permaculture

[Linda Ray <lindaray@att.net>]

Subject: [bayarea-coop] URGENT RAW MILK ACTION ALERT



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
https://correspondence.premier.gov.on.ca/en/feedback/feedback.aspx
Fax:  416-325-3745

Tim Hudak- Leader of the Opposition
4961 King St. E   Unit   M1
Beamsville, ON   L0R 1B0
timhudak@...
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
dmatthews.mpp.co@...
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
ahorwath-co@...
905-544-9644
Fax: 905-544-5152

Randy Hillier
Lanark--Frontenac--Lennox and Addington
Constituency
Unit 1
105 Dufferin Street
Perth, Ontario K7H 3A5
randy.hillierco@...
613-267-8239
Fax: 613-267-7398

Jack MacLaren
2 Beaverbrook Mall Unit 102,
Kanata, ON K2K 1L2
jack@...
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
gsorbara.mpp.co@...

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
millela1@...
or
Room 510, Justice Building
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
613-996-5191 phone
613-952-0979 fax
ottawa@...

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.


Sincerely,

--Sample Letter-- 
 
Hello Premier McGinty,

The times are changing. Michael Schmidt is part of the BioDynamic
movement, the epitome of organic methods, renowned for rebuilding the
worst soils in farms around the world, and BioDynamic products are
preferred by elite restaurants and discriminating Whole Foods shoppers.

This trend will only grow bigger, while Monsanto et al will
continue to lose credibility with their invasive and exploitative methods.  
Many informed consumers refuse to buy milk with rBGH; They also don't want 
GMOs and/or irradiation.

Reuters* reported on the new European study that finds lower asthma for
raw milk consumers while the Harper's story** shows your government as
the bumbling Goliath to Michael Schmidt's David.   
 
*How dare you* attempt to block grassroots groups like herd shares for people 
who want raw milk from carefully raised cows?  
 
Here in California, herd shares have broad and solid support -- From Tea 
Party folks who homeschool their kids along with Green Party members who 
enjoy Slow Food, and many, many families in between.

Herd shares reveal the staggering flaws of the industrial ag approach.

Organic food is growing faster than any other part of the food supply-
Which leaves *you* looking like the Big Bad Narrow Minded and Uninformed 
Government Agency.  
 
It is a better choice to change your course now and drop your narrow-minded 
approach, than to look worse in the future.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME HERE* 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/13/us-kids-raw-milk-idUSTRE78C75O20110913


** http://harpers.org/archive/2008/04/0081992

***************************************************************
>From dhondt@eircom.net  Thu Oct 20 14:30:46 2011
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Exactly Jenny,

and if I could not find a suitable recipe for ourselves there is a good
chance that some of my animals would love them raw.
john

> The first question that comes to my mind is ... Does it taste good with
> garlic-butter? Sauteed, pan-fried? Or perhaps with a bit of shoyu and
> wasabi?
>
> jenny @ diggin' bugs - the
> OTHER other white meat!
>
>
> art + permaculture > wild & precious life!
> www.jennynazak.com
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