Michael SchmidtMichael Schmidt reports that he continues to work full time at his Ontario raw dairy farm, despite having gone 14 days without food, the last seven on just water.
When he’s not working the farm, he’s busy speaking at the growing number of demonstrations springing up across Canada in support of him and his hunger strike.
Yesterday, he spoke at a rally in front of a local public health department. As he and supporters passed out raw milk to about 120 supporters, two public health workers appeared and took a glass inside the building, Schmidt told me (and as reported on The Bovine blog). A Canadian paper has subsequently reported that Schmidt could face new charges in connection with passing out raw milk.
I spoke with Schmidt last evening, and he sounded strong. But he took note of the obvious: “I don’t know that I can keep working much longer. Fourteen days without food makes a difference.”
He took up the hunger strike after an appeals court reversed his acquittal in early 2010 of violating Ontario’s dairy laws. “Rallies are being organized in almost every province of Canada” to support his campaign to challenge various provincial raw milk bans.
How long will he go on with this? He won’t say. A number of his friends in the food rights movement (including Mark McAfee in a comment following my previous post) have appealed to him to end his hunger strike, to devote himself fully to promoting food rights, and not injuring himself. Schmidt won’t hear of it. “I am very determined,” he said. I ended the conversation, told him to save his energy.
***
The Raw Milk Freedom Riders’ protest is taking shape for November 1. A group of mothers from across the country who feed their children raw milk plan to hold a demonstration, on November 1 just outside the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s headquarters in Silver Spring, MD.
They will be protesting the FDA’s crackdown on raw milk production and distribution, arguing that the overnment campaign “not only criminalizes raw milk, but criminalizes the American citizens who buy and consume it.” According to their press release, “Prior to their peaceful demonstration, a caravan of mothers will cross state lines with raw milk and invite the FDA to witness what the agency wrongly considers to be a criminal act.”
Start drinking raw milk!!!
Now, to the reason Im writing. Mark McAfee, whom, of course, we both have come to admire and support and are deeply thankful for the nutrient dense raw milk he produces that is a part of our whole foods diet has implored Michael Schmidt to stop his fast three times. I am now asking Mark to think twice before doing so again. Its not because I dont feel the same way that Mark does about Michael Schmidt, the man, and the fast he is undertaking, but rather I believe that such thoughts (from friends) are not actually supporting Michael, but undermining him! It reminds me of the story in the Bible when Peter rebuked our Lord for revealing to his disciples that He would, indeed, be rejected by the authorities of His day, both civil and religious. That he would suffer much and be put to death. Peter felt that this was just too much for these simple men to take, and, indeed, it was overwhelming, Im sure, for Peter to digest all that our Lord was telling them. It certainly wasnt, by any stretch of the imagination, pleasant news! Now, the Lord, didnt then rebuke Peter in Peters name, but rather addressed Peter as Satan! He told Satan to leave His presence, because Your thoughts dont come from God, but from man! Mark 9 v33. Peter was Christs right hand man, His most trusted associate! Of course, he didnt want to hear about Christ leaving them, especially in such a publicly humiliating manner. Peter wanted the cause to prevail, and for Christ to be seen as infallibly strong, to lead His people out from under the oppression of the Romans!
But our Lord was preparing his disciples for some very hard truths of this life and Peter should have supported Him, (yes, even when it was a hard thing to do) instead of undermining His Words. And this is how we need to support Michael Schmidt. It doesnt matter that he is not Christ or Gandhi, he is emulating the spirit and profound lessons that they both taught by living example of the truth! So, for these days of this fast Michael is Letting go, and Letting God. And the only way to support that is to pray and fast ourselves (if we can) and implore others to do the same! It is not an act of wisdom, let alone of kindness, to disturb a man lying prostrate in prayer and fasting before the Divine to get up, eat, so as to be physically strong, so that he can take up the sword! Michael is holding another kind of sword, a spiritual sword, for now, and we need to respect that he is doing so, and trust that he is wise enough to know when to again come back and take up the earthly warrior sword, if that is what is to be.
God Bless Michael Schmidt, and the others who are fasting with him. Thank You for your demonstration of courage, truth, forbearance, and contemplative wisdom. May God give you the strength you need to see you through this journey, for by eschewing bread for this time you are demonstrating the Lords warning to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod. Mark 8 v 15.
Why SHOULD he? Schmidt is trying to make a POINT… if he gives up now, there would be no point to anything he's done up to then.
I know I am not the only one who doesn't understand why anyone would starve themselves to make a point. I've heard many ask (in other situations), why would a person do that? What does it prove? The powers that be don't give a rip. He has the potential to harm himself permanently physically and mentally. It would appear that he'd be able to fight for his beliefs by staying healthy and of strong mind.
