NAIS Scrapped By USDA… but….

NAIS, for the meantime, has been shelved by the USDA. This sounds good, but…. and I say this with a capital “B”… that we should not reduce our vigilance where any sort of government intrusion into our food system is concerned.

Says USDA Secretary Vilsack, “We are committed to working in partnership with States, Tribal Nations and industry in the coming months to address many of the details of this framework, and giving ample opportunity for farmers and ranchers and the public to provide us with continued input through this process.” Let’s make sure this happens; that we who are committed to local food &  preserving our small farms stay on the ball and not get complacent. We are not to let our guard down, not even for a minute.

I am bothered by this:  These steps will include accelerating actions to lessen the risk from diseases–such as tuberculosis–posed by imported animals, and WHY do we have to IMPORT animals for our food? … improving response capabilities, and focusing on greater collaboration and analyses with States and industry on potential disease risk overall. Keeping in mind, here, that small farmers’ livestock has never contributed to the beef industry food recalls.

One of USDA’s  first steps will be to convene a forum with animal health leaders for the States and Tribal Nations to initiate a dialogue about the possible ways of achieving the flexible, coordinated approach to animal disease traceability Flexible should take into consideration the small farmers and consumers who own livestock.  They should not be lumped in with the massive feed lots, (CAFOS) and withor compared to facilities which breed disease.

ALL of us need to be more aware of where our food comes from and what’s in it.  Read this Organic Consumer’s article for a quick briefing.  It’s written by a farmer.

We CANNOT RELAX on this issue!  Special interest groups like Monsanto, Cargill, ADM and Tyson and major food retailers like Wal-Mart are NOT out to protect consumers!  Wal-Mart is aggressively raising the level of food imports as reported in Supermarket News.  U.S. food imports are staggering.  WHY should we allow the government to use us as Guinea pigs so that retailers can save money? Imports are on the rise, even since this 2004  article.

Across this land people are starting to wake up regarding our food:  what’s in it, where it comes from and how its produced.  Everyone who is concerned needs to voice their opinion.  The thousands of letters, e-mails and phone calls made obviously reached someone in the government.  The 100 organizations who opposed NAIS and millions of consumers who called, faxed or signed online petitions – accomplished something.

Now is NOT the time to quit!

Oprah, Michael Pollan and Food, Inc

The Oprah Effect has hit the local food movement!  Her show featuring Michael Pollan has given a boost to small farmers, pesticide free food, eating naturally and the movie, “Food, Inc.”

NOW will people get it about our food?  Will they see how Monsanto has bullied, threatened and sued farmers right out of business?  Is it possible that they will finally understand that McDonald’s, Burger King and others are not the ‘friends’ they thought they were?  Perhaps they will finally pick up Eric Schlosser’s book,  “Fast Food Nation” or READ (instead of just watch the documentary)  “Supersize Me” by Morton Spurlock. Those two publications alone, made me stop eating at fast food restaurants.  READ THEM.  If YOU can go back to eating Mickey D’s,  you’ve either got a stronger stomach than I have ~or~ you just plain don’t give a shit!

Our food has been hijacked and for the last 50 years or so we’ve been used as Guinea pigs.  Monsanto has lied about its Round-Up.  It is forcing farmers to buy their Round-Up ready GMO crops.

After reading the many postings and articles on what are food REALLY IS… how could anybody go to the store and look at food the same way again?  After watching Food, Inc or “Fresh, The Movie”,  one will see that our food isn’t what we are told it is.  It’s a pack of LIES!

PEOPLE:  Get behind your local farmers.  FIGHT for them because in doing so – you are FIGHTING FOR YOUR FOOD!  It is the consumers who have convinced corporations like Starbucks to stop buying Monsanto’s milk with growth hormones.  Learn about things like NAIS, which is threatening not only small farmers but organic farms -and- you consumers – yes, YOU – who own  a-n-y  livestock.

SHOP at FARMER’S MARKETS:  You’ll get to know where your food comes from.  You’ll ‘see’ the ‘face’ of your food.  Instead of the smiley deceitful face at Wal-Mart, who lie through their teeth about everything…  you will again be able to trust that your food IS free of pesticides, GMOs, antibiotics.

WHY DO YOU THINK WE’RE SUCH A SICK NATION….. our antibiotics don’t work because we’ve been eating them  e-v-e-r-y   day.  They’ve been in our milk, meat, eggs, cheese for decades.  (Doctors haven’t helped either.  They write millions of prescriptions a year for kids whose parents take them to their doctor at the first sniffle or slight fever!)  THE FOOD INDUSTRY IS TO BLAME!

