NEWMARKET, Ont. - An organic farmer from Ontario has been found guilty of contempt of court in a case revolving around the sale of raw milk.
Michael Schmidt has run a co-operative organic dairy farm near Owen Sound, Ont., for more than 20 years.
York Region officials accuse him of selling or distributing the product, even after a court order not to do so.
Selling raw, or unpasteurized, milk is illegal in Canada because health officials say it carries the risks of spreading salmonella, E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes.
Schmidt defended himself in the case to save money ahead of a wider trial scheduled for 2009, in which he faces 20 charges laid by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Grey-Bruce Health Unit.
