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!
Because I feel very strongly about supporting local food endeavors and educating people on environmental issues, I recently made an announcement of an upcoming showing of “Fresh, The Movie” and “Food, Inc.”
In my e-mail I stated: “Please keep this in the back of your minds to come to because these are two VERY IMPORTANT films that anyone concerned about our food supply really needs to see.”
I received an reply from a editor in the Charlottesville area:
“I question the validity of your statement that either or both of these films are important for everyone to see.”
Excuse me????
If you are truly concerned about our food system I would think that you’d want people to see these films.
If you feel that the public has been purposely kept in the dark by the FDA, USDA, the food industry, large corporations like Wal-Mart, chemical giants such as Monsanto, fast food companies and large agribusiness concerns, how can you ‘question the validity’ of my attempt to educate consumers?
Current health statistics cite rising rates of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, food allergies, birth defects and a host of diseases from our modern diet. Consumption of food laced with pesticides, additives, hormones, antibiotics, artificial colorings and flavorings are making people sick. Society’s dependence on cheap processed foods, proffered by our ‘friends’ in the food industry and fast food chains, have led to a frightening rate of obesity, illness & premature death. With this in mind, can you honestly say that either or both of these films are NOT important?
Pending legislation threatens the very existence of small farms and farmer’s markets across this country. Passage, without amendments, will sound a death knell for small farmers and severely damage organic food concerns. If you support our farmers and local food initiatives, then I would hope you would be for the dissemination of this information.
If you are committed to preserving the right of citizens to get their food directly from small farmers, instead of corporate giants who put profits ahead of the health of their customers, why then do you not support this venue?
Are you at all concerned about Monsanto and their tactics of bullying, spying on and putting small farmers out of business through litigation?
Do you question Monsanto’s worldwide monopoly for Round-Up Ready crops? What about the environmental effect of farmer’s increasing use of pesticides on all GMOs? Are you unfazed about the environmental impact of pesticides on the health of this planet & ALL of its inhabitants?
“Fresh” captured many accolades in 2009. Among them were official selections from: Environmental Film Festival, Sustainable Living Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, Maine International Film Festival and the Kerry Film Festival. It was reviewed far and wide, garnering praise for insightful views into the food world.
“Food, Inc” also was applauded in many circles last year. In addition to the Gotham Award, it also was on the list for Academy Award for Best Documentary, the 25th Anniversary Spirit Award, and is on the list for an Oscar Award.
Everyone that I’ve talked to who has seen either (or both) agrees that these two films are important.
Methinks, dear scribe, that you are outnumbered!
Are you for the Earth? What about buying & eating locally produced food?
Are you REALLY for these things or do you just have bumper stickers on your vehicle that say so?
Step up to the plate, America. Don’t just SAY you’re ‘for’ the environment:
DO for the environment, BE FOR the environment, get out in the trenches FOR the environment.
What about food? Do you SAY you’re for good food…, do you SAY you’re for the small farmer? Do you DO anything FOR the small farmers?
….. or do you do all your shopping at Wal-Mart because it’s cheaper?
….. or do you come home from work and feed microwaveable crap to your kids because its quicker?
….. or do you pack their lunches full of fruit juices with HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), food laden with chemicals, artificial ingredients and salt?
….. or do you go out to eat at fast food establishments like McDonald’s who serve ‘food’ that really isn’t food but nothing more than artificial ingredients, flavorings? The meat comes from animals who’ve been raised in factory farms and pumped full of hormones, steroids and antibiotics? You’re ‘lovin it’ all the same, right?
It’s lonely out here in the vast food fight arena. Mainstream America is still too brainwashed by commercials that says Mickey D’s really serves good food; that the Healthy Choice meal you’ve nuked is good for you (READ the ingredients - if you can’t identify it, it CAN’T be good for you!)
Visit your local farmer’s market. Ask questions. Ask to come for a farm tour. Fellow VICFA member, Joel Salatin in Swope, Virginia WILL let you tour his farm. Read Michael Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilema” for a lot more info on Joel and the food industry.
Bumper stickers make us feel good - like we’re doing something. For far too many of us, though, we’re just not into doing, but are into just being.
We’re not going to get anywhere unless everyone who has read this - and more of you - actually get out there and voice your opposition to the food industry. Monsanto has been getting away with murder (literally) between poisoning the Earth with Round-Up, getting PATENTS on SEEDS - that’s right - which force farmers to use perticides and herbicides. The U.S. government has been bought by the food industry and now wants to pass a sweeping food ’safety’ bill and NAIS that will just about be the end of many, many small farmers, organic farms and farmer’s markets all across the country!
