permaculture

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

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        [Permaculture Mailing List Blog] New comment on Re:
[permaculture] Major Victory for family farmer....
Date:   Wed, 1 Dec 2010 20:13:37 -0800 (PST)
From:   Dave <noreply-comment@blogger.com>
To:     venaurafarm@bellsouth.net

Dave <http://www.blogger.com/profile/03984596865922766141> has left a
new comment on your post "Re: [permaculture] Major Victory for family
farmer...
<http://permaculturelist.blogspot.com/2010/12/re-permaculture-major-victory-for.html>": 


Hi Pete,

I think it might be helpful to consider the food safety bill passing
without the Tester and Manager's amendments, which would have been the
complete disaster that you predict for family farmers. Having the
reasonable exemptions found in these amendments win over the objections
of Big Ag and produce groups is a real victory. It's not enough. I wish
the amendments had gone farther, but we had to deal with a Congress that 
does not watch out for the best interests of family farmers and fight 
one of the most powerful lobbies in the U.S.

As a result of these modest exemptions family farmers and the local food
movement will be able to have a say in how the provisions are implement
during the rulemaking process, where public input will be taken and we
can work to further improve the legislation for small-scale producers.
No matter how much we dislike the FDA, the are not going to stop abusing 
their power until we stand up to them and the powerful lobbyists that 
help create legislation in this country.

You can see the glass half empty if you want, I'm going to see it as
half full and keep fighting to improve opportunities for farmers. I hope 
you'll join us.

Best
Dave Murphy



Posted by Dave to Permaculture Mailing List Blog
<http://permaculturelist.blogspot.com/> at December 1, 2010 8:13 PM