News | Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance

Call your U.S. Representative to support Farm Bill amendments for independent and non-GMO farmers

The U.S. House of Representatives is about to start debating its version of the Farm Bill, H.R. 1947. Over 200 amendments have been introduced, including several important amendments to protect farmers from burdensome food safety regulations and prevent the unauthorized release of genetically engineered crops.

Can you call today? It takes just a couple of minutes, and it truly does make a difference!

TAKE ACTION

Call your U.S. Representative. The Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121, or you can find contact information (including links to online contact forms) at www.house.gov.

MESSAGE (you may add a few sentences at the beginning to personalize the message):

“My name is ___, and I am a constituent. I am calling to urge Representative ____ to:

1) Support Amendment #214 by Benishek to protect farmers from unnecessarily burdensome regulations. The FDA’s has proposed extensive, complicated regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act that basically assume the worst of every situation and then force the farmers to find science on their own to prove that their farming methods are safe.…

Texas Local Food Bills 2013

Local foods was a hot topic at the 83rd Texas Legislature! FARFA worked on several bills to support local farmers and remove some of the barriers for local food systems. These common-sense bills address the needs of the local foods movement, where local farmers and food producers sell their products directly to consumers in transparent transactions. Helping the local food movement helps small local businesses and our economy.

updated June 17, 2013

All three of these Texas local food bills were signed by Governor Rick Perry!

Click here for the official announcement.

➢ HB 970, the Cottage Foods Bill: Until last year, anyone making and selling any food at all (other than uncut fruits and vegetables) had to do so in a commercial, licensed facility that was subject to regulations designed for large-scale industrial food production. Last session, the Texas Legislature provided that “cottage food producers” could make specific low-risk foods in their homes and sell directly to consumers, up to $50,000 per year, without being regulated by the state and local health departments.…

Governor Perry signs Texas local foods bills!

(June 14, 2013) Governor Rick Perry has signed the three local foods bills passed by the Texas Legislature this session! The cottage foods bill (HB 970), the farmers’ market bill (HB 1382), and the DSHS Better Communications bill (HB 1392) all help make it easier for local farmers and food producers to raise and sell the healthy, local foods that so many consumers are increasingly seeking out.

Many people worked hard to make these bills a reality. Every person who called, wrote, or visited their legislators deserves part of the credit, and we appreciate your activism!

Special thanks go to the bill authors: Representative Eddie Rodriguez, the author of the cottage foods bill; Susan King, the author of the DSHS Better Communications Act, and David Simpson, the author of the farmers’ market bill. (The full list of co-authors is below, together with the descriptions of each bill). These legislators stood up for local food producers and the interests of their constituents against some powerful special interests.…

Specific Reply to Mark Lynas, Critic of GMO Pig Study

Read Dr. Judy Carman’s responses to Mark Lynas and other critics including Andrew Kniss and Monsanto: www.gmojudycarman.org/category/critics-answered

Prominent pro-GM activist, Mark Lynas has, as expected, attacked the study by Dr. Judy Carman and her colleagues for their recent work titled, “A long-term toxicology study on pigs fed a combined genetically modified (GM) soy and GM maize diet.” Click here to read more about the study on our website.

Mark Lynas’ original article: www.marklynas.org/2013/06/gmo-pigs-study-more-junk-science

Below is Dr. Carman’s specific reply to Lynas.

ML: The authors are GM activists/campaigners and their results shouldn’t be trusted.

Summary: The authors are not GM activists; they are highly credentialed experts.

Detailed Answer: Two authors are Associate Professors in Health and the Environment, School of the Environment, Flinders University in South Australia. Another is a Senior Lecturer at Adelaide University in South Australia. Two are veterinarians, one is a medical doctor, and two are farm experts. The authors have over 60 years of combined experience and expertise in medicine, animal husbandry, animal nutrition, animal health, veterinary science, biochemistry, toxicology, medical research, histology, risk assessment, epidemiology and statistics.…

Senate passes Farm Bill

(June 11, 2013) Last night, the U.S. Senate voted to pass the Farm Bill, S.954. Having failed to reach an agreement on what amendments to debate, the Senators left over 200 amendments on the table without a vote. None of the amendments supported by FARFA were voted on.

