Please Act on This... Death of Farmers Markets, CSA's and Local Food

I'm cutting and pasting a copy of the blog from The Nourished Kitchen on the pending bill HR 875, backed by Monsanto. It's called the Food Safety Act and of course, who doesn't want that... right? But in fact, it does nothing on the front of food safety and instead forces small farms, local farms and even house gardeners who deliver excess fruit to local markets to spray pesticides, produced by... you guessed it, MONSANTO.

Here's the full article. Please, please, please act on this... Contact info is at the bottom of the article.

HR 875, also known as the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, was introduced by Rosa Delauro - a democratic party member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut - in February of 2009. The title of HR 875, The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, sounds innocuous enough - even comforting, but its implications yield a much, much different story.

HR 875 as it is written today, could very well mean the end of the vibrant and growing local foods movement. Yes - if it passes - it could herald the death of farmers markets, most CSAs, farmstands and even small family-run farms altogether.

Ostensibly, HR 875 or the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 would bring greater accountability to our imperiled food system. Indeed, with salmonella-infected peanuts and spinach laced with e-coli, who isn’t crying out for improvements in food safety?

However, HR 875 fails miserably in promoting food safety. Rather, than promoting true accountability and proper farming techniques that minimize the risk of introducing pathogens into the food supply, it simply will create greater barriers for our already struggling small farms and farmers markets.

HR 875 mandates that anyone who produces food of any kind - meat, milk, fruit, vegetables et cetera - and transports that food for sale be subject to warrantless government inspections of their farms and food production records. These random inspections can be conducted at the whim of federal agents without regard to farmers rights or property rights. Further, the law would allow federal agents to confiscate records, product as they see fit as part of the inspection process.

Agents could also implement draconian restrictions regarding how farm animals can be fed, how fields can be managed and the end result of these restrictions could mean the end of organic, biodynamic and sustainable agriculture practices if these practices are deemed “unsafe.” Farmers refusing to comply would be subject to penalties.

The penalty for denying federal agents unlimited, random access to a farm’s fields, properties, products and records is $1,000,000. The penalty for not registering is $1,000,000.

Remember, this law would affect every farmer or food producer who must transport his goods to sell them - in effect, every single farmer. That means that an orchard that sells fresh fruit at a roadside stand would be affected; a farmer who delivers CSA boxes would be affected, even a home gardener who brings excess harvest to a farmers market’s community booth would have to register or be subject to $1,000,000 fines and that garden plot would be subject to inspection by federal agents. Ridiculous, isn’t it? But it’s true.

HR 875 is such a massive bill, with such massive requirements and restrictions that, in effect, only huge agribusinesses would be able to effectively meet all its requirements. The small family farm would be history and, along with it, farmstands, farmers markets, most food cooperatives and CSAs.

Now, let’s get back to Rosa Delauro who introduced HR 875 in February. Ms. Delaura is married to Stanley Greenberg. Stanley Greenberg is a political consultant whose clients include Monsanto–Monsanto, the same corporation, who blessed us with RBGH and genetically engineered seeds. Should we really trust Ms. Delauro or her husband to make these kinds of decisions for the American people?

My husband and I run a farmers market - a vibrant and growing farmers market in the heart of ski country. Now, it’s taken our blood, sweat and tears (and I do mean real blood, real sweat and real tears) to make our market succeed. Were this bill to pass, it would mean the end of our market as our farmers - some of whom grow on as little as a single acre - would be forced to close their gates. It would also mean the end of our local CSAs - all of which are delivered from the farm after a winding trip through the mountains.

The bill has not passed yet, so you still have time to act. Remember, eating is now a political act so exercise your rights.

Act now:

Read the full bill here: HR 875 - Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009.
Contact your representative and inform them you oppose HR 875.
Tweet this post and spread the word about HR 875.
Stumble this post and spread the word about HR 875.
Blog about your opposition to HR 875.
Contact your representative AGAIN and make sure the message gets through.

Roll up your sleeves...

Michelle Obama is set to announce that there will finally be a garden at the White House again. I'm so excited about this. Talk about hope for the future, for our food, for clean work and well earned meals. It also speaks to how important farming is to our nation and not just for corn for corn syrup!

Root Beer Cookies

How did I NOT know about these? Did you know about these?

They were here, here, and HERE.

We're leaving town tomorrow, but as soon as I have more than five minutes, I can't wait to bake these. I can think of five different occasions when these would have been perfect, including my the dinner fest for bookclub when we read Confederacy of Dunces.

Orange who?

Afton tells lots of knock, knock jokes these days and the punchlines are these wild rambling tales that she finds HILARIOUS. You know the knock, knock joke where you answer, banana... banana... banana... orange and then finally... orange you glad I didn't say banana?

Anyway, knock, knock? Who's there? Thiabendozole. Imazalil, who?

I bought a case of oranges from CostCo last week and when I got them home saw this little warning... I did a little scary research (the results listed lovely things like contact dermatitis, chemicals used to bind metals to prevent lead poisoning, 90% of the chemicals are processed by rats...), I decided to put the oranges in a warm water bath to dissolve the wax and hopefully some of the chemicals. I just wanted to make orange juice, trying to stave off some of the Spring colds and junk that's going around. This is what the oranges look like when I washed them. This is what they looked like after the warm water bath. I don't think I should have to wear gloves while making orange juice, do you? Kinda gross, right?

I know the president has alot on his plate, but don't you think it would be smart if we start to push these issues on a national level? He has children and I'm sure is concerned about what they eat and how it affects them and whether or not he and other parents have to google ingredients to feel safe.

Cool Taco Truck Prints...

These are cool. You can hear the sound of the horn right?

Book Review: The Cracker Kitchen by Janice Owen

One of the more fabulous benefits of having a food blog is the occasional cookbook that lands on your doorstep. My postman would probably prefer I was reviewing paperback children's books or lightweight poetry chapbooks, but instead he has to deliver these escoffier tomes.

The most recent book I received is Janice Owen's The Cracker Kitchen. I love books that offer as much character and writing as recipes, and this one is all character. There's real culture behind the recipes and if you think of the mid-west and the south as "fly-over states" it's not for you. It's not for the vegetarian faint of heart either, since the recipes for frogs legs and hog jowls might freak you out. But if you grew up knowing black-eyed peas go into Texas Cavier and Hoecake's need honey, you'll dig this collection. Owens identifies cracker culture as another American fusion culture, defined by "a near pathological love for family..." That's right on. There's a utilitarian passion in these recipes. Take for example the chicken... this is a great collection, with fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, giblet gravy, chicken tenderloins, chicken perloo, and plain old chicken gravy.

Pat Conroy penned the intro and calls the book, "a love letter to celebrate poor white people and people in the South..." and it is.. and it's also a love letter to mayo, lots and lots of MAYO. I guess there are folks in my family who are crackers... they say "eye-talian" when they mean "Italian" and don't take crap off anyone. While I don't think I'll be making baked Aramadillo anytime soon, I do appreciate having a definitive recipe for Lane Cake and Buttermilk Pie, and I can't wait to make peach cobbler with buttermilk in the fruit.