Adding this to water will still be technically fasting.
I then went to Canada twice to see Michael. Once for the court litiagtion and once to visit Michael at his farm.
Michael is a rare soul. His music, his voice, his thoughts, his love of humanity are truly rare.
Please…let me deeply apologize to anyone and especially Michael for any of my carefully chosen words that may seem to not support Michael and his fast. My words are only meant to encoruage him to not fight the judges.
Change will not come in the next two weeks. As stated above injury, will come to Michael soon if he does not eat. This is not a admonition to Michael. Marrieta, I apologize to you and how you may have taken my words. Michael is suffering. Michael is feeling abandoned by his country and the judicial system that he thought that he had won over. Michael is wanting to give every last drop of his life to this cause.
Each of us will have our own take on what fasting does or means, what it will do, will not do or what purpose it serves. These are deep and spiritual. I respect each of these feelings and would not dare judge any of them.
I just know that when Cesar Chavez fasted, he was injured….I love Michael and do not want him injured. I need him…we need him….Canada needs him…the Children of Canada need him.
I support Michael in the message of his fast….but I also support Michael from a friends perspective and want him well.
I get a call at least two times per day from people all over north America….asking me to do something to stop Michael from starving. I am torn between Marriettas feelings of spiritual silence and support and the questioning as suggested by Sylvia and Bluedog.
I love Michael and his spirit…my heart fasts with you. My soul says….eat so we can go kick their illness encouraging asses and teach the legislature….. to change the laws.
Please annouce your triumph….and lets go fight on another front. I will come to Canada and teach with you….We can change laws by teaching people the truth. The truth is now clearly in science and easily shown. Testimonials and markets in CA show a clear profoundly honest new future for raw milk.
An American general once said of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Lets just declare victory and go home". I agree…just declare victory and start teaching on a different front. The judges are a false hope.
I support Michael 100%….you are our greatest mentor.
Mark
THX
Day 39 Hospital
The nephrologist was excited to report to us that Chris kidneys were functioning at 100%. They had nicknamed him the Miracle Boy. In their career that had not witnessed a patient as ill as Chris recover full kidney function in such a short period of time. Always believe in miracles.
During this time we had so many people praying for Chris. A prayer chain had been started and many of the churches in our local community were praying for Chris. My favorite story is a friend of mine whose mother went to small all-girls Catholic high school in LA. A childhood friend of hers was now a principal at a Catholic elementary school. Each morning the whole school prayed for Chris.
We were thrilled his kidneys were working so well, but our happiness was overshadowed by the frustration with his pancreas. It was hard to be happy when he was still hooked up to TPN.
The GI doctor informed us that the TPN would be reduced to 16 hours tomorrow and he was down to 2mgs of methadone.
Insulin finger pricks began today. Chris was not happy.
He still was off water and only had one piece of gum. Lipase was still high.
Chris cousin came for a visit. It was a fun day for Chris. We went down to the gift shop and bought some toys. After his cousin left, he was wiped out. He slept from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
We had to move out of the private house we were staying at and move back into the main Ronald McDonald House. I loved staying at that house. It brought me peace. I would miss it.
At 8:00 p.m., we got a roommatebummer!
A strange thing has happened to me in the last week. I have lost my appetite and about 10 pounds. I think my soul is with you in deeper ways than I could have amagined. I am not fasting….but in physiologic emotional empathy, I think I am with you as well. I can not think with out thinking of you. I can not eat with out thinking of you.
Michael, you can not lift this world or Canada by yourself. It is not your burden to carry.
there's a good chance that Michael Schmidt will be in New Westminster British Columbia on November 2, to deal with the allegation of contempt of Court against him, and me … for breaking the Court Order against "packaging + distributing raw milk for human consumption"
if you can make it, it would be good to see you again in this neck of the woods
you could call on our new Premier of the Province … a year ago she was a talk-show host … she had Michael on the radio, live interview, for an hour. She said she grew up on raw milk … then, she mocked the BC govt. for outlawing it. Let's see what she has to say now?
I will be in Maryland demonstrating in front of the FDA with the "RawMilk Freedom Riders" on Nov 1st and on November 2nd I will be with Dr. Joe Mercola filming a joint interview all about Raw Milk Institute.
Gordon….Michael needs people tons of people to show up with him. They need to scream bloody murder about the oppression of common civil rights. They need to scream loudly that pasteurized milk is the most allergenic food in all of north America. Raw milk is the opposite. Push the facts….PARSIFAL study and GABRIELA study and ten more just like them. Raw milk is not dangerous….show me the bodies? The only thing raw milk is dangerous too….is the processors market control and profits. If raw milk can be produced and sold in 425 stores in CA then any first world country can do the same thing. 65,000 raw milk drinking people in CA support all Canadians in their fight for simple access to raw milk.
