HR 875 and SB 425 Threaten Farms, Ranches and Vegetable Gardens

Klamath Falls, OR:  Enough is enough. Farmers, ranchers, and backyard gardeners: Pay attention. While the news media is whipping up public anger over AIG bonuses and such, a very bad law is being pushed without public comment or debate. House Resolution 875 and Senate 425 are bad laws. They are “food safety” laws that will drive the small farm and ranch right out of business. It would seem that the government now wants to crawl into our backyards.

Do you sell eggs to your neighbors? Do you give that extra zucchini squash to your friend? Do you grow a summer garden of fresh vegetables? Well, guess what? That could all be illegal with thousands of dollars in fines and even land seizure if these bills are passed.

This is no joke. If you grow a vegetable garden in the summer, it could be declared a “food processing facility” and you could be subject to the rules of this socialistic law. If you don’t believe me, Google these bills and read them. 

Fruit stands and farmers markets will become a thing of the past as will family garden plots. You won’t see any more co-op garden plots or anything like them. These bills must be opposed.

They would include; “any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal feeding operation.”

They went on to say; “any food establishment that processes all other categories of food products not described.”

This gives them too broad a scope to where, if they wanted to, they could declare your backyard garden a “food process facility.” Everyone wants safer food, but not at the expense of driving the farmer and rancher out of business or criminalizing a backyard garden.

Call, write, and e-mail your congressional representatives and tell them to oppose these bad laws. 

Leonard Galley
Chiloquin

Notes: 

See H.R. 875: Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (GovTrack.us) and S. 425: Food Safety and Tracking Improvement Act (GovTrack.us)

This information and more can be found at the Klamath Bucket Brigade's website: http://klamathbucketbrigade.org/index.html.

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