Hi, everybody.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't post something like this to this group, but I just found
out about it, and it directly the philosophy of this group and it's members.

There is legislation in the US Congress right now (House bill HR 875,
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h875/text, and Senate bill S 425,
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s425/text) called the Food Safety
Modernization Act. Among other things, this legislation would establish a
government agency that has the power to regulate, audit, and inspect the
operations and records of "any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture
facility, or confined animal-feeding operation", including tracking the food
produced.

Notice that there is no limitation on the size of those farms, ranches,
orchards, etc. This could cripple small produce and commercial organic farming
by saddling them with another layer of federal and state regulations that would
require extensive documentation and record-keeping - meaning time and expense,
for people who are working pretty close to the margins as it is. Try to imagine
Thursdays in Allegan with no farm market. Imagine fall in West Michigan without
going to Crane's Orchards for cider and donuts, or going up to Traverse City and
not getting cherries, or no more open events at Fenn Valley Winery.

There are some decent provisions in this bill. It would tighten up inspections
on imported foods, and on large food processing plants, for example. But there
are no protections for small scale operations that pose little threat to the
food supply, and simply can't afford the type of requirements that this
legislation would mandate.

I urge all of you to contact your federal representative (Fred Upton,
http://www.house.gov/upton/contact.html) and senators (Debbie Stabenow,
http://stabenow.senate.gov/contact.htm and Carl Levin,
http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm), and ask them to work to defeat this
bill. Then spread the word around to everyone you know.

Thanks.

-Chuck