Ontario Farmer Continues his Fight for Raw Milk

Jul 26, 2012

Schmidt Wins Raw Milk Appeal

An Ontario dairy farmer - most famous for his crusade to sell raw milk has won the right to appeal his 13 convictions. On Thursday July 26 the Ontario Court of Appeal granted Michael Schmidt the right to appeal his previous convictions including probation and a fine of $9,150 for operating without a licence to sell milk.

Schmidt has been fighting his cause for almost three years from when he was first found guilty of producing and distributing unpasteurized milk. The unpasteurized milk was distributed through a cow-share program, whereby consumers would purchase shares of a dairy cow, which would produce milk for their consumption.

The debate over the health implications relating to unpasteurized milk continues. To this date, it’s illegal to sell or distribute unpasteurized milk in Canada.

Video: Exploring Precision Data in Swine Production - Dr. Janice Siegford

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show, Dr. Janice Siegford from Michigan State University discusses how precision livestock farming data can support pig health, welfare, transparency, and decision making. She explains why data ownership, privacy, consumer perception, and cost sharing must be addressed as technology becomes more common on farms. Listen now on all major platforms.

“Precision livestock farming data can support producers, veterinarians, certifiers, and consumers by enabling improved monitoring, prediction, and decision-making across the entire production system.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Janice Siegford / janice-siegford-24318839 is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University. Her expertise in animal welfare, neuroscience, and zoology supports research on pig behavior, stress resilience, and precision livestock farming. Her work explores early weaning, genetics, and stakeholder perspectives on technology adoption to improve pig care, health, and productivity. Learn more from Dr. Janice Siegford on The Swine it Podcast Show, available on all major platforms.