Another look at the laws about raw milk

Contrasting Ontario Laws and Acts about Raw Milk in Courts with other Major Jurisdictions (Part 2)

by Raoul Bedi, BASc

I – Introduction :

Last week we listed some of the major acts, laws and regulations being cited by Crown Lawyers in the latest manifestions, in the form of the 2 applications listed below, in the never-ending case(s) against Organic Raw Milk and its adherents, consumers, supporters, co-op members, farmers and producers in Ontario and Canada. For brevity’s sake we gave only the relevant sections from the Ontario Milk Act and Milk Regulations to begin with .

We then observed, in Newmarket Court, the Crown Lawyers for Gavin Downing, director for the Milk Act, and the York Region Municipality, systematically work through all of those major acts, one by one in great detail, stating first which sections were violated, what they say and mean, and then the evidence (from myriad affidavits, discovery and testimony) to support their claims of violation, and punishment(s) sought.

In addition to all the Acts and Regulations listed last week and again today, the Crown’s Legal team consisting of 4-5 lawyers, also cited 6-10 examples of Case Law which we will not list here. Of interest was the fact that they cited case law from England to justify the enforcement of certain bureaucratic regulations, and the need for concomitant restraining orders where they have been continually violated.

The SUPREME IRONY here is that they failed to cite the most important Laws and Statutes of all , from the United Kingdom , namely that Fresh, Organic Raw Milk from Grass-fed cows is 100% legal and freely available from Her Majesty the Queen’s homeland . Please see https://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/farmingfood/dairy-guidance/rawmilkcream#toc-4

How can this be one might ask ?

Salmon Confidential Movie & Review; CFIA Blocks Only Independent ISA Salmon Virus Testing Lab

Edited and Compiled by Raoul Bedi, BASc

http://vimeo.com/61301410

A film by Twyla Roscovich

This article compilation is dedicated to ‘Salmon Are Sacred ‘www.salmonaresacred.org  , all its friends and supporters, and to Dr.Fred and Molly Kibenge . Sections A and B provide some background information and analysis about the breathtaking Salmon Confidential documentary , and its leading protagonists. Sections  C and D  deal with some of the current activism , latest research around harmful effects, and  an update from marine biologist  Dr. Alexandra Morton   about the CFIA’s recent move to block independent farmed and wild salmon virus lab testing in Canada  .

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.

The Gene Revolution with Dr. Thierry Vrain; GMO Free Langley Shines

by Raoul Bedi, BASc

Dr.Vrain spoke about “The Future of Agriculture” at TED talks on May 23, 2013

A: Introduction

Building on the theme of collaboration and synergy, in the work of food security,  anti-GMO awareness and public education, through the examples of interviews (Vandana Shiva May 1, 2013), writings (Dr. Thierry Vrain’s May 23 GMO Dangers essay), podcasts, activism and rallies, I continue this process with a summary about the recent June 5 “Community Forum on GM Food” and lecture by retired GM Scientist Dr.Thierry Vrain  in Surrey BC that was sponsored by Phil Harrison, the Council of Canadians ( www.canadians.org ) and others.

Emcee Phil Harrison and Dr.Thierry Vrain fielding questions from the audience (Photo by Raoul Bedi http://www.biofield.ca). Click image for more photos from Surrey GMO forum.

Apart from disseminating the information shared with the audience by Dr. Vrain, it is also useful to provide some background on the organizational and activist elements involved, so that towns and regions across Canada may more easily and quickly replicate and build upon this work.

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.

Food Revolution Summit — Vandana Shiva interviewed by John Robbins

By Raoul Bedi, BASc 

The past few months has seen a massive shift in the “tectonic plates” of the food rights and food security movement not only in Canada but in the larger North American context. Some might say that it all began with the narrow defeat (voting irregularities aside) of the Proposition 37 “Right to GMO Labeling” referendum in California on November 6, 2012.

Vandana Shiva lecturing at the University of Victoria in BC. Click image to view source video.

From the Non-GMO Project website we can see that, despite the California setback, the ‘Right to Know’ effort has, instead, gained significant momentum. Through marches, rallies, petitions, social media, and targeted outreach campaigns, consumers are demanding that the government respect their right to know what’s in their food by labeling GMOs.

