permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

On 12/1/2010 5:16 PM, Gasper Family Farm wrote:
> Its not a major victory at all. The so called protections for small
> farms have major loopholes and will present zero resistance to the
> FDA in their ongoing effort to destroy the last vestiges of small
> farms in this country.

Digest this: the new food safety act (and some very weird rumors) – 
Eatocracy - CNN.com Blogs
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/12/01/food-safety-act/?hpt=C2

<....>
"Senator Jon Tester of Montana, however, tells Eatocracy that this bill 
– with an amendment he co-authored, stating that food producers would 
not be subject to new federal requirements if they sell the majority of 
their food directly to consumers within their state, or within a 
275-mile radius of where it was produced, and have less than $500,000 
per year in sales – is a “win for anyone who eats food. Small processors 
win, farmers win, and even the big guys win because people will have 
faith in their product.” He adds, “This bill is designed to work. It’s 
not one size fits all.”

These processors would still be responsible for demonstrating that they 
have identified potential hazards and are implementing preventive 
controls to address the hazards, or demonstrating to the FDA that they 
are in compliance with state or local food safety laws.

As a farmer himself – though he does not direct-market any of his food – 
he is especially proud. “Over the last ten or more years, I’ve watched 
farmers markets spring up across Montana. They’re becoming more popular 
as people are eating locally-grown food. A farmer has to be able to look 
his customer in the eye. If you passed the bill without the amendment, 
it puts that trust at risk.”

And as to allegations - rampant on conspiracy theorist and Tea 
Party-affiliated blogs as well as in our very own comments section - 
that this bill will allow the FDA to toss grandma in the slammer for 
sharing her jars of dilly beans, make home gardens illegal and appoint 
the head of the Monsanto corporation as Emperor of All Seeds? Tester 
laughs. “They’ve got to just read the bill. Unequivocally NO. That’s 
just a case of using fear.”"
<...>