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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>From
Treehugger.com today, an article addressing HR 875 ::: <a
href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/law-farmers-market-vendor-million-fine.php?dcitc=daily_nl">http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/law-farmers-market-vendor-million-fine.php?dcitc=daily_nl</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>A '<a
href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875"><span
style='color:#384355'>Food Safety Modernization</span></a>' bill was recently
introduced to the House of Representatives—and as it stands, a new
government organization could fine food vendors, manufacturers, distributors,
and farmers up to $1 million dollars for violating "food safety law."
Per violation. It's created a minor uproar in the small and organic farm
community, as some worry that the massive fee could hit our friendly
neighborhood <a
href="http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/take-a-trip-to-the-farmers-mar.html"><span
style='color:#384355'>farmers' market vendors</span></a> and local farmers. So
if the bill passes, will your favorite produce seller be hit with a $1,000,000
fine? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><a name=more></a><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>Technically, he could. But he most
certainly won't. <b>Yet conspiracy theory websites are already heralding the <a
href="http://cryptogon.com/?p=7362"><span style='color:#384355'>end of farmers'
markets</span></a>, and bloggers are melodramatically bidding farewell to <a
href="http://www.opednews.com/articles/Goodbye-farmers-markets-C-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-090303-287.html"><span
style='color:#384355'>CSAs and roadside stands</span></a></b>. <b><u>This is
what you'd call an overreaction.</u></b> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><b><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>What the Bill Actually Does</span></b><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'> <br>
<b><u>The bill's intention is not to heap millions in dollars of fines on small
farms and food vendors.</u></b> In fact, it's instead a much needed, long
overdue piece of legislation that will streamline the government's food safety
and inspection system. As I've noted before, the current food regulation system
is a big fat mess—the USDA and FDA (and dozens of agencies within both)
each inspect different kind of foods and have little inter-organization
communication. And we end up with <a
href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/dont_blame_just.php"><span
style='color:#384355'>peanut butter poisoned with salmonella</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>Hence, the creation of a <a
href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/us-department-food-safety.php"><span
style='color:#384355'>Food Safety Administration</span></a>: a single,
streamlined department charged with regulating food that would cut out the
bureaucratic tangle that allows for miscommunication and sloppy inspecting. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><b><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>The Law Will <i>Not</i> Fine Small
Farm Owners $1 Million</span></b><span style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'><br>
Thus, the bill now targets <i>all</i> food manufacturers and distributors, and
yes, under the current wording, that includes small farmers. But it also
includes <a
href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/walmart-largest-buyer-locally-grown-produce.php"><span
style='color:#384355'>Wal-Mart</span></a>. Which do you think would be the
recipient of a million dollar fine for selling unsafe foodstuffs? The massive
fine is an attempt to discourage companies for engaging in unsafe food
production—how much attention do you think big corporations would pay if
the fine were $250? Granted, some distinction should be made in the
legislation's wording—but the bill has only been introduced. It's still
has to pass through the House and the Senate, where such technicalities could
be hammered out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>Other things that bother the small
farm community about the bill include a proposed registration process that
would force anyone who produces food for retail to sign up with the government
and agree to allow inspectors on their grounds. Again, these are blanket
rules—the bill's drafters attempted to include all food retailers, from <a
href="http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/community-supported-agriculture.html"><span
style='color:#384355'>CSA farmers</span></a> to McDonald's beef distribution
centers, under the same umbrella. While this is certainly an overreaching way
to go about food regulation, it's still a step in the right direction. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><b><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>The Real Effect on Small Farms</span></b><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'><br>
I can't imagine this resulting in anything more than a little paperwork and a
brief headache for small farmers—they have no reason to worry about a
seven figure fine. That amount is intended to account for corporate ne'er
food-do-wells, and is therefore a pretty damn good incentive to keep factories
and meat packing plants clean. So, especially if that blanket,
one-rule-fits-all wording gets clarified, this is one bill very much worth
supporting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>Read the <a
href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875"><span
style='color:#384355'>Food Safety Modernization Act</span></a> for yourself,
and see if you think it'll kill the farmers' market as we know it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><b><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>More on Farmers' Markets:</span></b><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'><br>
<a
href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/farmers_markets_not_perfect.php"><span
style='color:#384355'>Farmers Markets : Great, But Still Not Perfect</span></a><br>
<a
href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/farmers-market-best-strategies.php"><span
style='color:#384355'>5 Strategies for Getting the Most from Your Farmers '
Market ...</span></a><br>
<a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/06/greenleaf_market.php"><span
style='color:#384355'>GreenLeaf Market : An Online Farmer's Market</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt;background:white'><b><span
style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'>Thirsty for more? Check out these
related articles:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/25-percent-reduction-global-food-supply-by-2050-organic-agriculture-part-of-solution.php?daylife=1&dcitc=daylife-article"><span
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";
color:black'>::: shauna </span><span style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";
color:#913200'>lawyer</span><span style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";
color:black'> struby</span><b><span style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";
color:#913200'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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