Public Meetings Re: Animal Traceability

The USDA has announced three meetings where citizens can voice their opinions about
the new proposed Animal Traceability Program. The meetings are at:

• Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Holiday Inn Kansas City – SE Waterpark
9103 East 39th Street
Kansas City, MO 64133
• Thursday, May 13, 2010
USDA Center at Riverside
4700 River Road
Riverdale, MD 20737

• Monday, May 17, 2010
Crowne Plaza – Denver International Airport
15500 East 40th Avenue
Denver, CO 80239

The meetings will discuss the impact of the new program, outlined at
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2010/02/0053.xml

The USDA wants to alert people that there will be a $4 parking fee at the Maryland
site, but there is public transportation nearby.

For those of us who aren't near any of these sites, we need to send emails, letters
or phone calls to the USDA office and to our Federal Legislators.

The USDA has stated that there will be additional public sessions in the future. We
will be posting those as we are able to discover them.

There is a page at the USDA Animal Traceability Site that has an FAQ about the program. Please take the time to read that document and make comments with those explanations in mind.

This is the USDA's new NAIS approach. We got it stopped the first time around, so let's use this opportunity to craft an approach that will work.

There is a grassroots group that is offering suggestions in a letter being sent to Secretary Vilsack, which makes helpful suggestions that affect small farmers/ranchers throughout the nation. I am a part of that group so I can assure you that many of our concerns are reflected there.
- Pat Stewart

Food Safety Bill

There is a new bill on the floor of the Senate that will make it more difficult to maintain freedom of food choice. If you want to know more about it, please visit www.smallholdersalliance.com and see what's afoot. The bill itself is dangerous, but the amendment put forward by Senator Tester is a good one, and needs to be passed. Please check it out and spread the word. Time is of the essence. If this bill goes into affect as is, the FDA could come to the farm and try an interfere with things they don't understand. The USDA may not be perfect, but the FDA is much less informed about farm matters, yet they will have control over practices and potential business that they currently don't have the authority to do anything about.

Please help protect our freedom to grow our own food and sell to those who trust us. Thanks, Pat