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Ontario raw milk crusader Michael Schmidt loses conviction appeal

Ontario farmer Michael Schmidt loses conviction appeal the right to sell and drink unpasteurized milk.
Ontario farmer Michael Schmidt loses conviction appeal the right to sell and drink unpasteurized milk. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel

TORONTO – Ontario’s top court has slapped down an Ontario farmer who has long championed the right to sell and drink unpasteurized milk.

The court upheld a 2011 conviction against Michael Schmidt that saw him fined $9,150.

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In its ruling, the court said Schmidt’s “cow-share” scheme – in which consumers supposedly bought an ownership interest in a dairy cow – was little more than a way to circumvent public-health rules.

Schmidt has been involved in a 20-year battle to make unpasteurized milk available to non-farmers.

The province has always insisted the unprocessed milk poses a significant risk to public health.

The Appeal Court said it saw no solid evidence to refute that view.

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