WAKE UP, people!  Can you tear yourself away from texting for a minute to see what’s going on?  Get off your cell phone for awhile and do some research.   If you wonder why you’re so sick, so fat and crave that awful food… isn’t it about time to do something about it?

Are you, the public — FINALLY going to believe us nutty food activists and environmentalists?

God …. I hope so because TOGETHER…. we CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Let’s Take Back OUR FOOD!

If you think that environmental issues don’t concern you or there’s nothing you can do about them, you’re wrong! It is YOU, the AMERICAN CONSUMER who MUST SPEAK OUT, ACT UP and TAKE CONTROL.  The government, big corporations and agribusinesses are NOT acting in your best interests!  It’s their wallet that is the main concern, not yours!  So, get off your lazy, complacent butts and DO SOMETHING!

There are numerous sites detailing environmental disregard -and- total disregard for human life on this planet BY food companies and agricultural chemical companies.  You and I and this planet are being POISONED by thousands of chemicals a day because the likes of Monsanto and Bayer… those kindly aspirin people.

We do not know the long-term results of eating GMO (genetically modified organisms).  Nobody does!  GMO food have been made resistant to herbicides and GM food is so prevalent in today’s food.  This is frightening!  LEARN MORE!

DO THE RESEARCH.  Do it for your kids, your friends, your family, your friends and if you care enough – our planet.

GET INVOLVED!

This government is supposed to be FOR the PEOPLE and BY THE PEOPLE.

It isn’t.

It’s  FOR CORPORATE AMERICA  by CORPORATE AMERICA!

You CAN DO something….. only if you want to.  If you’re the   l e a s t    bit concerned about our food supply, if you care at all about what you’re kids are eating from ‘supposedly’ natural sources (much of  it lies…) ===  then DO SOMETHING!

What the food companies and the government are telling you isn’t always the truth!  We, the American people, have to stand up for our rights and make the FDA listen to us, not the corporate lobbyists!

HR2749 – call your congressmen/women and other legislators and TELL THEM TO VOTE NO on this bill.

It will hurt YOU, anybody who owns a few chickens, one cow,  some goats and every small farmer in this country.  It will force many of them out of business, JUST what the big agri-businesses want!

NAIS is NOT NICE

HR2749: Don’t Let the USDA & Agri-Business WIN

KEEP UP the PRESSURE ON YOUR LEGISLATORS and CONGRESSPEOPLE!

DON’T LET BIG FOOD and the USDA WIN !!!!!

It will hurt ALL OF US!

If you calledyour government officials on HR2749 to say to VOTE NO – CALL AGAIN! Send this to your neighbors, friends, co-workers, church members, health care professionals…. ANYBODY who is CONCERNED about OUR RIGHTS for GOOD, HEALTHY, CLEAN FOOD and also the RIGHTS OF SMALL FARMERS! The government has WAY TOO MUCH POWER over what’s IN OUR FOOD and how it’s made. If this bill passes….. YOU and I will suffer.  The “Food Police” will effectively shut down many, many small farmers because of the cost and bureaucracy OF NAIS and governmental regulation!

An informed consumer is a POWERFUL consumer!

HR2749 missed passing only by a few votes today, but it could come back tomorrow, Thursday.

No committee report, three different bill versions presented, last minute closed-door negotiations – complete mayhem.  Congress had no idea what they were voting on.

It could come up Thursday if the Rules Committee permits another vote – which we see as a complete abuse of power – under a closed rule that prohibits amendments and requires only a simple majority vote, highly unusual for this type of legislation.  We are unsure what the Rules Committee will do or allow.

PLEASE continue calling – call your representative AGAIN to voice your opposition over this bill and to attempts to rush it through without debate.

Contact your Representative: htt://www.House.gov

The bill still includes:

1) unprecedented and sweeping authority granted to FDA – access to records without cause, the authority to regulate all farming practices, and ability to impose substantial criminal and civil fines without a showing of harm;

2) lack of protection for small, organic and diversified farms – regulations created for large industrial facilities will financially ruin smaller operations;

3) a $500 annual registration fee whether making jam in your kitchen to sell within your community or if General Mills selling worldwide.

There is no amendment that will “fix” this bill.  We want to stop this bill.