The Milk Crusader 12/18/2011
Michael Schmidt, farmer and real food activist, is a man to be admired. Since 1994, Schmidt’s been persecuted by the Ontario government. His crime? Producing and selling milk and cheese that is not pasteurized. In Ontario – as in the rest of Canada, it is illegal to produce, sell or distribute raw milk or cream. It is however, legal for farmers and their families to consume these products, and that does not make much sense to me. There are many other things that don’t make sense to me. I am becoming increasingly concerned that the government has the power to criminalize the production of healthy food. Whether it be banning backyard hen, trying to pass legislation making it illegal to grow herbs and plants that have medicinal properties, or the production, consumption or selling of raw dairy, the government is going too far. These recent legislative trends lead me to believe that lobbyists for the pharmaceutical companies and agri-food businesses remain ever powerful. Their campaign donations, gifts and kickbacks are far more valuable to politicians and policy-makers than your human rights. I think we can all agree we should have the right to produce and choose our own food.  The criminalization of food may cause cows everywhere to have to go underground! It scares me that the government can ban the production and sale of something as innocent as raw milk. Alcohol, cigarettes, and processed foods – all proven killers remain legal and freely available. People should have the right to make up their own minds regarding what they consume. We as consumers should have the right to decide what we put into our bodies. I have had the opportunity to consume raw milk and dairy products. Not only was I impressed with improved taste, but I never felt healthier! I will barely touch pasteurized milk, and if you ever get a chance to have a glass of real, raw milk, you will come to realize why all on your own. People who choose to consume raw milk have typically done their research. These are educated consumers. They know the arguments against drinking unpasteurized milk. They choose to do so because they believe in and have experienced the health benefits of raw milk first hand. Even Ontario Justice Peter Tetley, the man responsible for sentencing Mr. Schmidt, remarked “…he is a man of principle. He’s willing to fight for his principles. There’s a lot to admire about Mr. Schmidt.” On November 25th 2011, Michael Schmidt was fined $9,150 and placed on a year’s probation for making and providing raw milk and cheese through a cow-share business. Schmidt may or may not pay this fine – time will tell – and he will most likely be going back to jail because he continues to stand up for his right, my right and your right, to choose real food. How you can help? Do you believe we should have the right to choose healthy food? Are you against the criminalization of small scale, personal choice, farming? Do you support those who are fighting for your rights against corrupt lobbyists and corporations? Sign the petition to make the sale of ‘REAL’ milk legal in Ontario. Even the judge in this case acknowledged that there are many people in the province of Ontario, in Canada and even in his own family who consume unpasteurized milk with no ill effect. Let’s work together and spread this petition as widely as possible. If you are located in another jurisdiction and have a petition in support of real milk, please link it in the comments section of this posting. What do you think? You can also read about how to milk a cow by hand and why anyone would want to do that! CommentsJanice 12/18/2011 18:45
Good on you Michael Schmidt! Michael 12/18/2011 18:57
Isn't milk going to make you incredibly sick if it is not pasteurized? That is why it is illegal ... so why would this man want to make people ill? Ian 12/18/2011 19:19
Michael, as far as I have learned as long as the proper procedures are followed there is no risk. If proper processes are not followed even with pasteurized milk products (which has happened) there is a danger of illness. This is risk inherent in the food industry. Proper protocols in place is the only issue. Leanne brewer 12/18/2011 22:22
The government says I can smoke even though we all know it will eventually kill me. The government says I can drink alcohol, although that too can kill me and others if I choose to be irresponsible. But I can't drink raw milk? Need I say more.... Michael 12/18/2011 22:38
Ian, Louis Pasteur developed the proper protocols many years ago ... it is called pasteurization. Pasteurized milk is far more healthy and nutritious because they put a bunch of vitamins in it. Beatrice 12/19/2011 05:08
Michael, pasteurization is precisely what kills everything GOOD in the milk to begin with! Fortifying a product only means an attempt to replace what was already stripped during the pasteurization process. Pasteurized milk is NOT healthier than raw milk. This, my good man, is EXACTLY what our gov't wants us to believe. If every farmer followed Michael Schmidt's pristine farming practices there would NEVER be any threat of contaminated milk. Furthermore, the problem is also in the feed. Instead of having inspections in place to ensure good farming practices, they'd rather buy and blend good and bad milk and boil the crap out of it to make it "healthy". Ah! And then "add" vitamins to it. Ian 12/19/2011 09:49
Thank you Beatrice. U took the words out of my mouth. Dianne 12/19/2011 10:25
This is rediculous good lord leave people alone , what a waste of time . This guy got caught wooppee dooo !! There are thousand out there who are still buying selling whatever they want . Good for them . Why is the law even bothering , freking stupid . go fight crime . Marilyn 12/19/2011 10:29
Michael is only parroting the misinformation he has heard since he was a child, like so many others out there. Once we realize we've all been lied to, it's impossible to go back and believe the lies, as comfortable as that would be for many of us. Changing ideas is difficult. But education is power. costin 12/19/2011 11:36
michael...i am from romania. here we drink fresh milk with out no problem. you can drink it right after milking or you boil the milk and you can drink it after. but you are right about the risks. the state should not have the control over the production and/or commercialization, but it should promote a healthy free market of the product. it should educate people, not scare and control them. Michael 12/19/2011 11:56
@ Beatrice, doesn't pasteurization also kill the E-coli bacteria? The Happy Homesteader 12/19/2011 13:24
Without repeating much of what has been said, I will state this. The main point of this article is that people should have free will and choice when it comes to what they put in their bodies. The government is attacking a smaller farmer and his customers who want to buy a product that they believe from their research is BETTER for them than pasteurized milk (and I agree with them). If it is legal to buy REAL milk, no one will force anyone to do so. People deserve a choice. Those that typically and can choose unpasteurized milk as an option have done lots of research and educated them self about this issue. It seems suspicious to me that this would be illegal yet MacDonald's and other fast food chains and the packaged food industry can sell food that is costing the health care system billions of dollars. I guess they have well paid lobbyists and small farmers can not afford those. This is about Food Freedom! 12/19/2011 17:34
it's the same here in America. If liberty means anything, it means the freedom to do with your own person as you see fit so long as it does not infringe on the rights of others. Lavonne Hickl 12/20/2011 05:58
If the cow is grassfed and not fed gmo, pesticide laden grain and if she is allowed to roam and graze in the sunshine then her milk will have all the vitamins (and other good stuff) in it. The reason pasteurization became the norm is because people were getting sick from the milk because OF THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH THE COWS WERE BEING RAISED AND WHAT THEY WERE BEING FED. Rather than work on fixing the actual problem, as many food farmers have done, they chose the just boil the milk to death. But this is really about Food Freedom. I don't need someone else deciding for me what I can and cannot eat. I have a brain; I'm using it and I choose Raw Milk! Beatrice 12/21/2011 12:55
@ Michael Alice Jongerden 01/01/2012 01:15
Great article but I would like clarification. I keep reading that in Canada farmers and their families can drink milk but no others. Please tell me where that info comes from, because I don't believe that to be true. If that were true, then explain the following. A farmer that owns cows does not necessarily milk them and in most cases hires employees to milk their cows. They are still entitled to drinking the milk? The Happy Homesteader 01/02/2012 22:17
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