BACKGROUND
On Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 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 charges 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 Ontario. 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@niagara.net
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@liberal.ola.org
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@ndp.on.ca
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@pc.ola.org
613-267-8239 Fax: 613-267-7398
Jack MacLaren
2 Beaverbrook Mall Unit 102,
Kanata, ON K2K 1L2
jack@jackmaclaren.com
877-780-5225
Greg Sorbara
Liberal MPP in Ontario
Constituency Office
140 Woodbridge Avenue, Unit AU8 – Market Lane
Woodbridge, ON L4L 4K9
905-851-0440 Fax: 905-851-0210
gsorbara.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Queen’s Park Office
Room 186, Main Legislative Building
Toronto, ON M7A 1A4
416-212-1022 Fax: 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 Fax: 519-371-1752
millela1@parl.gc.ca
or
Room 510, Justice Building
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
613-996-5191 Fax: 613-952-0979
ottawa@larrymiller.ca
Provincial Cabinet Ministers (subject to change given the Oct. 6/11 election):
Premier Dalton McGuinty
dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Roon 281, Main Legislative Building, Queen’s Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A1
Tel.: 416-325-1941
Fax: 416-325-3745
Deborah Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-term Care
dmatthews.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
10 th Floor, Hepburn Block
80 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2C4
Tel.: 416-327-4300
Fax: 416-327-3679
Margarett Best, Minister of Health Promotion
8 th Floor, 777 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1S5
Tel.: 416-326-8500
Fax: 416-326-8520
Carol Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
(no contact information available as at Oct. 12/11)
Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Natural Resources
(e-mail address not listed on website)
Suite 6630, 6 th Floor, Whitney Block
99 Wellesley Street West
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1W3
Tel.: 416-314-2301
Fax: 416-325-5316
Federal Cabinet Ministers:
Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Tel.: 867-979-4193
Fax: 867-979-4196
Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Tel.: 306-445-2004
Fax: 306-445-0207
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,
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