Why is Congress willing to kill the Small Farmer and the Farmers Market to try to stop Farm Factories?
H.R. 875: Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009
This bill needs your attention. It needs you to kill it.
HR 875 will essentially define a small farmer who grows ..say ..pumpkins or tomatoes for the farmers market as a FOOD PRODUCTION FACILITY
Two diaries in the past few days on DailyKos have given some attention (maybe 90 comments total) to HR 875.
One diarist says:
I wrote back something like "Calm down." To which the sender responded with some text of the bill. And (thank goodness) a lawyer responded that farms will NOT be impacted...Farmers' markets, CSAs, and roadside stands are ALL SAFE.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
She is wrong; Farmers' markets, CSAs, and roadside stands are NOT SAFE. The definitions and requirements in this bill will kill small farmers and farmers markets.
I would like you consider how this bill will screw a very good friend of mine who is a small farmer.
Here is what she has to say about HR 875:
http://misseffiesdiary.blogspot.com/...
I spent yesterday reading the House of Representatives Bill H.R. 875: The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009. A little light reading for my light-weight brain.
And if I am wrong .... someone correct me. I have broad shoulders -- I can take it.....
Now..........Ms Rosa Delauro has introduced this legislation that will take farming to a whole new level. Well -- maybe not a whole new level.......... just the level that Monsanto, ADM, and Cargill wanted ..... no organic, no small farms.
The big concerned to me .... and to most of you........ should be in section 1 -- sub-section 3 (Definitions) Lets talk food establishment. Did you know ...... most market farmers will be a Category 3 Establishment because we sell "fresh produce in ready-to-eat form. Hello!!! Tomatoes!!
I personally think I am a category 2 food establishment. I put eggs in a carton to sell. (But they are brand-new, clear plastic, very pretty egg cartons!)
So I am reading away ..... thinking there has to be an exclusion from all of this for the small market farmer. I think I found it!!
B EXCLUSIONS- For the purposes of registration, the term ‘food establishment’ does not include a food production facility as defined in paragraph (14), restaurant, other retail food establishment, nonprofit food establishment in which food is prepared for or served directly to the consumer, or fishing vessel (other than a fishing vessel engaged in processing, as that term is defined in section 123.3 of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations).
OK Farmers Markets will be defined as FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS!
But maybe Miss Effie's is excluded from the purposes of registration as a "Food Establishment" ............but she is defined as a Food Production Facility...and that definition is damning to the small grower or producer and the framers market.
Ok ---What is a food production facility? Next paragraph ...... here it is.
- FOOD PRODUCTION FACILITY- The term ‘food production facility’ means any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation.
Uhhhhh........... that would mean me. And you. And what does that mean for us????
Well -- hop on down to Sec. 206 where the fine Congressmen have included the inspection of Food Production Facilities.
Yea. At anytime, your friendly auditor from the newly-formed Food Safety Administration can pop in and say "Hello! Where are your fertilization records? And where did this seed come from??"
So along with everything else we do (most of us, by ourselves or with limited family help) we get to keep food safety records that will include the following:
(3) include, with respect to growing, harvesting, sorting, and storage operations, minimum standards related to fertilizer use, nutrients, hygiene, packaging, temperature controls, animal encroachment, and water;
(4) include, with respect to animals raised for food, minimum standards related to the animal’s health, feed, and environment which bear on the safety of food for human consumption;
Oh -- they will take "into account the needs of small businesses for additional time to comply".
How sweet of them.
Also this extra pressure will be added to you favorite farmers market pie and bread maker...
At anytime, your friendly auditor from the newly-formed Food Safety Administration can pop in and say "Hello! Where is the receipt and bar code for that flour and sugar you are using in your crust??"
I imagine this will create a burden too hard to bear for 99% of current farmers market vendors.
SEC. 210. TRACEBACK REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General- The Administrator, in order to protect the public health, shall establish a national traceability system that enables the Administrator to retrieve the history, use, and location of an article of food through all stages of its production, processing, and distribution.
(b) Applicability- Traceability requirements under this section shall apply to food from food production facilities, food establishments, and foreign food establishments.
(c) Requirements-
(1) STANDARDS- The Administrator shall establish standards for the type of information, format, and timeframe for food production facilities and food establishments to submit records to aid the Administrator in effectively retrieving the history, use, and location of an item of food.
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION- Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring the Administrator to prescribe a specific technology for the maintenance of records or labeling of food to carry out the requirements of this section.
(3) AVAILABILITY OF RECORDS FOR INSPECTION- Any records that are required by the Administrator under this section shall be available for inspection by the Administrator upon oral or written request.
(4) DEMONSTRATION OF ABILITY- The Administrator, during any inspection, may require a food establishment to demonstrate its ability to trace an item of food and submit the information in the format and timeframe required under paragraph (1).
http://www.govtrack.us/...
Miss Effie continues:
I have called my Congressman and Senator ----- with no response and a so-what attitude from the staff. I should be a tad more understanding ...... but they acted like this just doesn't matter!!! Just to make this clear -- I live in First District Iowa and my Senator is chairman of the Agriculture Committee. Obviously, they have my votes for the next two years and by that time -- I will be out of business so they don't give a f*ck!!! But they did thank me for my call.
In 2007, Miss Effie's was featured in the Travel Iowa campaign and their national Iowa Tourism Calendar because we were a unique farm that reflected the values of Iowa and the Iowa farmer. We were one of the few private venues that was featured..... most were festivals and community events. We were honored to be there.
But that is what we all are ..... unique farms that reflect the values of America and the American farmer. And Ms Delauro wants to shut us down?????
So ..... I am asking you to contact your congressman and ask him/her to vote against H.R. 875.
Forward this blog to your friends. Let's get some action going.
I don't mind being screwed ....... but I would like to be kissed first!!!
This bill must be stopped or drastically changed to focus solely on factory farms.
Please call your Congressman and ask them to vote against H.R. 875, tell your Representative:
Congress MUST NOT Kill the small farmer and the farmers markets to try to stop the farm factory.