Thanks for alerting us to this -- sent my comments off tonight.
Elaine
Denver
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 9:12
AM
Subject: [Market-farming] Proposed USDA
Restrictions on Salad Crops
http://cornucopia.org/index.php/protect-fresh-leafy-greens-and-family-farms/
Protect
Fresh Leafy Greens and Family Farms <http://cornucopia.org/index.php/protect-fresh-leafy-greens-and-family-farms/>
*Federal
Regulations Would Harm Sustainable Farmers and Biodiversity* We need your
help in another battle to stop the *slippery slope toward a sterilized and
industrialized food system* that threatens biodiversity and the very
existence of family-scale farms that grow food in a safe, healthy, and
environmentally sustainable way. In response to the E. coli 0157 outbreaks
last year in bagged spinach, the USDA is considering a change in the
federal regulations that could potentially require growers of *_all_ fresh
leafy green vegetables* to follow specified guidelines in the fields and
during post-harvest handling. The federal rules would be similar to the
California guidelines that were set by large-scale operations after the
outbreaks. The _guidelines include growing practices that discourage
biodiversity and sustainable/organic farming practices_, deplete soil
fertility, and create “sterile” fields—methods that have not been
scientifically proven to actually reduce E. coli 0157 bacteria but are
certain to *reduce biodiversity, harm wildlife, and burden family-scale
farms*. *Small- and medium-scale farmers would bear the greatest financial
and logistical burden of such specified guidelines*. For example, if
the rules require testing for pathogens at every harvest—as they
currently do in California—then large-scale farms that grow one type of
crop and harvest only one to three times per season would pay much less
than smaller and more diverse farms that continually harvest many types
of vegetables. If regulations dictate a single set of growing practices
and food safety measures, which are appropriate for large-scale
“factory farms” but not for diverse family farms, *_we risk losing the very
farms that grow leafy greens in a healthy and sustainable way_*.
A one-size-fits-all regulation will not work! The rules threaten
biodiversity and environmental sustainability in several ways. Farmers
would be encouraged to eliminate wildlife and any vegetation that may
provide habitat for wildlife. The rules also discourage the development of
microbial life in the soil. These *methods have not been shown to reduce
the risk of harmful bacterial contamination*. In fact, sustainable farming
methods that promote microbial life in soil have shown to reduce E. coli
0157 because it has to compete with other microbes and is therefore less
likely to thrive. However, the aim of these rules seems to be for sterile
fields that support no forms of life, except for the leafy greens. *We
must make our voices heard*, telling the USDA that we do not
support federal rules that would put a great financial and logistical
burden on family-scale farmers, discourage environmentally healthy ways
of farming, and harm wildlife. Taking action is easy, but with a
*December 3 deadline* for submitting comments to the USDA, we need your
help *_today_*. Please tell the USDA that food safety is an important
concern, but that mandating measures with no scientific basis that will put
small farmers out of business, and harm wildlife, is not the way to
go. *Please submit your comments today by downloading the sample
letter below* or writing your own message and posting it online
(see instructions below), or faxing it in. The USDA is specifically
asking citizens to comment on its plan to implement these rules, and
it’s important that you tell the USDA that you want to ensure access
to fresh, leafy greens and that you oppose a Marketing Order or
Marketing Agreement that would impose federal standards for all growers of
leafy greens. Remember that every comment counts, but
individualized messages/letters carry more weight than form
letters. *CLICK HERE <http://www.cornucopia.org/LeafyGreens/Leafy_Greens_SampleLetter.doc>
TO DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE LETTER TO THE USDA* *1) To submit online:
*
Go to www.regulations.gov <http://www.regulations.gov>. In
the middle of the screen, you will see
“Search Documents.”
In Step 1, choose
“Documents with an open comments period” In
Step 2, choose “Department of Agriculture”
In Step 3, choose “PROPOSED RULES” In Step
4, choose “Docket ID” and then type in “AMS-FV-07-0090”
Hit
“Submit.” Next, you will see a column titled
“Comments, add/due by.” Click on the tiny
tan dialogue icon, and you are now ready to
submit your information and your comment.
*2) To fax: (202) 720-8938. * ** Please make sure that your letter
references Docket Number AMS–FV–07–0090. In addition to the Cornucopia
website more information on this matter is available by visiting the
California-based Community Alliance for Family Farmers’ website at http://www.caff.org/foodsafety/. We
thank CAFF for their diligence on this
issue. _______________________________________________ Market-farming
mailing list Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
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