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  • From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] re HR 875 etc
  • Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:51:58 -0400

There has been a great deal about this over the last couple of days on at least two different lists to which I subscribe.

Apologies for cross-posting:

I think that what we need to do about this is not panic, but keep an eye on it. I very much doubt that the current administration wants to shut down farmers' markets, small farmers, and/or organic farming; they've made at least some noises in the other direction. I have in my computer the text of an interview with Obama from May 2008, in which he says:

"I am very familiar with the great work of Angelic Organics and other community supported farms. These types of farms can provide an important source of fresh fruits and vegetables to inner city communities that do not have easy access to grocery stores that sell organic foods. Moreover, farms like Angelic Organics that sell directly to consumers cut out all of the middlemen and get full retail price for their food, which increases the financial viability of small family farms.

As president, I would implement USDA policies that promote local and regional food systems, including assisting states to develop programs aimed at community supported farms."


link to full story here:

http://www.northcoastjournal.com/issues/2008/05/29/baracks-chili/

So we currently have a president who at least knows what a CSA is, and makes noises in favor of local food systems; which is a good sign; though of course not everything any politician says while running for office is actually what happens after the election's over.

I think this bill is intended to turn a mass of multiple contradictory regulating organizations into one; and that, if it's properly worded, it might in fact be an advantage to us, as it might better regulate the overgrown food distribution system that has repeatedly turned potentially minor problems into huge ones.

However, the devil is indeed often in the details; and, if any bill on this subject is poorly worded, it could instead do a great deal of damage. And I'm sure there are interests who would love to have it so worded -- including the people in the business of selling computer tracking technology; and probably some of those who would rather not be competing with farmers' markets and other sources of local food, in which "fresh" means more than just "not rotten yet".

So we need to make sure that any new regulations are friendly to small farms and to direct-marketers of all kinds; as well as to organic systems and to mixed-farming systems with both produce and livestock on one farm, and to systems in which wild species have access to the farm. Also, I think we need better language than the not selling "across state lines" exemption, as I'm sure there are growers who live within a few miles of the border between two states, and sell on both sides, but are still quite small producers.

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



On Mar 16, 2009, at 5:14 PM, Owsley lucy wrote:

Here is yet more reason not to worry about this bill

I pulled this from the OEFFA list serv:

Hey everyone-
There have been a lot of questions about this, so I thought I would respond to the whole forum.  H.R. 875 deals with the FDA.  FDA only regulates items that are involved in Interstate Commerce. This is the authority that FDA is given in the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.  Anything that is grown, processed or sold within a state is subject to regulation by the state, not the FDA.  The FDA only regulates fruits, vegetables and other processed foods. It does not cover foods regulated by the USDA (beef, pork, poultry, lamb, catfish, eggs.)  

I'm glad that there has been a lot of interest in these bills.  We're on the same side on this issue.  I used to work on a small farm in Ohio, and Food & Water Watch is a member of OEFFA.  Our mission is to fight the corporate control of the food system, which includes constantly battling the big guys like Monsanto, Cargill, Tyson, ADM, JBS, etc. etc., that have a stranglehold on the food system, and are able to push through regulations that benefit their bottom lines and hurt the small to mid-sized farmers.  This bill will only affect farmers that are selling across State lines.  This bill will have far more impact on reigning in large corporations that have gone unchecked and uninspected under the current FDA than on most small and organic farms.




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