Celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy was among those who rallied in Toronto Wednesday to support a farmer's fight against an Ontario law that bans the sale of raw milk.

The debate was stirred up last week after Michael Schmidt's dairy farm near Durham north of Guelph was raided by provincial authorities because he has been illegally providing unpasteurized milk to about 150 customers.

To skirt the law banning the sale of raw milk, Michael Schmidt set up a co-op arrangement where clients own dairy cattle, like those shown above, then he charges them for care of the animals.
(CBC)

On Wednesday, well-dressed supporters of the rebel farmer gathered outside one of Toronto's top restaurants — Kennedy's Church Street wine bar — to show their support for Schmidt.

Kennedy, who says he'd like to be one of Schmidt's clients, hosted the rally, calling it "an issue of freedom of choice for every consumer in this province and this country."

Schmidt cares for a herd of dairy cattle co-owned by his customers in a shareholder-style program meant to sidestep what he calls an "ancient" law that bans selling or providing raw milk.

Health authorities say when milk doesn't undergo pasteurization, the process of heating a food to a specific temperature then cooling it, it can contain potentially lethal E. coli, salmonella or other disease-causing bacteria.

The farmer and his supporters say they prefer raw milk, which they believe is healthier than the pasteurized product sold on store shelves. They point out that it is legal to sell it in many U.S. states and European countries.

Cabinet minister supports sale of raw milk

Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara's family owns shares in Schmidt's operation.

Sorbara said he has been a longtime advocate for the legalization of raw milk distribution, noting it is legal to buy elsewhere.

He said he backs Progressive Conservative MPP Bill Murdoch's calls for a review of the 1938 law that made raw milk distribution illegal.

Premier backs ban

Despite the high-profile endorsements, Premier Dalton McGuinty defended the ban, saying it was a serious matter of public health that he's not interested in re-examining.

'If you want to engage in the mass distribution of milk to millions of children and Ontario families on a daily basis, the very best and safest way to do that is to ensure that it's pasteurized.'-Premier Dalton McGuinty

"If you want to engage in the mass distribution of milk to millions of children and Ontario families on a daily basis, the very best and safest way to do that is to ensure that it's pasteurized," said McGuinty.

Schmidt remained undeterred by the charge laid against him for operating an illegal milk plant.

Even on Tuesday, one week after Ministry of Natural Resources officials seized processing equipment, products and accounting files from Schmidt's home, he continued to distribute raw milk to his Toronto customers in a Thornhill parking lot, as he's done for years.

Schmidt began his operation more than a decade ago and in 1994 was convicted for selling unpasteurized milk.

The farmer has been on a hunger strike since the raid but said he has been drinking one glass a day of raw milk.