This is disturbing news; anyone know more? Please distribute widely.


--
Sandra @ Thistle Cove Farm
www.thistlecovefarm.com
www.thistlecovefarm.blogspot.com


HR 875 The food police, criminalizing organic farming and the backyard
gardener, and violation of the 10th amendment

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=12671

This bill is sitting in committee and I am not sure when it is going to hit
the floor. One thing I do know is that very few of the Representatives have
read it. As usual they will vote on this based on what someone else is
saying. Urge your members to read the legislation and ask for opposition to
this devastating legislation. Devastating for everyday folks but great for
factory farming ops like Monsanto, ADM, Sodexo and Tyson to name a few.

I have no doubt that this legislation was heavily influenced by lobbyists
from huge food producers. This legislation is so broad based that
technically someone with a little backyard garden could get fined and have
their property siezed. It will effect anyone who produces food even if
they do not sell but only consume it. It will literally put all independent
farmers and food producers out of business due to the huge amounts of money
it will take to conform to factory farming methods. If people choose to
farm without industry standards such as chemical pesticides and fertilizers
they will be subject to a vareity of harassment from this completely new
agency that has never before existed. That's right, a whole new government
agency is being created just to police food, for our own protection of
course.

DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, READ THIS LEGISLATION FOR YOURSELF. The more
people who read this legislation the more insight we are going to get and be
able to share. Post your observations and insights below. Urge your
members to read this legislation and to oppose the passage of this
legislation.

Pay special attention to

- Section 3 which is the definitions portion of the bill-read in it's
entirety.
- section 103, 206 and 207- read in it's entirety.

Red flags I found and I am sure there are more...........

- Legally binds state agriculture depts to enforcing federal guidelines
effectively taking away the states power to do anything other than being
food police for the federal dept.
- Effectively criminalizes organic farming but doesn't actually use the
word organic.
- Effects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it but
consuming it.
- Effects anyone producing meat of any kind including wild game.
- Legislation is so broad based that every aspect of growing or producing
food can be made illegal. There are no specifics which is bizarre
considering how long the legislation is.
- Section 103 is almost entirely about the administrative aspect of the
legislation. It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory
farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow
them to determine and interpret the legislation. Who do you think they are
going to side with?
- Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility
and what will be enforced up all food production facilities. The wording is
so broad based that a backyard gardener could be fined and more.
- Section 207 requires that the state's agriculture dept act as the food
police and enforce the federal requirements. This takes away the states
power and is in violation of the 10th amendment.
- There are many more but by the time I got this far in the legislation I
was so alarmed that I wanted to bring someone's attention to it. (to the one
person who reads my blog)

Didn't Stalin nationalize farming methods that enabled his administration to
gain control over the food supply? Didn't Stalin use the food to control
the people?

Last word...... Legislate religion and enforce gag orders on ministers on
what can and can't be said in the pulpit, instituting regulations forcing
people to rely soley on the government, control the money and the food.
What is that called? It is on the tip of my tongue..........

I haven't read any of the Senate's version of the bill as I have been poring
thru the House's version. Here is the link and I hope some of you can take
a look and post your observations and insights below. One thing I am pretty
sure of is that very few if any Senator's have actually read the legislation
and when it comes up for a vote they will more than likely take someone
else's word on how they should vote. The other thing I am pretty sure about
is that the legislation was probably written by lobbyists and industry
experts.

S 425 http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s425:
<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s425:>

Things you can do

1. Contact your members at 202-224-3121 and ask them to oppose HR 875 and
S 425. While you are at it ask them if they personally have read the
legislation and what their position is? If they have not read the
legislation ask them to read it and politely let them know that just because
other representitives are not reading the legislation and voting on it does
not mean they can do the same.
2. Get in touch with local farmers and food producers by attending a
local farmers market and asking them how business is.
3. Attend a local WAPF meeting, this is a good start to learning about
what is going on in farming and local & state initiatives . The website is
http://www.westonaprice.org/localchapters/index.html
4. Check out the Farmers Legal Defense Fund at
http://www.ftcldf.org/index.html
5. Find out who sits on your states agriculture and farming committee and
contact them with your concerns.
6. Continue to contact your elected officials and let them know your
position on legislation and why.
7. Get active at the local and state levels, this is the quickest way to
initiate change.


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