Market Farming

["Christine & Marlin" <glenecofarm AT planetcomm.net>]

Marlin and Christine Burkholder are forwarding the following:

 

VICFA VOTES TO LEAD NATIONAL EFFORT AGAINST NAIS

 

AN AFTERNOON WITH LEGISLATORS at POLYFACE FARM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, from 1:00 – 6:00

 

PLEASE COME AND INVITE YOUR LEGISLATORS

 

        By unanimous vote at the July 2006, VICFA meeting, VICFA established the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Advocates (NICFA) Fund and launched its national effort to fight NAIS. VICFA’s political experience, the dedication of our members and allies, and the fact that Congressman Bob Goodlatte, chair of the House Agricultural Committee (a pivotal position on NAIS), is from Joel Salatin’s district put us in a unique position to lead a national effort.  The NICFA Fund, a separate dedicated fund within VICFA, will allow us to work with individuals and groups from all over the country to fight NAIS.  Our Mission Statement for the NICFA Fund (also passed unanimously), “VICFA opposes any government funded or managed National Animal Identification System,” will no doubt be embraced by leaders of the independent farm and local food movements all over the country, if not the world.

        VICFA has contracted with Carl Little, legislative attorney and former chief of staff for Congressman John Hostettler of Indiana, to help our efforts on the national and state levels, and Carl came to the July meeting to brief us on overall strategy.  Carl brought home to us, several times, that legislators in Washington—and in the Virginia General Assembly still--don’t really even know that we exist.  When they think “farmers” they think Cargill, Tyson, ADM, Milk Cooperatives and the rest of industrial ag.  They need to meet us in person and see our farms and meet the consumers who demand our farms’ products.  Joel Salatin has graciously offered to host, at his Polyface Farm, an afternoon for farmers, consumers and legislators to meet on the actual soil of a working small farm.

        On August 19, 2006, from 1:00 – 6:00 come to “Farm Food Security Day” for just this purpose. See www.vicfa.net for a downloadable flyer with all details and mark it on your calendar! 

 

✮Sample farm fresh food              ✮book and information tables  

✮hay rides and country music      ✮farm tours  

✮Meet your legislators                  ✮Meet local producers

 

PLEASE INVITE YOUR  DISTRICT LEGISLATORS-- STATE AND FEDERAL!

 

An invitation from constituents, during an election year, will inspire them to come! Call, email, and fax the delegates and senators from YOUR district only.  The more they hear from you, the more likely they are to come.

 

A SAMPLE INVITATION TO YOUR LEGISLATORS WILL BE POSTED ON THE VICFA WEBSITE, WWW.VICFA.NET

YOU MAY COPY AND USE IT