permaculture

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

On 7/7/2012 12:54 PM, Alia Tsang wrote:
> Alarmist much?

Here's the full text. You decide.

<><><><><><>

Utah Garden Challenge for Suckers
http://morphcity.com/home/117-utah-garden-challenge-for-suckers


Utah Garden Challenge for Suckers
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By Cassandra Anderson
July 5, 2012

UDAFThe Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is promoting the Utah
Garden Challenge in order to collect information about independent
food production for the USDA.

The Utah Garden Challenge is a voluntary contest to register 10,000
gardens.  The data mining project has a broad interest in any
"resource" who is growing food:

"Whether you grow a tomato in a pot, a row in a community garden, have
backyard gardens, a CSA or working fruit and vegetable farm, we want
to hear from you because you are an important resource as a food
producer."


While the contest paints a proud face on independent food production,
it is important to remember that registering with the government sets
up a system to track, tax, permit or confiscate the registered item.
Gun ownership is a good example of this scheme.

According to a pop-up window on the official website, participants'
gardens will be registered with the USDA's National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS):

UtahGardenChallenge"We need to know how much food is being produced in
Utah.  The Census of Agriculture is done every 5 years.  Every
agricultural operation in Utah, regardless of size, is vital to this
question.  If you produce $1000 of agricultural products, you can
influence economic development and decision making by filling out a
NASS survey.  We will only share your information with NASS by your
permission.  Your response to the census of agriculture is protected
by law.  For more information, you can go to www.agcensus.gov "

In other words, people who produce $1000 or more worth of food have an
impact on the food market, and the USDA wants to know about what you
are doing in your backyard.

Victory gardens in America produced up to 40% of all vegetables
consumed during World War II, with over 20 millon home gardens and
community plots that produced over 9 million tons of food.

The USDA is notorious for its corrupt partnerships and revolving door
business relationships with big commercial agriculture.


Government Crackdowns & Food Control

Food is under attack because if you can grow your own food, have
access to water and shelter, then what use do you have for a
government master?

The federal government has profoundly overstepped its constitutional
authority on all fronts, and there are a number of examples of the
USDA's outrageous control over food that include SWAT team raids on
raw milk sellers and fruit tree confiscation.

The Food Safety Modernization Act expanded the power of the FDA and
its sister agency, the USDA.  The law is bad for many reasons and is
an overwhelming burden on small and independent farmers due to
over-regulation and increase in paperwork and reporting.

Additionally, the FBI identifies people who store food as potential 
terrorists!

Why Is Utah a Threat?

1.  A few months ago Utah voted down a Food Freedom Bill that would
have made it a crime for anyone, including Utah state agents, to
enforce the Food Safety Modernization Act's unconstitutional mandates.
 It would have made farmers who trade only inside of state lines
exempt.  The bill was a direct constitutional challenge to federal
overreach.

2.  Highland City, Utah passed a Food Freedom ordinance that exempts
residents from federal regulations on food that is produced, exchanged
and consumed within city limits (state laws still apply).

3.  Utah has the largest concentration of members of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) who have an
official policy of food storage, currently set at a 1-year minimum
supply.  This may be construed as a threat by the FBI, especially
since a 1-year supply of food can cost as little as $225.

Conclusion

Survivalist.com points out that the Utah Garden Challenge is linked to
the United Nations Agenda 21 Sustainable Development plan for
totalitarian control.

The Utah Garden Challenge is enticing Utahans with meager prizes (a
1-in-1000 chance of winning a giftcard or free restaurant dinner) to
register their gardens and subject themselves to invasive government
data mining.  But is your food independence worth it?


<><><><><><>

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Farmers: Make Sure You Get Counted
Date:   Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:20:34 -0400
From:   Debbie Roos <Debbie.Roos@chathamnc.org>
Reply-To:       Debbie Roos <Debbie.Roos@chathamnc.org>
To:     sustagchatham <sustagchatham@lists.ncsu.edu>

I want to share the email below sent from Roland McReynolds, Executive
Director of Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. Every time the Ag
Census rolls around we try and get farmers to participate. I cannot
stress enough how important this is. Farmers who market directly through
farmers’ markets, CSAs, etc., are significantly underreported in the
census, which makes them much less visible economically to policy makers
and funding organizations. The census is the go-to source for data on
farm numbers, demographics, and farm income, yet I can look at the
census numbers for our county and KNOW for a fact how many farmers are
not counted, and this hurts all of us. We WANT our legislators and
decision makers to see how much this sector of agriculture has grown,
and the best way to prove this is for you guys to participate in the
census. All information is completely confidential.

Please read Roland’s email below and sign up to participate in the 2012
census by July 1.

Debbie

*Debbie Roos*
/Agricultural Extension Agent /
Chatham County Center
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu <mailto:debbie_roos@ncsu.edu>
www.growingsmallfarms.org <http://www.growingsmallfarms.org>
www.facebook.com/debbie.roos.nc <http://www.facebook.com/debbie.roos.nc>
www.twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms <http://www.twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms>

/All electronic mail messages in connection with State business which
are sent to or received by this account are subject to the NC Public
Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.///

Dear CFSA Farmer Members: Want to know one of the most important ways to
help prove, and increase, the impact of sustainable agriculture?
Participate in the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is preparing to mail the 2012 Census
of Agriculture to millions of U.S. farmers and ranchers in late
December. The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms
and ranches and the people who operate them. You can ensure you get
counted by signing up for the Census before July 1. A farm is defined as
any place that produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or
more of agricultural products during 2012.

Local and national leaders use the Census to make decisions that
directly impact your business and your community. It is our chance to
show the economic impact of local, organic food and farming, and prove
that sustainable food systems are not a fad, but the wave of the future.
The Census is one of the most important vehicles for farmers to make
their voices heard and help determine the next steps for many of USDA’s
programs, helping not only those who already farm, but also those who
are new to agriculture. Federal support programs for beginning farmers
and organic producers rely on Census data. With the Census showing more
and more small and organic farms coming into production, it helps CFSA
and our allies across the country make the case that policies and
funding for programs that benefit small farms should not only be
preserved, but enhanced.

To sign up for the Census of Agriculture, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov
<http://www.agcensus.usda.gov>. All individual information is kept
confidential, guaranteed by law (Title 7, U.S. Code, and CIPSEA, Public
Law 107-347).

Please sign up today, and thank you for making your voice heard.

Roland
Roland McReynolds, Esq.
Executive Director
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
PO Box 448
Pittsboro, NC 27312
(919) 542 2402
roland@carolinafarmstewards.org <mailto:roland@carolinafarmstewards.org>