Brownwood and Brown County Texas: All "Food Politics" are Local !
From the Austin Chronicle
HOME: MARCH 3, 2006: FOOD: FOOD-O-FILE
Food-o-File
BY VIRGINIA B. WOOD
The Politics of Food
For years, one of the major topics of this column has been coverage of local farms and food producers, usually good news about products, farmers, sustainable agriculture, farmstands, markets, and events. Recently, however, the weekly "Friends of the Farm" e-mail newsletter from Boggy Creek Farm (3414 Lyons Rd., www.boggycreekfarm.com) alerted me to a political issue that is likely to have a serious impact on small farmers, ranchers, horse owners, and backyard livestock hobbyists around the state, and the nation, for that matter. Farmers Carol Ann Sayle and Larry Butler operate a five-acre organic farm on historic property in East Austin where they have a small flock of chickens and sell all the farm-fresh eggs they can produce at their twice-weekly farmstand. They are justifiably concerned about new premises and animal registration regulations (the National Animal Identification System) about to be imposed by the Texas Animal Health Commission. So concerned, in fact, that they joined more than 300 people who showed up at a TAHC meeting on Feb. 16 to demand clarification of the interpretation of the new regulations and to protest mandatory compliance by small producers. Among the speakers at that meeting was Austin attorney Judith McGeary, the operator of a small farm in Southeast Travis county who is also working on an advanced degree in natural resources management at UT. McGeary represents the interests of the Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association regarding this issue in negotiations with the TAHC, and she hopes to reach a compromise wherein small operations can comply voluntarily or be exempted altogether. After a discussion with McGeary and the Boggy Creek folks, it's apparent that this issue is too complex to address in only one column, so a feature about the NAIS is in the works. For the time being, what I would suggest is that if you value the availability of locally produced eggs, dairy products, poultry, and beef raised humanely on small farms and ranches, talk to your purveyors at their farmstand or farmers' market booth and ask them how the NAIS would affect their operation. If you share their concerns, contact your legislators and speak out against the NAIS on their behalf. There is also a wealth of information about the NAIS and its potential ramifications on the TOFGA Web site (www.tofga.org), including links to the TAHC and addresses for the appropriate legislators concerned citizens may want to contact. These new regulations are scheduled to become law on May 4, so time is of the essence.
source: http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2006-03-03/food_foodofile.html
------------
--------------
-----------------
Stop Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry and his RFID's ! Are you buying this BS ?
<< Home