Re: Warehouse Raided and Products Under Embargo

June 16, 2010

I called both offices and talked to a staff person there, so thanks for giving

us the means to help! Just a thought: has anybody wondered why all of this is

blowing up right after Sally Fallon was in in town for her talk (the business

with the raw milk and the warehouse)? Seems like more than just a coincidence!

Kari

Re: Warehouse Raided and Products Under Embargo

6/16/2010 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, or call the Capitol Switchboard at or toll-free at

. 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 ) 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.

TO BE REMOVED FROM OUR MEMBER LIST, email info@...

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

Our postal address is

PMB #106-380

4200 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

Washington, District of Columbia 20016

United States

June 16, 2010

How about a gathering at TFMN by members yearning for access to their

quality food. Stand by lock door, with baby in hand, friends with

friends, asking why we can't get our food? We insure that this

gathering is noticed by calling press/tv to alert them to our

gathering. We have our talking points and those individual points

prepared, so when asked by reporter, we create material that can be

quote and is effective as getting our message out.

Maybe we have a cookout party/picninc in parking lot to build

attendance and community and momentum?

This is but one idea, how about another idea or help refine this one

group???

> I'm really disappointed in how this was handled by our supposed

> enforcement bodies. It would have been very much appropriate to do

> something about the licensing issue, if it is indeed required, long

> ago and perhaps without the need to shut us down (even temporarily).

> But the thing that bothers me the most is this trampling on the

> rights of consumers to procure healthy food. The CSA drop from THE

> FARM, was done Tuesday morning with some items picked up. I moved

> the remaining items (not embargoed) into one of our recently added

> coolers, but they are not accessible due to this harassment timing.

> All of the quality milk that was purchased (offsite)at the beginning

> of June is also not available to those families that count on it for

> their family's health. Are we going to complain or do something

> about it. I've responded to a reporter from MPR that may shed some

> light on this activity. We have support from the farm-to-consumer

> defense fund attorney and need not rest until we get some answers.

> This effort must also move to exonerate the Hartmann farm as they

> are due an apology as well. How do we rally for this cause? Alvin

>

> >

> > I agree there's much misinformation going around, BUT...

>

June 16, 2010