Eight new hunger strikers join Michael Schmidt Monday, October 10, 2011 by BETTER FARMING STAFFEight people have joined Durham, Ontario area dairy farmer Michael Schmidt in the hunger strike he began Sept. 29 to protest his recent conviction on charges related to the distribution of raw, unpasteurized milk. The Bovine, a blog supporting Schmidt's efforts, reports that a separate group in Toronto is on a rotational fast in support of Schmidt’s “Hunger Strike For Responsible Food Freedom.”The Sept. 28 verdict, written by Justice Peter Tetley of the Ontario Court of Justice, reversed a 2010 decision made by a justice of the peace who acquitted Schmidt of the same charges. It is unclear what the decision means for the future of Schmidt’s farm, a cow-share operation in which raw milk and related products are provided to about 150 shareholders. Raw milk from the farm is not sold commercially.A second legal battle looms for Schmidt in B.C. He has been served with contempt of court charges that threaten a $55,000 fine that stem from his involvement in Our Cows Inc., a Chilliwack, B.C. cow share that authorities attempted to shut down last year. Operator Alice Jongerden was charged with contempt for distributing raw milk, considered a hazardous substance under provincial health laws. Schmidt stepped in and figured out how to keep milk flowing to members by relabeling products as cosmetics “not for human consumption.” According to an Oct. 10 news release issued on Schmidt’s behalf, the eight fellow hunger strikers include Max Kane and Vernon Hershberger, both of Wisconsin, and Alberta farmer Bernie Cosgrove. Five others do not want to be named, the release said. The release quotes Schmidt as asking the Ontario and B.C. governments to legalize the sale of raw milk and cow share operations. “This objective also includes the end of the current prosecutions of cow shares which meet proper production standards," he states. In an Oct. 9 entry on The Bovine Schmidt noted that he is only drinking water and lemon juice and has lost 20 pounds since he started. BF Soybean prices looking brighter Decline noted in agricultural employment
Drew Spoelstra re-elected OFA president Wednesday, November 27, 2024 Drew Spoelstra has been re-elected to a second one-year term as president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). Spoelstra is a dairy and crop farmer from Binbrook in the southeast corner of the city of Hamilton, Ontario. He has been on the OFA board as the director,... Read this article online
The Southwestern Ontario Pork Conference is coming! Wednesday, November 27, 2024 Coming this February 19, 2025, it’s the 61st annual , held at the Ridgetown Campus of the University of Guelph. This year’s conference is “,” with new ideas in competitiveness, benchmarking, and so much more! “It’s all about keeping the producers informed in a social... Read this article online
Growing technology for growing food Wednesday, November 27, 2024 Keeping abreast of new technologies and utilizing them can help propel Canadian agriculture’s status within the global market. Photo: Scharfsinn86/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo Farmers know that new technologies could make life on the farm more efficient and hopefully provide better... Read this article online
Topigs Norsvin Canada names new Business Development Representative Tuesday, November 26, 2024 Topigs Norsvin Canada Inc. has announced the appointment of Pieter Van Den Boogaard as a Business Development Representative with its Eastern Canada Business Development Team. Topigs Norsvin Canada is a leading swine genetics supplier in North America. Van Den Boogaard grew up on a... Read this article online
Alveo Technologies enters agreement with CDC Tuesday, November 26, 2024 Alveo Technologies, Inc.—a leader in molecular sensing and diagnostics with its proprietary IntelliSense molecular detection technology—has announced it received an agreement issued by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a competitive basis to develop a... Read this article online