Canada’s first pot vending machine! How about a raw milk automat next?

Still from a video uploaded on YouTube by user@Chuck Varabioff, via rt.com

Regular readers of The Bovine will know that we have periodically featured stories about raw milk automats that seem to be pretty much the standard form of off-farm raw milk distribution throughout Europe. Any thinking person would wonder why we don’t have them in North America. We could talk about how it’s illegal here and how some jurisdictions (BC) even try to label raw milk an inherently hazardous substance, but more likely the deep reason is that the dairy oligarchs have a low tolerance for competition.

Like raw milk, marijuana has, in recent decades, been a controlled substance with a strong underground market. And so raw milk fans have been watching with interest the progress of what’s looking like gradual legalization of pot, driven, we’d like to think, by public pressure and dawning sanity among the governing classes. We’ve heard about pot being legalized in Colorado and Washington state last year.

What if you drank only lukewarm raw milk, and didn’t eat anything else?

Former Home on the Range agister, raw milk advocate, and speaker at the recent Vancouver conference “Fresh Milk, Food Politics”, Alice Jongerden, has decided to go on a milk fast. It seems that a milk fast is a diet in which you drink raw milk, but don’t eat anything. Simple enough. She’s been on the fast for a few days now, and sends this progress report to the Bovine:

Author Alice Jongerden, photo by Shannon Mendes, from Vanmag.com. Original caption  “Alice Jongerden’s Home on the Range Dairy raises its herd on the back 40 of a derelict farmhouse in Chilliwack. From there, the unpasteurized milk and other dairy products travel to depots around the Lower Mainland…” Click image to go to the October 2010 Vancouver magazine article about Alice’s backstory.

I recently read an article about a Raw Milk Fast, and was reminded of a conversation I had quite some time ago, from a lady who often enjoys her raw milk fast, her longest one being 45 days . I thought to myself…Yes, that is what I should do. A Raw Milk Fast!

Being constantly surrounded with raw milk joy and controversy, it seemed a logical step to take.

I love milk, but I seriously wondered if I could really enjoy having ONLY milk for a week or two or three. I wasn’t sure if I could even make it through one day.

In addition, usually I like my milk cold. But cold milk can be hard on digestion. So if I was going to start a milk fast, I knew that I had to get used to the idea of drinking lukewarm milk.

“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.

Video interviews with Fresh Milk Food Politics conference speakers

Via Rawmilkconsumer.ca

These interviews are from the April 6th Fresh Milk Food Politics conference in Vancouver BC. The interviews are by Kari Simpson of Road Kill Radio.com:

Michael Schmidt

“Fresh Raw Milk & Fighting for Food Freedom” in BC — a talk with Alice Jongerden, April 18, in Vancouver

From Banyen.com

Alice Jongerden (right), Michael Schmidt (left)at a rally outside the Fraser Health office in Chilliwack, September 2012. Photo via The Valley Voice.ca. Click image to go to source

BC raw milk pioneer Alice Jongerden will be speaking about raw milk and food freedom this coming Thursday April 18th, 2013 at Banyen Books and Sound, in Vancouver. Free admission.

“Join Alice Jongerden of Home on the Range Organics to gain an understanding of the political challenges she has faced as a local dairy farmer. She will share her passion for food freedom and access to fresh (raw) milk, and explain the related national and provincial laws that undermine our civil liberties. Canada is the only remaining G8 country where the consumption of fresh milk is still banned.

“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.

“Fresh Milk, Food Politics” summary

From Hella Delicious  on yesterday’s conference in Vancouver:

Michael Schmidt at yesterday’s “Fresh Milk, Food Rights”. Click image for more photos.

“Michael Schmidt who Jackie called “Our stubborn German” was up next and he gave us some of his personal background with growing up with the rise of the Nazis and his history of interaction with the various Canadian health authorities who raided his farm, sent in undercover spies to join his cowshare and more. He stressed again how important it is to remember that even these government officals who seem to think they can mindlessly hide behind the excuse that they are “just doing their jobs” are still human underneath it all.

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.

Michael Schmidt, Alice Jongerden, Mark McAfee to speak at “Fresh Milk Food Politics” April 6th, in Vancouver

Fresh Milk, Food Politics, a one day conference, will take place on Saturday, April 6, 2013 8:45am -5:00pm at the Ukrainian Cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia. Speakers and exhibits will cover a wide range of food issues. Speakers include: Mark McAfee, Alice Jongerden, Michael Schmidt, Halyley LaPalme, Karen Selick, Jason Gratl. Tasty local food will be served. To register call 604-306-7720 or visit freshmilkfoodpolitics.com.

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Health professionals, consumers, farmers, researchers and litigators will come together for Fresh Milk, Food Politics, a one day conference, to discuss the hottest food politics issues in British Columbia. The topics will range from raw milk, fish farming, genetically modified foods, to seed and food security. Slow Food Vancouver, Home On the Range Organics Ltd, and Real Milk Legal Defense Fund are spearheading the April 6 event. 

Kimberly Hartke talks about raw milk tomorrow Oct. 20th in Vancouver BC

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