VICFA’s Kathryn Russell tragically died in a car accident on Thursday, October 22nd and this means that the local food movement has lost one of its greatest fighters. She was VICFA’s (Virginia Independent Consumers & Farmers) founder and advocate for local food, raw milk. A political activist, she was leading the fight to enable us to choose our food sources. She was a courageous woman, wife, mother, grandmother and wonderful person.
If first met Kathryn last year following the horrific mauling of another VICFA member, Deb Naylor of Dillwyn. Deb had been attacked and nearly killed by sows at her farm in May. I’d started a fund raising bank account and planned other events for Deb. Kathryn, in her usual take action way, was right there to help with getting the word out. She was so helpful and did so much to make it easier for me - I will never forget her kindness!
At the annual VICFA “Farm Food Voices Day” held outside Charlottesville, we finally met! I fell in love with her genuine kindness, enthusiasm, and was inspired by dedication to local food. She, along with her daughter Laura, had arranged for me to have not only one booth for selling tickets for a quilt raffle for Deb Naylor - but TWO!
Although I didn’t know her well, she impressed me with her total dedication to the local food movement and our right TO HAVE OUR CHOICE of where and who we buy our food from! Realizing, as many of us ‘food activists’ do, that the government isn’t always on our side, more often having been bought by the food industry for it’s own interests - she led her crusade tirelessly. From blogs to radio to TV and in the local press she was a wealth of information and inspiration.
I vow to carry on with my own work in her stead; to stand up for food rights and not back down - just like she did. I’ve launched a new site to continue to spread the word: Good Food For All.
Kathryn - we all will miss you. We thank you for being the voice and inspiring many to join the fight for better food, and a healthier planet for us all. We love you! My most sincere condolences to her family, friends, community in North Garden, VA and to all who knew her far better than I.
To the uninitiated on the reality of where your food r e a l l y comes from, “FRESH” is probably a bit upsetting.
This is why the local food movement is so important, folks! Together we are strong. Together, our voices can and will be heard! We can make ‘Big Food” and our government stand up and take notice.
Without v o i c e s , though, the silence shouts a message of its own.
Silence = complacence. Silence is an acceptance, acquiescence, agreement, submission…, “Oh, it’s OK!”
NO IT ISN’T
We have been lied to, used as Guinea pigs, lab rats and been made sick by our food. The very few control the entire food industry in the U.S. and the world. We’ve been brainwashed to t r u s t the government and the food companies and now look!
We’ve got record numbers of cancers from children up, diabetes in all sectors of the population, and numbers are rising. Children are predisposed to heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, cholesterol numbers higher than most adults, and this is all even before they’re out of grade school!
Adults are gobbling medicines to treat preventable diseases like high blood pressure to acid reflux. Acid reflux has even become common in children!
Why?
Things like s o d a and fast food….. from your ‘friends’ at Mickey D’s and The Colonel.
Answer one question: Is THIS the life you want for yourself and your children or grandchildren?
Probably not.
LEARN MORE
Read some reviews– learn and GET INVOLVED.
http://www.google.com/movies/reviews?cid=b3fa7714d5f1e2e3&hl=en&oi=moviesr
If you’re into eating local food, you have to see this trailer for the movie “FRESH”. If you’re NOT into local food - watch it anyway!
Joel Salatin, of PolyFace Farm is featured in this film, as is another inspiration for the growing local food movement, Will Allen of Growing Power. Russ Kremer a hog farmer in Missouri, nearly died from an antibiotic resistant staph infection after being gored by one of his animals. These men, along with hundreds of other across this nation are in the forefront of the sustainable agriculture movement and local food.
Food production in this nation has long been a sort of secret society. We all blindly accepted that the groceries we bought at our local store were good for us. Ads on TV and radio promised its goodness and purity. Chemicals were our friends, weren’t they? Why, good old Monsanto and others promised us they were safe, there was no danger to our children or pets, and yes - we could even spray the stuff on our vegetable gardens and eat the veggies right away! Now, however, the spotlight is ON them, their dirty little secrets are being found out.
The public is getting smarter and starting to realize that corporate America isn’t and hasn’t been acting in their best interests. That’s why farmer’s markets have become so popular. People get to know where their food comes from. They get to meet the farmer (or his/her representative) each week. Their food has a ‘face’ so to speak. A connection has been made.
Get informed about what you eat! All is NOT what it seems!