This is an educational battle….get the facts use the facts. Win the battle.
I think Canada is calling me…let's get in touch.
To fight the unbeatable foe,
To bear with unbearable sorrow,
To run where the brave dare not go.
To right the unrightable wrong,
To be, better far, than you are,
To try when your arms are too weary,
To reach the unreachable star.
This is my quest,
To follow that star —
No matter how hopeless,
No matter how far.
To be willing to give,
When there's no more to give,
To be willing to die
So that honor and justice may live.
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest.
And the world will be better for this,
That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage.
To reach the unreachable star.
God be with you, Michael Schmidt.
That is very interesting about losing your appetite. I have had the same reaction over the last week. At first, I feared it might have something to do with all that OPDC milk I drank in L.A. the previous week. 🙂 But now I am thinking it more likely has to do with Michael Schmidt's hunger strike. I had been thinking at times that I should join in…maybe this is the mind's way of pushing.
David
Day 40 Hospital
This was a day of big changes. Chris was officially turned over to the gastroenterology department. His kidneys were working and nephrology now took third position under neurology. His TPN was lowered to run for only 16 hours a day and he began taking his seizure medicine (keppra) and methadone orally. Every 12 hours he would take his meds with once water chaser.
The taste of the keppra made Chris vomit. We devised a system where we would hold his nose, shoot the keppra in with a syringe, pop a piece of gum in his mouth, and continue holding his nose for a minute so the taste of the keppra was completely gone.
Now that we were out of the PICU, there was a little bit of drama about using his Quinton catheter for blood draws, TPN and medications. The tube was larger than the central line he had before, so different calculations had to be figured out when using it. It also had to be flushed with hepron and over time this made Chris blood too thin.
At this time, there was still a plan to try and send Chris home. It was contingent on Chris being able to take the oral medication without vomiting. A meeting was scheduled to meet with a nurse who would train us how to do everything. It was such an overwhelming thought that we would be responsible for all of this at home by ourselves. They were beginning to talk about the possibility that Chris pancreas was now moving into the chronic category and not acute. If this was the case, he would be living on TPN indefinitely.
It was a long day. Chris cried a lot. He was tired and took a long nap in the afternoon. At 3:45 he complained of being hungry for the first time. It was cruel to allow him to be hungry, but it had to be done to see if this would force his pancreas to work. Meals are served 3 times a day. The smells were torture for Chris.
He was able to manage getting homework done even though he was not feeling that well. He burped all day long.
The new family we were sharing the room with was very nice. It was a bit unnerving that the childs name was Jesus and the moms name was Mary (Maria in Spanish). I was joking with Tony that dads name was probably Joseph. Guess what? Dad came for a visit and his name was Jose, which is Joseph in Spanish. So we were sharing a room with Mary, Jesus and Joseph at a time when the doctors and nurses were referring to Chris as the miracle child.hmmm?????
This information could something like this:
In support of our friends in Canada that have been legally barred from any access to raw milk, we are ceasing all raw milk supply and instead asking all North Americans to send letters to the Canadian parliament in protest of this outrageous oppression of human rights. Pasteurized milk has been identified as the most allergenic food in north America by Health Canada, our own FDA and all leading research universities. Pasteurized is associated with rampant maldigestion. Raw milk does not cause allergies or digestive problems and has been shown by at least three peer reviewed internatiionally published studies proves that raw milk actually cures asthma stabilizes MAST cells turns off allergies. We can not stand by and allow Canada to deprive it's citizens of the first food of life….raw milk. When raw milk is produced with care for human consumption, that clean Raw milk has demonstrated an enviable food safety record.
Please hear this plea….all people must be permitted access to raw milk. No law, no regulation…no police oppression or action should ever separate a mother from a food that her children need for health.
This raw milk strike could be coordinated with a time period just after or before the FDA demonstration in Maryland. I could then describe it with Mercola on November 2nd Mercola. The media would eat this up.
If we want change….it will be" we" that cause that change. All of will need to sacrifice and all of us will need to call Canada and write letters. All of us need to FAST in our our ways.
Any ideas….support? Am I crazy? Am I playing politics with critical baby food. Will our customers loose trust in us because of this forced short raw milk strike or will they support moms in Canada? CA is spoiled with it's 400 stores and 40 farmers markets and 130 cow shares….I think that is the point. We do not appreciate what we have. All farmers must join this.
Lots to think about?
I'm not sure how the Canadian parliament would respond to letters from American citizens. They could easily dismiss it, as American citizens are not constituents of Canadian representatives. I do however like the idea of Americans and Canadians banding together. What would happen if Canadians led a march across the border to buy raw milk? Marched back and then held a rally? That one is indeed a can of worms, it might be better to hold raw milk drinking rally produced by Canadian farmers. Americans can participate in the rally.
