Calling our senators re. S. 510

June 18, 2010

I learned from Sen. Klobuchar's office that she is a co-sponsor of S.

510,

so she especially needs to hear from us since she will obviously vote

in favor of it. The S. 510 bill is one that WAPF and many others fear

will worsen the current situation and will be disastrously burdensome to

small, local farms and producers, and that the critical thing to stress

is

that if they're voting for the bill, they must also pass the

TESTER-HAGAN AMENDMENT. As the WAPF folks have explained below,

the S. 510 bill is too general, too vague about these protections,

but the Tester-Hagan Amendment expressly addresses this.

Apparently there's a renewed effort to bring it to a vote, so our calls

are needed now.

Beth

P.S. People living in other states should also call their senators

(excellent talking points are suggested below, at the end, but it's

always

good to also include why it's important to you personally).

_______________________________________________________

I'm including most of the previous post from Beth in case anyone else

has

already deleted it. Also, I've added the contact information of our MN

Senators (one less step...all Minnesotans are w/o excuse!).

PLEASE...let's

ALL take one extra step to contribute and answer the call that the

Weston A.

Price Foundation put out. This is about FOOD, people! Can you believe we

have to actually fight for it??? Now go out and do it!

There are currently 1210 members in this TFMN Discussion Group. Don't

you

think we'll make an impact if we take a couple of minutes out of our day

and

call our 2 senators?

Becca

en, Al <http://franken.senate.gov/ <http://franken.senate.gov/> >-

(D - MN) Class II 320 HART

SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5641 Web Form:

franken.senate.gov/contact/ [image: horizontal line] Klobuchar, Amy

<http://klobuchar.senate.gov/ <http://klobuchar.senate.gov/> >- (D - MN)

Class I 302 HART SENATE OFFICE

BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3244 Web Form:

klobuchar.senate.gov/emailamy.cfm [image: horizontal line]

TAKE ACTION:

Call both of your Senators. You can find their contact information at

www.Senate.gov <http://www.senate.gov/ <http://www.senate.gov/> >

<http://www.senate.gov/ <http://www.senate.gov/> > , or call

the Capitol

Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or toll-free at 877-210-5351. Ask to speak

with the staffer who handles food safety issues.

Tell the staffer that you want the Senator to amend or oppose S. 510.

If you get their voice mail instead of the staff, leave the following

message:

" Hi, my name is _____ and I live in ______. I'm very concerned that

S.510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, imposes unfair and

burdensome regulations on local food sources, which are very important

to me. I urge the Senator to support the Tester-Hagan Amendments to

exclude small facilities and direct marketing farms from the most

burdensome provisions of the bill. Please call me back at

____________. "

TALKING POINTS

Over 150 organizations have signed a letter of support for the

Tester-Hagan amendments to exempt small-scale and local producers from

the more burdensome provisions of the bill. You can borrow some talking

points from the letter (posted at

http://farmandranchfreedom.org/sff/Amend-S510-June-7.pdf

<http://farmandranchfreedom.org/sff/Amend-S510-June-7.pdf>

<http://farmandranchfreedom.org/sff/Amend-S510-June-7.pdf

<http://farmandranchfreedom.org/sff/Amend-S510-June-7.pdf> > ) or use

the

ones below:

1. The major foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls have all been

caused by the large, industrial food system. Small, local food

producers have not contributed to the highly publicized outbreaks. Yet

S. 510 subjects the small, local food system to the same, broad federal

regulatory oversight that would apply to the industrial food system.

2. Increased regulations and record-keeping obligations could destroy

small businesses that bring food to local communities. In particular,

the reliance on hazard analysis and risk-based preventative controls, a

concept similar to " HACCP " , will harm small food producers. HACCP has

already proven to be an overwhelming burden for a significant number of

small, regional meat processors across the country. Applying a

HACCP-type system to small, local foods processors could drive them out

of business, reducing consumers' options to buy fresh, local foods.

3. FDA does not belong on the farm. S. 510 calls for FDA regulation of

how farms grow and harvest produce. Given the agency's track record, it

is likely that the regulations will discriminate against small, organic,

and diversified farms. Although language calling for " flexibility " may

be included, but there are no enforceable limits or protections for

small diversified and organic farms from inappropriate and burdensome

federal rules.

4. Food safety and security both come from a diversified, vibrant local

food system. Local foods give consumers the choice to buy from

producers they know, creating a transparent, accountable food system

without federal government oversight. State and local laws, which are

often size-specific rather than one-size-fits-all, are more appropriate

for local food producers.

info@...

<../../../post?postID=8R5TLx57_xzbYGyY09YdYIFnqqSjTBIBvARDW_P9Nb9laewFIG\

QiEfcoU1PLQaQ4OUj2WbPCZp-qGl7fJ0M> <info%40westonaprice.org> <mailto:

info@...

<../../../post?postID=8R5TLx57_xzbYGyY09YdYIFnqqSjTBIBvARDW_P9Nb9laewFIG\

QiEfcoU1PLQaQ4OUj2WbPCZp-qGl7fJ0M> <info%40westonaprice.org>>

----------------------------------------

Our postal address is PMB #106-380

4200 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

Washington, District of Columbia 20016

Embargo Concern and Productive Suggestion

Might I suggest a productive way to direct our energies at this

challenging time by taking a few minutes to call our senators and

representatives? Together we can enlighten and encourage them to

protect small family farms and local producers, which are inherently

safer and more accountable than the huge, centralized industrial

producers who produce most all food-borne illnesses. Please

respectfully urge their support of the Tester-Hagan amendment.

6/16/2010 WAPF ALERT:

Food safety is heating up again and we need your help! Although the

Senate's food safety bill was delayed, there is now a concerted effort

to bring it to the floor for a vote. Unfortunately, as it is currently

written, S. 510 would actually make our food less safe. S. 510 would

strengthen the forces that have led to the consolidation of our food

supply in the hands of a few industrial food producers, while harming

small producers who give consumers the choice to buy fresh, healthy,

local foods.

Please contact your Senators NOW to urge them to amend or oppose the

bill! Contact information and talking points are below.

Congress needs to solve the real problems - the centralized food

distribution system and imported foods - and not regulate our local food

sources out of business. S. 510 is a " one-size-fits-all " approach that

will unnecessarily burden both farmers and small-scale food processors,

ultimately depriving consumers of the choice to buy from producers they

know and trust.

TAKE ACTION:

Call both of your Senators. You can find their contact information at

www.Senate.gov <http://www.senate.gov/ <http://www.senate.gov/> > , or

call the Capitol