Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

Normally we don't want "action alerts" but out of an abundance of caution, 
and because it's too close too us, you see it here. I still don't think a 
draconian measure is enforceable, but others obviously are more concerned.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net


*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 4/18/2010 at 7:32 PM moon@ceva.net wrote:

>Conspiracies aside.this could be worse then NAIS.
>Call your Senator Now.
>An alert from our friendly nighborhood watchdog, (Joel Saliton
>etc.)VICFA:Virginia Independent Farmers and Consumers, similar asso's
>in many states now.
>  Alert Attached:
>
>
>VICFA
>April 14, 2010
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>Dear VICFA Supporter,
>We have received reports from Senate staffers that our call volume has
>been extremely
>low.  By all reports, S. 510 will be debated by the Senate within
>days.  It is imperative
>that we all call and make our voices heard.  Do not assume that
>someone else is
>going to call. Call now!
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>Call both of your Senators. You can find their contact information at
>www.senate.gov
>[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103305814745&s=179&e=001GheUo8-JWVuLAx7T0SyGfe-SY1Z3bezUsNQ05e8pyUqBRvUjeBotm1I53Vz1S7Yy21ZMacrMZWNuL9Uxjsak2JHehRYVmTkJ8t9lANyh_is=],
>or call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or toll-free at
>877-210-5351. Ask
>to speak with the staffer who handles food safety issues.
>Tell the staffer that you want the Senator to amend S. 510.  If you
>get their voice
>mail instead of the staff, leave the following message:
>"Hi, my name is _____ and I live in ______. I'm very concerned that
>S.510, the FDA
>Food Safety Modernization Act, imposes unfair and burdensome
>regulations on local
>food sources, which are very important to me. The Committee version of
>the bill
>does not address my concerns, and I urge the Senator to support the
>Tester Amendment
>to exclude small facilities and direct marketing farms from the most
>burdensome
>provisions of the bill. Please call me back at ____________."
>TALKING POINTS
>1.      The major foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls have all
>been caused by
>the large, industrial food system. Small, local food producers have
>not contributed
>to the highly publicized outbreaks. Yet S. 510 subjects the small,
>local food system
>to the same, broad federal regulatory oversight that would apply to
>the industrial
>food system.
>
>2.      Increased regulations and record-keeping obligations could
>destroy small
>  businesses that bring food to local communities. In particular, the
>reliance on
>  hazard analysis and risk-based preventative controls, a concept
>similar to "HACCP",
>will harm small food producers. HACCP has already proven to be an
>overwhelming burden
>for a significant number of small, regional meat processors across the
>country.
>Applying a HACCP-type system to small, local foods processors could
>drive them out
>of business, reducing consumers' options to buy fresh, local foods.
>
>3.      FDA does not belong on the farm. S. 510 calls for FDA
>regulation of how
>farms grow and harvest produce. Given the agency's track record, it is
>likely that
>the regulations will discriminate against small, organic, and
>diversified farms.
>  The House version of the bill directs FDA to consider the impact of
>its rulemaking
>on small-scale and diversified farms, but there are no enforceable
>limits or protections
>for small diversified and organic farms from inappropriate and
>burdensome federal
>rules.
>
>4.      Food safety and security both come from a diversified, vibrant
>local food
>system.  Local foods give consumers the choice to buy from producers
>they know,
>creating a transparent, accountable food system without federal
>government oversight.
>State and local laws, which are often size-specific rather than
>one-size-fits-all,
>are more appropriate for local food producer.
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>Act now.  We cannot do this without your help.
>Sincerely,
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>VICFA Communications
>Virginia Independent Consumers
>and Farmers Association
>
>
>
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