If you’ve followed FARFA’s work for any length of time, you know that a large part of our mission is to eliminate the burdensome regulations standing in the way of small-scale farmers, ranchers, and their customers.

We’ve taken a hard look at our options with the imminent changes coming to Washington, DC. The prevailing message sent by voters in November was that they want less government interference and greater protection for American businesses. This is an ideal time to ask for significant changes to the regulations most damaging to independent farmers.

FARFA has an excellent track record of bipartisanship, with support from both liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans.  Our focus on practical, real-world solutions for small farmers means that our policy initiatives are not tied to any political philosophy.  So, in response to this opportunity, FARFA will be submitting a report to the incoming Administration, identifying specific reforms that will help small farmers and local food producers without compromising the public health or safety.

Your support of FARFA ensures that we enter 2017 in a position of strength … strength in numbers and strength in conviction.

Our report will educate the new Administration on a number of ways they can assist independent farmers and food producers, including:

• Abolish overly burdensome provisions of the regulations on fruit and vegetable farmers under the Food Safety Modernization Act, including expensive water testing requirements that don’t even look for disease-causing organisms, and the pending FDA rulemaking that threatens to ban the use of biological soil amendments like manure and compost teas.
• Expand the types of small food-related businesses that are exempt from the massive paperwork requirements of HARPC, protecting both small food manufacturers and the growing food hub movement.
• Restore the Country of Origin Labeling rule for beef and pork, passed by Congress in 2008 but then repealed due to international trade disputes.
• Reform meat processing regulations so that local livestock farmers have reasonable access to small processing plants — increasing consumers’ access to grass-fed and humanely raised meats.

We hope you will join us in our “regulatory rollback campaign” by making a donation to fight for sensible policies for small farmers, ranchers, and local food producers!

Thank you for your concern and appreciation for all those people who work to provide you with safe, healthy, fresh food. Let’s start 2017 with a purpose, knowing that there are victories still to be had!