The next step will be for the House of Representatives to take up its version of the Farm Bill. This could happen as early as next week. Stay tuned for news on what amendments are introduced and ways to get involved.…

New study finds GM grains harm reproductive and digestive health

Farmers have shared numerous studies about digestive and reproductive problems in livestock that is fed genetically engineered or modified (GM) grains. A group of Midwestern farmers collaborated with scientists from around the world to conduct a scientific study to see whether these stories were well-founded. Pigs, whose digestive tract is very similar to humans, were fed a diet of GM soy and corn for five months while a control group was fed non-GM soy and corn. This is the first independent long-term feeding trial of GM to livestock that we are aware of.

The results are deeply concerning for anyone who suffers from or has a loved one who suffers from digestive problems, food allergies, or fertility challenges.

An overview is provided below, and the full study, “A long-term toxicology study on pigs fed a combined genetically modified (GM) soy and GM maize diet,” is available online on our website.…

Action Alert (Texas): Call Governor Perry to Sign Local Food Bills

Updated June 5, 2013:

The Texas Legislature passed three important local foods bills: the cottage foods bill (HB 970), the farmers’ market bill (HB 1382), and the DSHS Better Communications bill (HB 1392). These bills make it easier for local farmers and food producers to raise and sell healthy, local foods.

There is one last hurdle before these bills can become law: Governor Perry. The Governor has three options on each bill: (1) sign the bill, and it becomes law; (2) veto the bill, and it dies; (3) do nothing, and the bill will become law without his signature. He has until Sunday, June 16 to sign or veto the bills.

Please make one last call about the local foods bills. Call Governor Perry and urge him to sign all three local foods bills: HB 970, HB 1382, and HB 1392.

Your calls truly do make a difference. These bills faced opposition from some powerful players at the Legislature, including the Texas Retailers Association and the Texas Municipal League.…

Action Alert: Call Senators to Support Farm Bill Amendments

Updated June 5, 2013:

U.S. Senate continues debate on Farm Bill – now is the time to call your Senators to support amendments for small farmers, non-GMO agriculture, and food freedom!

The U.S. Senate is continuing to debate the Farm Bill, S.954. With over 200 amendments still on the table, the Senate plans to consider a motion to limit the remaining time for considering amendments.

There are several good amendments that have been filed, including ones to ban GMO salmon, protect small farmers from new federal regulations, and support research into non-GMO seeds. A description of the amendments is at the end of this alert.

It’s important to let your Senators know NOW that these amendments are important to you.

Can you call today? It takes just a couple of minutes, and it truly does make a difference!

Even if you called before, please call again. It’s important to let your Senators know that you’re continuing to pay attention to the Farm Bill!…

Press Release (Texas): Texas Senate Approves Cottage Foods, Farmers Market, and DSHS Better Communications Bills

For Immediate Release

Texas Senate Approves Cottage Foods, Farmers Market, and DSHS Better Communications Bills

Significant Growth in Support for Local Food Movement at Capitol

AUSTIN, Texas – May 23, 2013 – Yesterday, the Texas Senate voted to pass HB 970, the Cottage Foods Bill sponsored by Senator Robert Deuell (R-Greenville); HB 1382, the Farmers Market Bill (also sponsored by Senator Deuell); and HB 1392, the DSHS Better Communications Act sponsored Senator Jane Nelson (R-Grapevine). All three bills will now go to the Governor for signing.

HB 970 expands on last session’s cottage foods law, allowing cottage food producers to make low-risk foods – such as baked goods, jams and jellies, dried herbs, dried fruits and vegetables, granolas, dry mixes, pickles, and coffee/tea mixes – and sell at places such as farmers markets and community events, as well as from home.

“Patrons at farmers markets will soon be able to take advantage of a much wider selection of locally produced foods.…

Texas Local Foods Bills Pass the Legislature!

Three of our local foods bills passed the Senate today, Wednesday, May 22! Now they go to the Governor for signing.

THANK YOU to everyone who called, wrote, met with their legislators, and spread the word. We’ll post a more complete set of acknowledgements soon.

HB 970 – Encouraging home-based food production, aka “cottage foods”: Until last year, anyone making and selling any food at all (other than uncut fruits and vegetables) had to do so in a commercial, licensed facility that was subject to regulations designed for large-scale industrial food production. Last session, the Texas Legislature provided that “cottage food producers” could make specific low-risk foods in their homes and sell directly to consumers, up to $50,000 per year, without being regulated by the state and local health departments.

The bill has led to the establishment and growth of numerous small businesses in this state, with no reports of resulting foodborne illness.…