Ashland Food Coop Blog » HR 875

Update on H.R. 875/Farm Aid’s Viewpoint

Annie Hoy — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:02:11 +0000

The uproar about H.R. 875 has not been as loud as in the past but there are other “food safety” bills that are a concern. This is addressed in an excellent article from the Farm Aid website. Check it out. There has been some movement on H.R. 875. It was referred to the House Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.I will see what I can find out about that committee and who is on it. Stay tuned.

HR 875: Stop the Hysteria

Annie Hoy — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:46:43 +0000

Before you lose any more sleep over the fear of having federal agents raid your backyard tomato patch or shut down your local farmers market, you should read this blog posting from Civil Eats.

I must thank Chris Jagger from Blue Fox Farm for posting this on Facebook this morning. It’s worth the time for a thorough read. Forward it to all your friends. Check out the Food and Water Watch website.

Sleep well tonight. And, if you need to talk to someone about this, make your comments below.

More about Food Safety Modernization Act H.R.875

Annie Hoy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:19:11 +0000

There was an article on yesterday’s Capital Press website with Pacific NW reaction. Check it out. No new information but more perspective than just mine.

Food Safety Modernization Act: Will HR 875 End Organic Agriculture?

Annie Hoy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:22:36 +0000

We have been receiving numerous calls and emails regarding H.R. 875, the Food Safety Modernization Act. Many are in response to some emails and blog discussions that characterize this bill as bringing about the end to organic agriculture, farmers markets, and access to seeds.

Ashland Food Co-op, and food co-ops all over the country are aware of this bill. I have had lengthy conversations with both Peter DeFazio’s office and Kurt Schrader’s office. Peter is one of the 39 co-sponsors of HR 875 and Kurt sits on the Ag Committee that will review it to either let it die a quiet death or send it on to the next step.

H.R. 875 has been sitting in committee since February 4th. It has not even had a first reading. Some of the emails going around say this bill is on the “fast track” to be passed in two weeks. This doesn’t match up to the reality that it is just sitting there in committee without any action so far. That’s not to say something might not get going next week. But Congress is adjourned for a long weekend and Rep. Schrader will be in Salem next week, so there is doubt the committee will do much next week if at all.

To make your voice heard, aides to the Congressmen advise consumers to bombard Greg Walden, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkeley with phone calls and letters in opposition to this bill. If we do that, Walden, Wyden and Merkeley will go to DeFazio and Schrader and say, “My constituents are concerned about this bill. What do you think?”

The bill appears to be trying to bring large scale industrial farms into compliance with some semblance of food safety, something certified organic farms have had to do in order to be certified. I’m thinking that the big agricultural interests will balk at the kind of stiff regulations that would be imposed on them under the requirements of this bill and they might just kill it in committee.

So at this time, Ashland Food Co-op in a wait and see mode and encourages you to call or write our senators and congressmen in opposition to this bill.

For more information, you may contact me at outreach@ashlandfood.coop