In recent years, we’ve seen a growing number of illnesses due to salmonella in ground beef that has been raised and processed at industrial-size farms and…
Texas Animal Health Commission comes up for Sunset Review
Published December 9, 2019 Update: December 2019, read FARFA’s comments to TAHC here. Update: March 21, 2021, on legislative action on Sunset Bill. Administrative agencies are…
Texas Begins Enforcement of Produce Safety Rule – Including for Exempt Farmers
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has published its final rule on how it will implement the federal Produce Safety Rule in Texas, posted online HERE….
Take Action: Milam & Burleson Counties’ Groundwater Hearing
The Vista Ridge project will pump immense amounts of groundwater from underneath Milam and Burleson Counties, to ship down to San Antonio. This project will promote…
On-farm processing of chickens & rabbits in Texas
Thanks to HB 410, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2019, farmers can legally process a limited number of poultry and rabbits on their farms subject…
A Closer Look: Law to Improve Health Dept. Communications
Our series on the local food bills that passed in the 2019 Texas Legislative Session continues! This week, we’re looking at the Local Health Department Better…
A Closer Look: New Texas Laws for Farmers’ Markets
In our series of reports on new laws that go into effect on September 1, this post focuses on two laws aimed at supporting local farmers’…
Don’t let Monsanto decide if its GMOs are “safe” or not
The USDA is proposing rules that would allow chemical companies such as Dow and Bayer/Monsanto to determine the safety of their own genetically engineered plants. These…
FARFA’s Comments to TDA on FSMA Rules
We recently sent out an alert about the Texas Department of Agriculture’s most recent proposed rules for implementation of the Federal Food Safety Modernization Act. As…
Texas Ag Department Pushing Bad Regulations … Again
Early this year, we distributed an alert about proposed rules from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) that would impose unnecessary burdens on farmers raising fruits…