Following new conviction, raw milkman Michael Schmidt begins hunger strike—again
The saga of raw milk advocate Michael Schmidt continues. Last week the courts overturned their initial verdict, which had found Schmidt not guilty of charges relating to the sale of unpasteurized milk. With his dream of legalization slipping away, the Toronto Star reports, the dogged dairy farmer has done the only rational thing and gone on a hunger strike—again.
Schmidt was informed Wednesday afternoon that he’d been convicted of 15 provincial offences relating to the sale of unpasteurized milk. He could face hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, including $5,000 for each day he continues to distribute his milk.
Schmidt, owner of Glencolton Farms near Durham, Ont., started his hunger strike Thursday night. He’s consuming just one glass of his own cows’ milk per day to start a public debate on food regulation.
“We need to sit down and think about what is the role of government in our life,” said Schmidt. “The government allows plenty of other things that are detrimental to our health.”
Clearly the man is serious about his milk (at least he’ll be getting his calcium). This is actually his second hunger strike—Schmidt claims he lost 50 pounds in four weeks after he was raided in 2006. And who could forget last year’s raw milk operetta, or the iChannel documentary? The farmer’s remarkable persistence has earned him the support of local foodies of a more libertarian bent.
But the courts are having none of it, and neither is the Star. Toronto’s paper of record published an editorial on the weekend that not-so-tactfully lauded its own role in getting pasteurization mandated in Toronto a century ago, before calmly evaluating the risks involved: “It’s the same way that Russian roulette is safe—until you reach the chamber with a bullet.” We can only hope some Star editor a century from now will remember to champion the paper’s role in this new fight.
• Raw milk advocate enters hunger strike after charges [Toronto Star]
• Ending raw milk risk [Toronto Star]
People who go out of their way to purchase raw milk know the risks involved. Enough with the nanny state already and allow people to make their own decisions regarding food. And as Schmidt pointed out, the government has no problem allowing people to poison themselves – albeit more slowly – with alcohol, tobacco and chemically sprayed produce, because they’re tax-rich industries (the first two at least). Some insignificant dairy farmer doesn’t stand a chance when up against a government that wants to flex its muscle and make sure the people know how they’re looking out for their best interests. Hypocrites.
the ignorance of your editorial staff on this topic, is writ large, in that you just parrot the non-sense that Pasteur worked with milk. In fact, he worked with wine
you’d be amazed how different our cowshare dairies are in practice, from what the dairy cartel cartoon is = of medieval conditions
can you appreciate the irony of making the analogy that REAL MILK is Russian Roulette, after 20 people died from perfectly legal deli meats, a couple of years ago? During the time that 1000s of people were made ill, the govt. itself published a statement that 1/4 of the packages of Maple Leaf cold cuts were contaminated with pathogens!!
but I guess that’s OK?
The lawyers at the Canadian Constitution Foundation, a registered charity, are busy preparing to appeal the recent raw milk judicial decision that went against raw milk dairy farmer Michael Schmidt. We could use your help with a tax deductible donation to support this legal fight which we are doing on a pro-bono basis.
Please donate securely online today: http://www.canadianconstitutionfoundation.ca/toc.php/40
Why do government agencies focus on whats really dangerous… saturated fat and themselves. Come to think about it aren’t the same thing.
Why is our government so hell bent on banning unPasteurised milk? Perhaps they should focus on something more serious like banning cigarettes. The risk from cigarettes is much higher.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency there are around 11 million cases of foodborne illnesses in Canada every year. (http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/causee.shtml)
That’s a staggering amount! The population of Canada is 33.5 million. That means that there is a 1 in 3 chance that, sometime this year, you will get sick from eating food/drink that is sold in stores and regulated by government agencies.
Now consider the (roughly) 150 families that regularly get their milk, cream, cheese, bread, vegetables, meat, etc. that this farm provides to them as part owners. Not once this year has anyone suffered a foodborne illness. Not last year, not the year before, or the year before that…
Just think about it for a minute – Do you think that Michael Schmidt is doing something right?
Is it possible he has something to teach us all? Or would you rather just live with the 1 in 3 chance?
As for me, I will listen to every word.
I am someone who has been damaged by modern industrial foods, and find myself ill when I consume most processed foods. Unprocessed milk, when done right, is far cleaner and is the ONLY milk I can drink. Our farmer is under gov. assault; an attack on my health and ability to choose to put pure foods into my own body. When gov. stands up for citizens rather than corporate greed, then we have a working country.
Michael should run for political office. He’s already got my vote.
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