Save Small Farms and Home Gardens: HB 875 by Jean Ann Van Krevelen

[Joanne98]

I am not one to overreact about early legislative efforts. New bills are always stuffed full of language that will never make it to the final version. But HR 875 is a different matter.

It is not just the drastic regulatory language that scares me. It is that it represents agribusinesses next step on the path to world food domination. And though that sounds like an over exaggeration, it is not.

Companies like Monsanto have already invaded our food and seed supply. They have successfully obtained patents for GMO seeds and have cornered the market on seed sales. They have sued farmers for harvesting and using seeds from their own corn because it was accidentally cross-pollinated with their varieties. And now they are trying to push through legislation, via Rep. Rosa DeLauro, whose husband works for Monsanto.

Please, don’t let this bill get out of committee. There are other ways to protect our food supply. Let’s not create a perfect storm by eliminating the few small farmers who are still growing non-gmo, genetically diverse crops.

For more information, check out this OpEdNews piece…a bit on the extreme side, but still has relevant information. Also check out OpenCongress, a cool site that lets you track bills, legislators, etc, leave comments and keep an eye on hot button topics. At the end is a link that will help you automatically send feedback to your elected officials and local newspapers. Here’s what I wrote, feel free to copy and edit:

I am increasingly concerned about the potential effects of HR 875. This bill is clearly designed to benefit big agribusiness and to make it nearly impossible for smaller farms to comply. The sweeping language of this legislation could even impact people growing their own food in backyard gardens. This effort is clearly being pushed by small farm destroying companies like Monsanto.

Oregon will not benefit from this kind of outside regulation. Further, we do not need a completely new regulatory agency to deal with food safety issues. Please, read this bill and take action. Don’t let agribusiness destroy family farms and urban homesteaders.

Sincerely,
Jean Ann Van Krevelen

Get involved and say no to Monsanto and others like them who care about absolutely nothing but making money.

see

www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h875/ (H.R. 875)

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/save-small-farms-and-home-gardens-hb-875-by-jean-ann-van-krevelen/

[greenbird]

1. Other DU threads on this very subject:

With all due respect, several DUers have explored and discussed this bill in detail.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x435119

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=268x2400

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x435119

I urge you to read these threads and read the bill before calling your congresspeople. I feel pretty sure you'll change your mind. Take DUer Grinchie's advice: read it, sleep on it, have a cup of coffee and carefully consider.

[Brazenly Liberal]

2. Disagree. We DO need a new agency to oversee food safety.

Splitting the job between the FDA and the USDA has been a train wreck. The failures of both agencies to protect our food supply have been scandalous case studies in incompetence and outright malfeasance. (eg: reacting to the discovery of Mad Cow in a US cow by decreasing the number of cows tested for the disease.)

Furthermore, there has long been a revolving door between both agencies and the companies whose activities they are supposed to oversee. As the same officials drift back and forth, regulations protecting consumers have been gutted or eliminated.