Now they move onto food....

[fspitzdorf]

Control.... Must have control... I cannot see this ending well for most sub corporate farming enterprises... especially the little guys...

Everyone,  Meet HR 875... .

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875

[Jamisjockey]

Please post more.  What about the bill won't be good?  I don't have an hour to kill reading a farm bill.  Please post the nefarious points you're looking to instigate discussion of. 

[Nick1911]

I only read the summery.  Initial thoughts?  I hope this is used to keep poisonous crap from China off our shelves.

[longeyes]

What's wrong with it?  It adds food to energy and health care to the domain of the Feds.  It makes all food production, even on the small and local scale, subject to oversight by Federal regulators and regulations.  It will place draconian strictures on organic farms, home gardens, and street vendors.  Say goodbye to local farmers' markets.  Of course it is "for our own good" (there I go again with quotes, huh?) and our own protection, like all new age-socialist legislation that makes a mockery of individual rights.

If you want Federal bureaucrats controlling your life's essentials, you will love this bill, should it pass.

[MicroBalrog]

It adds food to energy and health care to the domain of the Feds.[/url]

Unfortunately, this is not new.

[makattak]

What's wrong with it?  It adds food to energy and health care to the domain of the Feds.  It makes all food production, even on the small and local scale, subject to oversight by Federal regulators and regulations.  It will place draconian strictures on organic farms, home gardens, and street vendors.  Say goodbye to local farmers' markets.  Of course it is "for our own good" (there I go again with quotes, huh?) and our own protection, like all new age-socialist legislation that makes a mockery of individual rights.

If you want Federal bureaucrats controlling your life's essentials, you will love this bill, should it pass.

??

What I thought when I read this was:

Is this a change of the FDA or a replacement or a second regulatory body?

The government is already involved in food.

[Jamisjockey]

What's wrong with it?  It adds food to energy and health care to the domain of the Feds.  It makes all food production, even on the small and local scale, subject to oversight by Federal regulators and regulations.  It will place draconian strictures on organic farms, home gardens, and street vendors.  Say goodbye to local farmers' markets.  Of course it is "for our own good" (there I go again with quotes, huh?) and our own protection, like all new age-socialist legislation that makes a mockery of individual rights.

If you want Federal bureaucrats controlling your life's essentials, you will love this bill, should it pass.

Not my point.  My point was that its a driveby posting.  Without sitting and reading the entire damn bill, I don't really know much about it.  If the poster would copy and paste and comment on a synposis of it, then I might be able to start working on understanding and forming an opinion.  I was trying to get that across without being snarky, I guess I failed.

[HankB]

. . .  It will place draconian strictures on organic farms, home gardens, and street vendors . . .

Home gardens?

Really?

Where in this new proposal does it say the guy with a couple of tomato plants or green peppers growing in his back yard is going to come under scrutiny by Federal food police?

(I vaguely recall that several decades ago some obscure congresscritter from a farm state said that home gardens should be banned, in order to help farmers; home gardens were competition. His idea got zero traction, and he took a lot of heat for his idiocy.)

[Fjolnirsson]

Home gardens?

Really?

Where in this new proposal does it say the guy with a couple of tomato plants or green peppers growing in his back yard is going to come under scrutiny by Federal food police?

(I vaguely recall that several decades ago some obscure congresscritter from a farm state said that home gardens should be banned, in order to help farmers; home gardens were competition. His idea got zero traction, and he took a lot of heat for his idiocy.)

No, not really, although I can understand why some would think this. The exclusionary language is rather buried, and you have to look sharp to find it.

(13) FOOD ESTABLISHMENT-

(A) IN GENERAL- The term ‘food establishment’ means a slaughterhouse (except those regulated under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Poultry Products Inspection Act), factory, warehouse, or facility owned or operated by a person located in any State that processes food or a facility that holds, stores, or transports food or food ingredients.

(B) EXCLUSIONS- For the purposes of registration, the term ‘food establishment’ does not include a food production facility as defined in paragraph (14), restaurant, other retail food establishment, nonprofit food establishment in which food is prepared for or served directly to the consumer, or fishing vessel (other than a fishing vessel engaged in processing, as that term is defined in section 123.3 of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations).

