Michael Schmidt
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Biography Born in Germany in 1954 Michael Schmidt earned his Master's degree in Agriculture. He served as one of the youngest town councillors in his home town until moving in 1983 to Canada to start a bio-dynamic farm in Ontario. Once in Canada he founded Ontar-Bio, now the largest organic dairy co-operative in Canada. He introduced Spelt to the North American market and launched the first certified organic instant baby cereal in North America. He was instrumental in initiating national organic and bio-dynamic certification standards for Canada. He has an international reputation for his knowledge and stand on food rights, food security issues, the sustainable farm concept and consumer awareness in support of sustainable farming methods. He is a sought after speaker at international events on these topics. In 2011 he was the only Canadian speaker at the international conference on raw milk in Prague. After been appointed in 1990 as a delegate to the Soviet-American Citizen Peace Summit in Moscow he hosted a Russian delegation of scientists, farmers and artists to look at sustainable farming practices and to explore the integration of the arts and artisinal food production as a viable model for former state farms in Russia. Former Governor Adrian Clarkson made a CBC documentary about this particular visit. In 1987 he was instrumental in the founding of Edge Hill Country School, a local private school with a Waldorf curriculum focusing on a richer and broader education than is currently available in the mainstream system. His entire professional life has been focused on education and training of young students and apprentices in the art of farming. School classes from regional and city schools as well as university students visit the farm as part of their curriculum. He is in high demand as a knowledgeable and compelling speaker lecturing on sustainable farming, animal husbandry, food rights and civil rights and on the social-political importance of a healthy agricultural infrastructure at universities and conferences in Canada and abroad. He was invited in 1994 to speak in China and Hongkong and was instrumental in establishing an organic research farm with the University of South West China in Guandong. In 2008 he was the only Canadian testifying in front of the California State Senate Committee on the issue of food safety, food security and food rights. He has become an advisor for farms across Canada and the US on food rights issues and local food concepts, which he successfully developed and implemented in the last 25 years. Since 1990 he has been developing the cow-sharing concept in Ontario to enable the legal access of raw milk to consumers. Since 1994 he has been repeatedly raided and challenged by provincial and local authorities for contravening the Ontario Health - and Milk Act. Despite of losing most of his farm in 1995 he continued and rebuild the farm with the help of his cow share members. In 2006 his farm was raided by 25 armed MNR officers and he was charged with 20 offenses. He defended himself and in 2010 was acquitted on all charges. The Province appealed and he was found guilty on all charges which he is currently appealing. He founded Cow Share Canada in 2010 in order to establish standards, training and accreditation of farms for the safe production of raw milk for human consumption. He continues to hold Cow Share Colleges to provide proper training for farmers interested to adopt the concept of cow sharing as a new and future oriented farming model. In 2011 after losing the appeal and charged in British Columbia for contempt because of managing a cow share operation in the Fraser Valley he went on a hunger strike after 18 years of unsuccusful attempts to establish a dialogue with the Government on the issue of freedom of choice in regards to food. After 38 days the Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty agreed to meet face to face with him to start a dialogue about the issue of legalizing raw milk in Ontario. Michael Schmidt is also an accomplished conductor. Since 1985 he has been conducting choirs and orchestras in Canada, toured Europe with his choir and premiered in Canada monumental classical works. He was founding and artistic director of the Saugeen Bach festival and is also the founder and artistic director of Symphony in the Barn, presenting operas, symphony and chamber concert with world renowned artist. He presented with some of the leading chefs the first ever Gourmet opera featured on the Food channel. He is currently conductor of the Saugeen Chamber Choir and Orchestra. He has been featured in several international award winning documentaries presented at the Bologna Film Festival and also in New York and has been the subject of many TV productions on the subject of culture, agriculture, music and food rights. He has won many awards and recognitions for his contributions in agriculture and food rights but also for his work in music and aboriginal integration. Toronto Life Magazine awarded him the honor of being one of the top 50 reasons to visit Toronto in 2009 known worldwide for his stand on food rights issues |