Unpasteurized milk is good for you.

CANADA - There's a big fuss going on in Ontario where a dairy farmer is being charged with distributing unpasteurized milk through a "cow share program".

In September, dairy farmer Michael Schmidt went on trial after York Region filed a contempt charge against him for failing to obey a May 2007 court order that prohibited him from distributing raw milk within its borders. Today he was found guilty of contempt of court and is being fined $5,000, and lawyers for the prosecution are also suggesting an extra $53,000 for the legal bills.

Schmidt runs a co-operative venture near Owen Sound with about 150 cow-share members. He claims he does not sell or distribute raw milk but he simply provides the milk to the cow’s owners, all of whom pay to board the cows at his farm.

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.

Unpasteurized milk does carry the risk of spreading salmonella, E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes, but if you are boil the milk yourself those risks are eliminated.

NOTE: I was raised on unpasteurized milk when I was much younger. As I recall unpasteurized milk not only tasted better, but was inexpensive and good for cooking with. PLEASE NOTE that we boiled the milk, then stored it in the fridge before drinking it. People are assuming its being drank "raw" and thats a misnomer. Store bought milk has simply been boiled down, pasteurized, had water added to it and re-pasteurized and water re-added. Its a huge lengthy process with a lot of wasted energy. If farmers want to buy unpasteurized milk and boil it themselves that is really their choice.

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