Eco-village loses a beloved milk cow

Story and pictures from ourecovillage.org

Introduction (and pictures at bottom) by Raoul Bedi (www.biofield.ca ): It is refreshing, and even somewhat mind-expanding, to read about how the community at OUR ecovillage  had bonded with their recently departed cow “Bossy” to the point where she was  literally a family member. This article offers a very different and altogether unheard of perspective, in contrast to the modern view that sees a cow as a “commodity-producing composting unit”! Perhaps the final frontier of agriculture is not science and corporatization after all , but instead, developing a personal, sacred, relationship with water, the land and the animals, as the Native Americans have always done. As raw dairy farmer Michael Schmidt would say ,”We need to put ‘culture’ back into agriculture”.

Mike, with Bossy, the much loved community cow. Photo via ourecovillage.org

It is with huge, huge sadness that OUR community has to report in that we have had to say goodbye to OUR beautiful Bossy – family cow extraordinaire. She had been with the land for the last two years as the start to OUR onsite cowshare and brought so much learning to hundreds of children/youth/visitors who came to participate in some way to learn about hand-milking, making butter, and the joys of seeing a baby calf in OUR barnyard.

“Fresh Milk Food Politics” — Raw Milk Myths Versus Science (Part 2)

Thanks to Raoul Bedi, BASc, for writing up these detailed summaries of the proceedings from the April 6th “Fresh Milk Food Politics” event in Vancouver.

Alice Jongerden with Local Food Advocate Raoul Bedi (Photo by R. Bedi, http://www.biofield.ca )

I – Introduction:

In Part 1 of this report  about the recent “Fresh Milk Food Politics” Vancouver 2013 conference (www.freshmilkfoodpolitics.com ), we saw how numerous individuals and organizations, in the Raw Milk and Food Security movement, are independently displaying leadership, vision, and excellence in their work and activism. And that by collaborating together somehow the resultant synergy is exponentially more powerful, productive and effective.

“Fresh Milk, Food Politics” conference: “a milestone for the movement”, pt. 1

Four Raw Milk Heroes at the Vancouver Real Milk Food Politics forum on April 6, 2013. Great conference . Sold out . The energy is high. ( Right to Left) Alice Jongerden former agister of Home on the Range Farms, Jason Gratl ,(Lawyer for Our Cows , Chilliwack), Michael Schmidt , and Mark McAfee (largest legal raw dairy operation in California). Click image for more photos on Facebook.

By Raoul Bedi , BASc

I – Introduction:

The Vancouver Fresh Milk Food Politics conference (www.freshmilkfoodpolitics.com) on April 6, 2013 was, according to Ontario Raw Milk farmer, agister and pioneer, Michael Schmidt a “milestone” for the movement in Canada. What made it a success? It was not just the fact of the seats being, more or less, sold out. Or the thought-provoking and professional lectures from the various leaders in the field of Raw Dairy and building Sustainable Food Systems. It was something more. It was the synergy or joyful coming together of many of the diverse strands of the BC and Canadian Food Security collage, for a time, all under one roof. It is not often that so many leaders and activists in the field, in Canada, join together to find common cause under one roof as we did on April 6, 2013 at the Ukranian Cathedral in Vancouver.

Vernon Herschberger interview, part 2

Politics and Activism 

by Raoul Bedi of the Vedic Harmony Centre (www.canadafoodsecurity.info)

In the first interview published last week we focused briefly on Vernon’s background but mainly on his “Sources of inspiration and role models “. The same day the interview was published it mentioned a new donations website (details at the end of the interview) which was coincidentally launched to not only help Vernon with his legal expenses but also to charitably support his family through these challenging times . Thanks to the generous support of THE BOVINE and its readers , the readers of Kimberley Hartke’s wonderful blog, http://www.hartkeisonline.com , and a few others , the amount pledged has already reached $2401 from 62 different individuals/organizations as of Tuesday, March 6, 2012 .

C: Politics and Law

Photo: Vernon Hershberger shown signing the Declaration of Food Independence on March 2, 2012