a declaration of food rights at Queen’s Park on Thursday November 26th at 1 pm. Queen’s Park is the home of the Ontario Legislature in downtown Toronto.

The day before, on Wed. Nov. 25th, at 9 am, there will be a news conference at Queen’s Park to talk about the declaration of food rights and other topics related to recent raw milk standoffs.

Michael Schmidt will be at both the Nov. 25 news conference and the Nov. 26 food rights declaration signing.

As you will see from the video above and from the photo below, there’s been a shift away from focusing on Michael Schmidt’s role in all this, and putting the focus instead on the farm share members, like Masha Perrone, whose access to milk from their own cows has been put at risk by the recent actions of governmental agencies.

Farmshare owner Masha Perrone seems to have become the poster person for food choice, seen here with Elisa from the farm. Masha’s picture is now on the back of the milk truck. Photo: David Pickett.

Thanks to Collective Evolution for the video. See more of their work here.

Note that the video was shot a while ago and thus does not reflect the fact that a meeting has in fact taken place with York Region Public Health. See transcript of that meeting here. There was also some subsequent correspondence with Joe Lamarca of York Region Public Health, which was essentially a restatement of the Health Unit’s previous position.

 

Talking raw milk to the legislators

From Raw Milk Consumer.ca:

Raw milk rally Queen’s Park, Toronto, Oct. 2011, when Michael Schmidt was on a hunger strike.

“Call to Action – within Ontario

Those of you in Ontario probably remember that past Premier Dalton McGuinty told Michael Schmidt, at the end of his hunger strike, that he could speak to caucus.  None of us knew that Premier McGuinty would not be in office for long.  Now we have a new Premier who is also our Agriculture Minister.  We need to reach out to her respectfully to ask for her help.

Occupy Monsanto protest in Toronto yesterday, Sept 17th, at Queen’s Park

Story and pictures from SA:

What kind of world are we leaving for our children to deal with?

SEPT 17th: Worldwide, today, there were over 75 demonstrations to target Monsanto and the onslaught of Genetically Engineered Foods.  In Toronto, a number of concerned individuals known a Occupy Monsanto, Toronto, staged a protest at Queen’s Park.  

The Michael Schmidt story in “VICE”

Those of you who don’t live in a metropolis may not have encountered “Vice”, the magazine targeted to young people, that seems to pride itself on being deliberately edgy, with stories on sex, drugs, and other illicit pleasures. Add raw milk to that list, now that Michael Schmidt’s story is being featured there. From Julia Kennedy (daughter of Toronto chef Jamie Kennedy), in “Vice”:

Michael Schmidt on the steps of Queen's Park following a news conference, with a native friend.

“If you get busted for selling raw milk in Canada, penalties range from steep fines to time in prison. Farmer Michael Schmidt has received both.

It started with a simple experiment: Take two calves; feed one raw milk from cows raised on a small biodynamic farm, and feed the other pasteurized milk from a commercial brand. Do so for four months, then compare.

Raw milk fan from Peace River, Alberta

Lisa Lundgard from Peace River Alberta was in town for the rally Nov. 23rd at Queen's Park.

Lisa grew up on pasteurized milk until her parents met Sally Fallon when she was in Grade 9. She’s been happily drinking raw milk now for 10 years. That’s her cow Sassy, in the picture. Thanks to Lisa for the photo. Lisa has been visiting for a week at Glencolton Farms in Durham.

Aubergine on Food Freedom Day at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Nov. 23rd

From Toronto food blogger, Aubergine:

Click image above to go to a page where you can watch Aubergine's video.

“Today I’m taking you out of my kitchen for a little jaunt down to Queen’s Park in downtown Toronto and yesterday’s raw milk rally with dairy farmer Michael Schmidt. According to Canadian law, Michael Schmidt is a serious criminal. His crime: selling unpasteurized milk. In 2006 his farm was raided by 25 armed police and since then he has been in and out of the courts fighting a battle for the right to sell raw milk. He recently completed a 37-day hunger strike resulting in Premier McGuinty finally agreeing to speak with him and starting some dialogue on this issue.

Video from Nov. 23 Food Freedom Day rally at Queen’s Park in Toronto

Thanks to Margo McIntosh for bringing these videos by Andrew Kohl to our attention:

Food Freedom Day Toronto rally part 2

More photos from yesterday’s Toronto rally at Queen’s Park, along with an excerpt from Margo McIntosh’s post about the day’s events on her “Balance Your Apple” blog:

Of course everyone was glad to see and hear from Michael Schmidt, who ended his 37 day hunger strike a couple of weeks ago and who has since gradually started eating again.

“….Many of us are waking up to the benefits of raw milk and many people right across Canada came together today to rally for the freedom to choose this real food without government intervention.