(14) FOOD PRODUCTION FACILITY- The term ‘food production facility’ means any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

So it means no more farmer's markets or produce stands.

 

I routinely shop at my town's Saturday morning farmer's market in the summer.  I've been doing it for years.  I have never, ever had any problems with it.  I get better food at lower prices, and I bet the farmers get more for their produce, too.  Adding a layer of FedGov bureaucrats will NOT improve things.

I say this bill SUCKS!

[Fjolnirsson]

So it means no more farmer's markets or produce stands.

 

I routinely shop at my town's Saturday morning farmer's market in the summer.  I've been doing it for years.  I have never, ever had any problems with it.  I get better food at lower prices, and I bet the farmers get more for their produce, too.  Adding a layer of FedGov bureaucrats will NOT improve things.

I say this bill SUCKS!

That's how I read it, yes. And of course it sucks. It's from the feds.

[longeyes]

I've read that Di Lauro's husband works for Monsanto.

Perhaps this bill is just a good-hearted attempt to protect us from negligent Chinese importers, then again there's that road to hell paved with good intentions.  I don't feel at all comfortable with the corporatization of the food chain.  The incestuous relationship between big corporations and Federal bureaucrats, both driving for control of the minutiae of our daily lives, is extremely disturbing, and we are seeing it extending its tentacles just about everywhere.  Maybe it's good to be a little paranoid in such matters and make sure our worst fears are never realized.

[bk425]

What's wrong with it?  It adds food to energy and health care to the domain of the Feds.  It makes all food production, even on the small and local scale, subject to oversight by Federal regulators and regulations.  It will place draconian strictures on organic farms, home gardens, and street vendors.  Say goodbye to local farmers' markets.  Of course it is "for our own good" (there I go again with quotes, huh?) and our own protection, like all new age-socialist legislation that makes a mockery of individual rights.

If you want Federal bureaucrats controlling your life's essentials, you will love this bill, should it pass.

That's it! I'm moving my chive plant away from the window and into a dark basement room with a 600 wat halide lamp! Then, I'm putting a medeco vault door on that room and proximity sensors in the yard. Pry my chives from my cold dead hands baby!! The chive plant read the thread about the police report on militias and it is -dis-gruntled-!!! -Boyd

PS For any federal agents reading, I would like to stress that this is satire. The chive plant is in the window, it will remain in the window of it's own volition. The chive plant will not attempt escape. The plants cooperation will not need to be encouraged by shooting and/or immolating the plant. Please wait a few seconds after knocking, I will glady -open- the door.

[Kingcreek]

I am a small farm organic grower and I network with others. I buy grass fed lamb from a neighbor and orchard fruit from another. Any of it is for damsure healthier and safer than anything ConAgra or Monsanto offers. If I have a problem it is between them and me and we don't need another government bureaucratic hoop to jump through. I don't have a problem with oversight on the big factory producers and importers- that's where every issue or problem has come from, not the small local folks

[Desertdog]

Quote from: longeyes on March 11, 2009, 12:26:31 AM
. . .  It will place draconian strictures on organic farms, home gardens, and street vendors . . .
Home gardens?

Really?

Where in this new proposal does it say the guy with a couple of tomato plants or green peppers growing in his back yard is going to come under scrutiny by Federal food police?

(I vaguely recall that several decades ago some obscure congresscritter from a farm state said that home gardens should be banned, in order to help farmers; home gardens were competition. His idea got zero traction, and he took a lot of heat for his idiocy.)

SEC. 401. PROHIBITED ACTS.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875
It is prohibited--

(1) to manufacture, introduce, deliver for introduction, or receive in interstate commerce any food that is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise unsafe;

(2) to adulterate or misbrand any food in interstate commerce;

(3) for a food establishment or foreign food establishment to fail to register under section 202, or to operate without a valid registration;

(4) to refuse to permit access to a food establishment or food production facility for the inspection and copying of a record as required under sections 205(f) and 206(a);

(5) to fail to establish or maintain any record or to make any report as required under sections 205(f) and 206(b);

(6) to refuse to permit entry to or inspection of a food establishment as required under section 205;

