ACTION ALERT

RAW MILK RAID IN CANADA

Dear Members,
We are sending this important Alert to all members. The incident has widespread
implications, not only for the raw milk movement but for the basic right to
farm, and the outcome could affect America and other nations as well as Canada.

BACKGROUND
On Tuesday, November 21, Glencolton Farms in Durham, Ontario, Canada was raided
by agents of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the enforcement arm of the
Ministry of Health. The proprietor of Glencolton Farms, Michael Schmidt, has
operated a cow-share program without incident for the past eleven years. (For
background, visit realmilk.com/real-milk-canada.html.)

On the morning of November 21, Michael loaded up the vehicle that carries his
goods into Toronto-the famous Blue Bus that arrives at the Toronto Waldorf
School every Tuesday. There, the shareholders line up to receive the products
of their cows. But as Michael drove out of the laneway, the bus was surrounded
by a swarm of armed Ministry of Natural Resources officers approaching from all
sides. They presented Michael with a search warrant and, for the next seven and
a half hours, the investigators searched, questioned and confiscated.

The six individuals who live and/or work on the Farm were ordered to stay in the
kitchen. Visits to other areas of the house or outdoors had to be conducted
accompanied by an officer. Two investigators from the Ministry of Finance also
arrived and spent several hours in the office, eventually leaving with one
computer hard drive, its monitor and keyboard, back-up CDs and boxes of paper
files.


The investigating officers were very polite, respectful and, somewhat
surprised, it seemed, at the farm crew's friendliness and cooperation. Michael
and his son Markus filmed much of their activities. Every bottle of milk,
cultured milk, quark, cream and sour cream, along with fresh cheese, that had
been put on the bus was confiscated . . . and then dumped into a local landfill
site in the contaminated substances area! The farm's cheese-making and other
dairy equipment was completely dismantled and carted off.

On Thursday, two days after the raid, Michael Schmidt publicly vowed to continue
distributing raw milk products and announced that he had begun a hunger strike
to back his demand that the provincial government stop interfering with the
business. Schmidt, 51, told the gathering of press, supporters and interested
individuals, held at his family farm northeast of Durham, that he will live on
one glass of milk a day until his milk processing equipment is returned. He also
wants the province to compensate the 150 families he supplies with raw milk
products for their loss when their food was seized. He's also demanding the
province's assurance that it will not interfere in his unpasteurized milk
operation until or unless the matter is resolved in court or in the provincial
legislature.


"Eleven and a half years ago, when I asked (the government) for co-operation in
researching the raw milk issue and they turned me down, I said I would go ahead
alone and if (they) interfered again with legal action I would go on a hunger
strike . . . I'm simply following up on what I had promised at that time," he
said.


According to Schmidt, the government has been fabricating stories that link milk
products from his farm to two cases of sick children last summer. He said that
it was common knowledge that they had become sick from eating tainted hamburger
meat. The family was unknown to Schmidt, were not members of his cow share
program and did not consume his unpasteurized milk.


Bill Murdoch, Member of the Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Bruce-Grey-Owen
Sound in Ontario where Glencolton is located, has expressed outrage at the
strong-armed tactics used against the Schmidt farm. He plans to introduce a
private member's resolution on December 7, calling for an all-party task force
to look into the issues surrounding legalized sale of unpasteurized milk.


Thus, while the actions taken against Schmidt were inexcusable, this situation
actually presents a golden opportunity for positive change in Canada, even
perhaps legislation to legalize the direct sale of raw milk.


For updates and further details, visit glencoltonfarms.com.


ACTION TO TAKE
Please take some time this weekend to write letters of outrage and protest. We
ask all members, but especially Canadian members, to contact the individuals
listed below. (You may also wish to contact federal Members of Parliament and
the Toronto City Council posted at the links.) We have provided all the contact
information that we have at this time.

Canadian members should write a letter and fax it as well as send it through the
post as this carries much more weight than an email. US members should send
emails, or have any Canadian friends or relatives send your letter for you from
a Canadian address or fax.

Please stress the following points:
A. Ask for the immediate return of Michael Schmidt's property and compensation
for the cow share holders so that this folk hero may end his hunger strike
B. This is an issue of freedom of choice and the right to farm.
C. The Canadian constitution ensures the right of conscience and religion.
D. Describe how the consumption of raw milk has helped you and your family.
E. Remind them that good science shows that raw milk is safe.
F. Finally, urge them to end the harassment of small farmers and to take action
to legalize the provision of raw milk through direct sales or cow-share
programs.


Thank you for your help!
Sally Fallon, President
The Weston A. Price Foundation



GOVERNMENT CONTACTS:

1. Hon David Ramsay
Minister of Natural Resources,
(Note: it was armed agents of the Ministry of Natural Resources that raided the
farm so much pressure needs to be put on this individual)
6630 - 99 Wellesley St. W.
Whitney Block
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1W3
Tel : 416-314-2301; 705-647-5995
Toll Free: 1-888-701-1105
FAX 416 314 2216 and 705-647-1976
dramsay.mpp@...


2. Honourable Leona Dombrowsky
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
77 Grenville St
11th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1B3
ldombrowsky.mpp@...

3. Minister of Health Promotion, Jim Watson -
jwatson.mpp@...

4. Hon. George Smitherman
Minister of Health and Long Term Care
80 Grosvenor
10th Floor Hepburn block
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 2C4
Queen's Park Office (416) 327-4300
Or at his Constituency Office (416) 972-7683
gsmitherman.mpp@...

5. Hon. Greg Sorbara (a consumer, along with his family, of raw milk)
Minister of Finance
7th floor Frost Building South
Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1Z1
gsorbara.mpp@...

6. Bill Murdoch, MPP, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound
(the riding in which Glencolton Farms and supportive)
Member, Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills
Critic, Rural Affairs Tel : 519-371-2421
Rm 451, Main Legislative Building
Toronto ON M7A 1A8
Tel : 416-325-6242
Fax : 416-325-6248; 519-371-0953
Toll Free : 1-800-461-2664
email : bill.murdochco@...
Constituency office: 1047 2nd Avenue East, Owen Sound On N4K 2HB

7. Hon Dalton McGuinty
Premier of Ontario
Rm 281, Main Legislative Building
Queen's Park
Toronto ON M7A 1A4
Tel : 416-325-1941
FAX 416-325-3745; 613-736-7374


8. Commissioner Dave Hope
Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission
5th Floor One Stone Road West
Guelph, Ontario
N1G 4Y2

ONTARIO MEMBERS OF PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT
www.ontariotenants.ca/government/mpp.phtml

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT (Federal)
www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/PostalCode.asp?Language=E-:

MEMBERS OF TORONTO CITY COUNCIL
app.toronto.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp

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