Subject: Re: [permaculture] Major Victory for family farmers, sustainable agriculture: Food Safety Bill Passes with Family Farm Protections
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 19:43:17 -0500
""In order to qualify for exemption, he points out that small producers must
file three years of detailed financial records, detailed hazard analysis
plans, and detailed proof of compliance with local, county and state laws.
Then, the Secretary of Health and Human Services must approve each exemption.
...How many "food producers" who donate food to the homeless, or who supply
homemade products at bake sales, county fairs, church bazaars, and community
picnics are going to bother with such hyper-regulation?"
Yes, the exemption must be automatic, without conditions, with revocation
requiring evidence and a hearing to determine wrong-doing. It must include
the opportunity to correct inadvertent problems. Big Ag has been responsible
for every major food illness outbreak I am aware of (If anyone knows of any
coming from small farms, and especially very small farms, please let me
know.), so they need to have an excuse for there not to be an alternative
market that is healthier both in terms of energy consumption, pollution and
food quality.
That is, they know they cannot compete, so are eliminating the competition
via this bill.
-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of John & Maia
O'Brien
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 6:09 PM
To: permaculture
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Major Victory for family farmers, sustainable
agriculture: Food Safety Bill Passes with Family Farm Protections
The devil is in the details. The site you offered a link to (thanks) lists
18 amendments with "no information available" under each amendment.
The much touted Tester amendment makes or breaks organic/sustainable ag. As
well, if paperwork must be submitted documenting reason for exemption, and
then each acted upon, that's no fix at all.
Don't celebrate anything yet. IMHO, the fat lady hasn't sung yet.
John O'Brien
On Fri, Dec 3, 2010 at 2:50 PM, david mattinson <
notwithoutmylama@hotmail.com> wrote:
Re: [permaculture] Major Victory for family farmers, sustainable agriculture: Food Safety Bill Passes with Family Farm Protections,
Killian O'Brien, 12/03/2010