Michael Schmidt (agriculture)
Encyclopedia
Michael Schmidt is a Canadian dairy farmer and advocate for raw milk
. His story is documented in the film Milk War .
Milk War is a story about Michael Schmidt’s battle to legalize the sale of unpasteurized milk. In defiance of the law Schmidt has supplied his neighbours with raw milk for over 20 years. On November 21st, 2006 Schmidt’s farm was raided by armed officers, his equipment was seized, all dairy products were destroyed and Michael was charged with 20 criminal offences for distributing unpasteurized milk.
On October 18, 2011, he delivered a letter to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty
requesting a dialog to discuss the right
of people to buy food directly from farmers.
Raised in Germany with a Masters in Agriculture, he practices biodynamic
principles of farming on his farm, Glencolton, in Durham, Ontario, which he and his wife purchased in 1983.
The Schmidt's farm was raided when the government heard about Schmidt's cowsharing program in 1994 and again in 2006. In 2008, he was found guilty of contempt of court for ignoring a court order. He appealed the charges. In 2010, he represented himself in court and the judge, Paul Kowarsky, agreed with Schmidt and dropped all of the charges. The Ontario government appealed. In September 2011, the aquittal was overturned.
His farming operations have continued following the latest judgement. Schmidt plans to appeal. In the meantime, his latest fight involves him undergoing a hunger strike, which began on September 29, 2011. He plans to continue his hunger strike until Ontario's Premier, Dalton McGuinty
, agrees to meet with him.
Raw milk
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized.-History:Humans consumed raw milk exclusively prior to the industrial revolution and the invention of the pasteurization process in 1864. During the industrial revolution large populations congregated into urban areas detached from the...
. His story is documented in the film Milk War .
Milk War is a story about Michael Schmidt’s battle to legalize the sale of unpasteurized milk. In defiance of the law Schmidt has supplied his neighbours with raw milk for over 20 years. On November 21st, 2006 Schmidt’s farm was raided by armed officers, his equipment was seized, all dairy products were destroyed and Michael was charged with 20 criminal offences for distributing unpasteurized milk.
On October 18, 2011, he delivered a letter to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
requesting a dialog to discuss the right
Right
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
of people to buy food directly from farmers.
Raised in Germany with a Masters in Agriculture, he practices biodynamic
Biodynamic agriculture
Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming that emphasizes the holistic development and interrelationships of the soil, plants and animals as a self-sustaining system. Biodynamic farming has much in common with other organic approaches, such as emphasizing the use of manures and composts...
principles of farming on his farm, Glencolton, in Durham, Ontario, which he and his wife purchased in 1983.
The Schmidt's farm was raided when the government heard about Schmidt's cowsharing program in 1994 and again in 2006. In 2008, he was found guilty of contempt of court for ignoring a court order. He appealed the charges. In 2010, he represented himself in court and the judge, Paul Kowarsky, agreed with Schmidt and dropped all of the charges. The Ontario government appealed. In September 2011, the aquittal was overturned.
His farming operations have continued following the latest judgement. Schmidt plans to appeal. In the meantime, his latest fight involves him undergoing a hunger strike, which began on September 29, 2011. He plans to continue his hunger strike until Ontario's Premier, Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
, agrees to meet with him.