(7) to fail to provide to the Administrator the results of testing or sampling of food, equipment, or material in contact with food, that is positive for any contaminant under section 205(f)(1)(B);

(8) to fail to comply with a provision, regulation, or order of the Administrator under section 202, 203, 204, 206, or 208;

(9) to slaughter an animal that is capable for use in whole or in part as human food at a food establishment processing any food for commerce, except in compliance with the food safety law;

(10) to transfer food in violation of an administrative detention order under section 402 or to remove or alter a required mark or label identifying the food as detained;

(11) to fail to comply with a recall or other order under section 403; or

(12) to otherwise violate the food safety law.

[Desertdog]

[/quote]SEC. 405. CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES.

(a) Civil Sanctions-

(1) CIVIL PENALTY-

(A) IN GENERAL- Any person that commits an act that violates the food safety law (including a regulation promulgated or order issued under the food safety law) may be assessed a civil penalty by the Administrator of not more than $1,000,000 for each such act.

(B) SEPARATE OFFENSE- Each act described in subparagraph (A) and each day during which that act continues shall be considered a separate offense.
[/quote]

[Fjolnirsson]

SEC. 401. PROHIBITED ACTS.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875
It is prohibited--

(1) to manufacture, introduce, deliver for introduction, or receive in interstate commerce any food that is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise unsafe;

(2) to adulterate or misbrand any food in interstate commerce;

(3) for a food establishment or foreign food establishment to fail to register under section 202, or to operate without a valid registration;

(4) to refuse to permit access to a food establishment or food production facility for the inspection and copying of a record as required under sections 205(f) and 206(a);

(5) to fail to establish or maintain any record or to make any report as required under sections 205(f) and 206(b);

(6) to refuse to permit entry to or inspection of a food establishment as required under section 205;

(7) to fail to provide to the Administrator the results of testing or sampling of food, equipment, or material in contact with food, that is positive for any contaminant under section 205(f)(1)(B);

(Cool to fail to comply with a provision, regulation, or order of the Administrator under section 202, 203, 204, 206, or 208;

(9) to slaughter an animal that is capable for use in whole or in part as human food at a food establishment processing any food for commerce, except in compliance with the food safety law;

(10) to transfer food in violation of an administrative detention order under section 402 or to remove or alter a required mark or label identifying the food as detained;

(11) to fail to comply with a recall or other order under section 403; or

(12) to otherwise violate the food safety law.

Huh. I missed that bit when I read through it. Thanks for catching it.

[JonnyB]

If they really mean to end the small-scale "farmers' market" operations, the only realistic thing for these vendors to do is simply ignore the regulations.

Operate completely in the open, same as before. Practice civil disobedience. I may have to peddle off the excess produce this year just to piss off the feds...

I think Claire Wolfe is wrong.

jb

[Nitrogen]

How do local farmers markets affect interstate commerce?

[Kingcreek]

How do local farmers markets affect interstate commerce?

Some of us live near the state borders and travel freely across those.

[Desertdog]

How do local farmers markets affect interstate commerce?

If you buy from the farmer or the Farmr's Market, you don't buy from grocery chains, which do get a lot of inter-state product.

[K Frame]

Don't kid yourself.

I've seen a LOT of produce at "local" farmer's markets that have been commercially grown and shipped interstate.

[Nitrogen]

Don't kid yourself.

I've seen a LOT of produce at "local" farmer's markets that have been commercially grown and shipped interstate.

I'm just odd I guess, the few things i used to get from a farmers market, I *KNOW* where they came from, and I know the folks that grow/made it.  Mostly, it's corn and cheese.  The corn comes from a local guy's small farm, and he had a sign detailing the few chemicals/pesticides he used to grow it.

[MicroBalrog]

How do local farmers markets affect interstate commerce?

Even growing your own food and eating it affects intersate commerce. Wickard v. Filburne.

[K Frame]

No, not odd at all.

I shop primarily at Amish farmer's markets in Pennsylvania, and a lot of what I get there I know is locally grown.

But, I also know that some of it is not locally grown.

As far as I know, there are no laws regulating whether or not sellers at a farmer's market have to state if the product was locally grown or not.