By Graham Dyer, Farms.com
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.