URGENT RAW MILK ACTION ALERT

Mobilizing Against Governmental Interference

WITH Property Ownership Rights and Food Freedom

 

BACKGROUND

On Wednesday, September 28, 2010, the Ontario government won its appeal against biodynamic farmer, Michael Schmidt. The appeal reversed the former ruling, which confirmed cow share members’ right to obtain raw milk products. Justice Peter Tetley rejected Schmidt’s argument that providing raw milk to cow share owners who are aware of any health risks was his legal right.

 

Schmidt has been fighting for the right to provide raw milk at his Grey County farm ever since it was raided by government officials in 1994. The recent ruling convicts Michael on 15 of 19 and reverses last year’s lower court decision to acquit him of all charges. This latest judicial ruling basically endorses governmental interference of property ownership rights and violates basic human rights to food freedom.

 

Since this ruling, Michael has embarked on a hunger strike and faces imminent danger of another raid to his farm, as do other farms that participate in Cowshare Canada.

 

He feels that our movement is in great danger and we must act in unison now!

 

Michael’s urgent message: We must mobilize our forces throughout Canada and the US with an enormous public outcry. We need to put relentless pressure on legislators in both countries—national, state and local—and also on health authorities through a massive letter-writing and call-in campaign.  We also need to organize face-to-face meetings whenever possible. Canada desperately needs US support in these matters, so we encourage all US members to send messages to key Canadian contacts as well.

 

ACTION TO TAKE

It is imperative that we organize to a much higher level. We need everyone in our movement to participate. We need:

 

--At the very least, all members (US and Canada) should write to Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Canada. Submit by email at https://correspondence.premier.gov.on.ca/en/feedback/feedback.aspx or send a fax to 416-325-3745

 

--US citizens to write letters and call local, state, and federal legislators in the U.S. and to write letters to Canadian members of the Provincial Parliament in Ontario and British Columbia listed in this alert .

 

--Canadian citizens to write letters to Canadian members of the Provincial Parliament in Ontario and British Columbia listed in this alert.

 

--All need to write letters and call your local and state health officials.

 

Michael is depending on us to back up his brave efforts for food freedom!

 

CANADIAN CONTACTS:

Dalton McGuinty, Premier

Legislative Building

Queen's Park

Toronto ON M7A 1A1

1-800-387-5559

Fax:  416-325-3745

 

Tim Hudak- Leader of the Opposition

4961 King St. E   Unit   M1

Beamsville, ON   L0R 1B0

905-563-1755 (or toll free at 1-800-665-3697).

 

 

Deb Matthews-Minister of Health and Long-Term Care 

242 Piccadilly Street

London, ON N6A 1S4

Tel: (519) 432-7339 Fax: (519) 432-0613

 

Andrea Horwath - Leader of the New Democratic Party-

Hamilton Centre

Constituency

Suite 200

20 Hughson Street South

Hamilton, Ontario L8N 2A1

905-544-9644

Fax: 905-544-5152

 

Randy Hillier

Lanark--Frontenac--Lennox and Addington

Constituency

Unit 1

105 Dufferin Street

Perth, Ontario K7H 3A5

613-267-8239

Fax: 613-267-7398

 

Jack MacLaren

2 Beaverbrook Mall Unit 102,

Kanata, ON K2K 1L2

Tel: 1-877-780-5225

 

Greg Sorbara

 Liberal MPP in Ontario

Constituency Office

140 Woodbridge Avenue, Unit AU8 - Market Lane

Woodbridge, ON L4L 4K9

Tel: (905) 851-0440Fax: (905) 851-0210

 

Queen's Park Office

Room 186, Main Legislative Building

Toronto, ON M7A 1A4

Tel: (416) 212-1022Fax: (416) 212-1025

 

Larry Miller

Federal Conservative MP for Grey

Chair of Standing Committee on Agriculture in Ottawa

 

1131 2nd Avenue East, Suite 208

Owen Sound, ON N4K 2J1

519-371-1059 phone

519-371-1752 fax

or

 Room 510, Justice Building

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

613-996-5191 phone

613-952-0979 fax

 

U.S. CONTACTS

State and Federal Elected Officials:   http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

State Health and Agriculture Departments:  Google your state and “Health Department”

 

SAMPLE LETTER

An Urgent Appeal for Justice

Dear ___________,

 

Today, governments are pouring enormous resources into interfering with people’s rights to their own property and to obtain the food they need for their well-being.  Governments that are truly concerned with justice are supposed to protect citizens’ rights, not violate them.  We urgently demand an open, in-depth dialogue with government and health officials about these violations of food freedom and property ownership.

 

Increasing numbers of people consider it crucial to their health to obtain high-quality foods directly from organic, sustainable farms.   These foods often include raw dairy products, meat and eggs from free-ranging, grass-fed animals—foods of very dense nutrient value that cannot be found in grocery stores.

 

In states and provinces where the law bans the sale of raw milk, people enter into contracts to co-own a cow and board the animal with a farmer.  As owners of the cow, they are also the owners of the milk the cow produces, and are legally entitled to drink it because no sale of milk is involved.   These arrangements are called “cowshares”.   

 

The most allergenic food in North America is pasteurized milk, so it is not an option for many families. Raw milk is not allergenic and actually cures asthma and allergies (huge international studies show this to be true ). That is why we must be free to have that choice. That is why our lack of food freedom creates illness and pushes us all into food slavery.

 

These basic principles of justice must prevail:

 

--Food freedom is an inalienable constitutional right

 

--Rights to one's own property is a legally binding principle

 

--Cowshares are a legal binding contract of property ownership

 

--Access to foods from small farms is essential to the health and well-being of families who choose these foods

 

--Small sustainable farms are essential to the health of agriculture world-wide

 

--Governmental interference of property ownership rights along with violations to basic human rights of food freedom must end

 

--Government and health authorities must abstain from the infringement of rights and violence against cowshare programs.