In regional fights, CA can amass 1400 people at three hearings in Sacramento. But try doing this in areas that do not have raw milk markets. It is too expensive to fly people in for a peoples march or demonstration.
Big Dairy Processors and the FDA have us by the gut….they have us with regs that control the ability for us to spread this truth and the science behind it. We can not demonstrate any where we want. We can only really demonstrate in areas where we can get large numbers of people or we will appear irrelevant.
So we need to put on our thinking caps and get creative.
I think that a US Canadian Raw Milk Freedom March from Blaine Washington into BC with moms kids and raw milk would be good. There are plenty of raw milk drinkers in those two areas. We need to be smart about this food rights and food freedom fight.
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
Colorado
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi (goat milk is legal with restrictions)
Montana
New Jersey
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Wisconsin (Iffy)
Wyoming
Are there any "QUALITY ARTISANAL GRASS BASED DAIRY or (wanna be) DAIRY PRODUCERS" in the above banned states with a possible market?" If we want to get raw milk more mainstream that is who and what we should be targeting . . .
What is needed is consumers who want to consume raw milk and become . . . part time state lobbyists who will go to agricultural meetings and will talk to legislators in the above states about the benefits of raw milk . . . . and to help overturn legislation that bans raw milk . . .
We need state lobbyists here . . . and it could just be those that wish to purchase raw milk legally in the above states . . . . we can ratchet it up if those states do not budge . . . by voting out those who oppose . . . or protests if needed.
Instead of RAWMI . . . it seems that we need an army of people who wish to consume raw milk legally in the above states. . . . Raw milk can be produced successfully on a local, artisanal scale. There are probably many small farms out there that if legislation is overturned in the above states will become quality raw milk producers . . . . but those farms need to focus on the local market and turn out a top notch, grass based . . . raw milk product.
If I am missing something here . . . . please feel free to jump in . . . .
Kind regards,
Violet
http://www.kilbyridgefarmmaine.blogspot.com
You are missing the entire purpose for RAWMI. Yes you can do local artisanal raw milk….no question, but the consumers will have no idea what that raw milk is. No idea.
Just because a farm has new white paint, some roses in front of the milk house and a few cows on pastures does not mean safe raw milk.
Biofilms, type of feed, pathogens, TB testing etc…. These are all things that are deep in the story far beneath the visible. Consumers do not know the questions to ask. Consumers are socially afraid to ask about bacteria counts or pathogen tests. On top of this, the farmer could simply BS the consumer.
If a farmer is dedicated to transparency and dedicated to clean raw milk, yes….there will be some nice white paint and cows on pasture and roses out front, but deep inside the operations there will be data and a website that explains the entire story of dedication, planned success and, data to show his record of safety. The farmer will not be threatened by this transparency, it will be his greatest tool. It will be a means to grow his market, secure the obsolete confidence of his consumers, and get inexpensive insurance. The Common Standards used at RAWMI are almost done. I think farmers will love them.
Why is CA the biggest raw milk market in the nation? It is because it is regulated. There are strict laws which protect the farmers and the consumers. The CA market has standards. This is a lesson for every state to consider.
Claravle may claim that during the spring time they have some natural pastures for a short period of time…but they do not graze their milk cows on it. They may put their dry cows or heifers on it. They are a confinement operation, but not a CAFO as you would know one.
RAWMI is a food safety organization. It must be open to all sorts of operations. In Maine and Canada there are no pastures in the winter time. You are in deep snow and your cows are confined inside for months. You have found methods to keep your cows raw milk safe during those months. If Claravale wanted to join RAWMI they would be welcomed. Their would be full disclosure of information and data and the consumer would make their choice." [end of quote]
Not all places on this good earth have perfect weather, certainly not perfect weather year 'round. So the thing to do, then, is to accept operations like Claravale because they meet the other requirements (such as cleanliness and healthy animals, etc)., as Mark stated, with full disclosure of information and data.
Some of you seem to think because of excessive use of the exclamation point, the rest of us should just see things the way you do. It's unreal. AND it's unrealistic. In winter conditions, especially where we live, our cows are confined for their own safety, and yet our operation is as raw as can be.
Compromise, like what Mark is talking about, is necessary from the drinkers of raw milk, as well as the producers because this is going to be big business – and soon. People are probably not going to win every fight in this cause for raw milk, and might not even win it soon, but for the most part the folks who now drink raw milk are not going to give it up just because some bureaucrat in a suit and tie decides we should. In this case, compromise could also be an ice-breaker for other dairy operations who might be interested in getting into the raw milk business in order to get away from BigDairyDoods. Without compromise, that won't happen.