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Action Alert for Fresh Vegetable Growers, and an Update on NAIS FundingA National Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement could harm family-scale farmers. Attend a hearing or submit written comments today! The USDA is holding hearings across the country in September and October to allow the public — especially fresh vegetable growers and handlers — to comment on a proposed agreement that would authorize the development and implementation of production and handling regulations for a long list of fresh vegetables, primarily leafy greens. The proposed marketing agreement would allow corporate leafy green handlers to attach a USDA-backed “food safety seal” to lettuce, spinach, cabbage and other vegetables. But, since the standards would be written by big industry, it would be impractical for local farmers at farmers markets, CSAs and roadside stands to use that same seal. This marketing ploy could lead many consumers to assume that vegetables from industrial-scale monoculture farms (primarily in California) are safer than the leafy greens at local farmers markets. Although claiming to be a food safety measure, there’s no proof that these standards would actually prevent food borne illness. Standards in California, which would likely provide the basis for the national program, have not prevented contamination. To the contrary, on September 18, a signatory to the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement recalled 1,715 cartons of spinach due to salmonella contamination!
TAKE ACTION Hearings will be held in seven locations (CA, FL, OH, CO, AZ, NY, NC), listed below. Please try to attend the hearing nearest you, especially if you grow or handle leafy greens! Although the proposal has not been published in the Federal Register for a formal comment period, USDA’s website states that it is accepting written comments. You can send comments via email to FVinfo@ams.usda.gov or to the street address below: Michael V. Durando, Chief TALKING POINTS: – I am opposed to the leafy greens marketing agreement At a minimum, if the proposal is not stopped, USDA should include significant changes: – An exemption for organic and small-scale, diverse farmers. LOCATIONS AND DATES: * September 22-24 — Hyatt Regency Monterey 1 Old Golf Course Road Monterey, California (831) 372–1234. * September 30-October 1 — Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk 1515 Prudential Drive Jacksonville, Florida (904) 396–5100. * October 6 — Greater Columbus Convention Center, Room D130 400 North High Street Columbus, Ohio (614) 827–2500. * October 8 — Denver Airport Marriot at Gateway Park 16455 East 40th Circle Aurora, Colorado (303) 371–4333. * October 14-15 — Yuma Civic Center, Yuma Room, 1440 Desert Hills Drive Yuma, Arizona (928) 373–5040. * October 20 — Renaissance Syracuse Hotel 701 East Genesee Street Syracuse, New York (315) 479–7000. * October 22 — Charlotte Marriott Executive Park 5700 Westpark Drive Charlotte, North Carolina (704) 527–9650. The Cornucopia Institute has developed additional talking points, which are posted at http://www.cornucopia.org/LeafyGreens/LG_TalkingPoints.pdf. You can also email cultivate@cornucopia.org if you are planning to attend one of the hearing sessions or have questions. NAIS Funding Update The House and Senate are still working out the differences between their versions of the 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill. If you haven’t called the conferees yet, please call as soon as possible! Below is a list of conference committee members. The Senate conferees have been formally named, while the House members are those that we think are most likely to be named. If you live in one of the member’s states, please call or fax that member. If no one from your state is on the conference committee, then contact Senator Kohl and Representative DeLauro (the chairs of the Agriculture Appropriations Committees). Ask to speak to the staffer who handles agriculture appropriations, and tell them that you want Congress to stop funding NAIS! You can find additional talking points in our letter. Senate Conference Committee Members Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AK) phone: 202-224-2353 fax: 202-228-0908 House Conference Committee Members (Likely): Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) phone: 202-225-2861 fax: 202-225-6791 Working together, we can make our voices heard. Judith McGeary 8308 Sassman Rd., Austin, TX 78747 1 Comment to Action Alert for Fresh Vegetable Growers, and an Update on NAIS Funding[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Teri Rehkopf. Teri Rehkopf said: Action Alert for Fresh Vegetable Growers, and an Update on NAIS Funding http://bit.ly/JaIhm [...] Leave a comment |
September 27, 2009