Greetings, Good People!
This week, Backyard Revolution is focusing on Local Food, why our food choices matter, and measure that need our attention right now that will work towards preserving the rights we have a humans living on this Earth to choose what we put into our bodies, what we eat, where our food comes from and how it’s grown.
We are quite familiar with the Local Food Movement and are fortunate to live in a community as conscious as Charlottesville. Luke and I just returned from Philadelphia (our Honeymoon, actually) where we were awestruck and truly inspired at how active the populace is in supporting the farms, farmers, food and agricultural heritage of Pennsylvania, in general. Granted, while Virginia was farming tobacco in the 18th century (which is crop that severely damages soil), the German and Dutch settlers so familiar with fertilization and how to preserve and nurture the land were producing incredible yields of fruits and vegetables in Pennsylvania, which continues on today.
As a matter of fact, the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Movement, at least in terms of Food Routes Network, began in PA. I have served as the spokesperson for the Food Routes Network since 2004, doing my best to raise awareness for Buy Fresh, Buy Local Campaigns across the nation.
Here in Charlottesville, the Piedmont Environmental Council sponsors our areas’ BFBL movement. PEC is hosting a fundraiser, along with The Haven, Sunday, April 25th, starting at 6pm. Sponsored by Whole Foods.
We will be there, not only as supporters, but as well as part of the panel discussion and would love to see folks out to support this event.
Here’s the run down on the evening:
- 6pm — the local food and wine tasting
- 7pm — Academy award nominated film The Garden
- 8:30 — panel discussion with local community garden advocates and we’re excited to have been asked to be on the panel.
Tickets are a $12 donation, and an additional $5 for the Local Food and Wine tasting.
Food Choices Matter
Source: Whole Foods Market
What do you know about the beef cattle that your burger came from? Is that salmon fillet from a wild-caught fish or farm-raised — and what does that mean for the planet? Can you identify all of the ingredients in your favorite cupcake? What does it mean for a tomato to be labeled organic, conventional or local?
All of the questions and messages about food and where it comes from can be daunting, especially when you just want to get dinner on the table in a hurry. But your conscience tugs at you, saying: “What I eat matters. Not only for my health but for that of other people and the planet.”
You’re not alone. A lot of us feel this way. And you’re right: food choices do matter. What we put on our plates affects the world and its people every day. We cast a ballot with every bite. We vote with our food dollars for organic, for ethical trade, for planet-friendly, for whatever is important to us. The more we vote for better choices, the more change happens in the food industry and in the world.
And it doesn’t have to be so daunting. Whole Foods Market is made up of people who work hard to decipher the tough questions and offer easier choices for you. From the team members in your neighborhood store who proudly offer local products to our global expert who contributes to shaping government policy as a member of the National Organic Standards Board, we help cut through the noise. Here, every shopping dollar stretches far beyond the checkout lane.
Bottom line: what we eat matters. Yes, the small food choices we make every day can add up to big change. Yes, it requires more than swallowing thoughtless food conventions. Yes, it makes a difference.
Let’s retake our plates.
The Haven
The Haven at First & Market
112 West Market Street
Charlottesville, VA 22901
View map
Phone: 434−973−1234
Contact: Kaki Dimock
The Haven at First & Market is a dynamic, multi-purpose community space that features resources for the hungry, disadvantaged and homeless. It enhances our community by providing a centralized space for resource providers, a community kitchen, a day haven, and a cultural and arts space in downtown Charlottesville.
Website: TJACH
S.510: The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act imposes unfair and burdensome regulations on local food sources. WE NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS!
Here in Virginia, we truly are facing a revolution — one that is being pushed as the right to choose and choose rightly, in regards to the food we purchase for our families and ourselves, is absolutely being threatened.
The Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association — VICFA — is helping to head up a campaign urging folks to become aware and involved in the effort to safeguard what remaining choices we have to the corporate food chains that are dangerously close to monopolizing our food purchasing options.
April 14, 2010
Dear VICFA Supporter,
We have received reports from Senate staffers that our call volume has been extremely low. By all reports, S. 510 will be debated by the Senate within days. It is imperative that we all call and make our voices heard. Do not assume that someone else is going to call. Call now!
Call both of your Senators. You can find their contact information at www.senate.gov, or call the Capitol Switchboard at 202−224−3121 or toll-free at 877−210−5351. Ask to speak with the staffer who handles food safety issues.
Tell the staffer that you want the Senator to amend S. 510. If you get their voice mail instead of the staff, leave the following message:
“Hi, my name is _____and I live in ______. I’m very concerned that S.510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, imposes unfair and burdensome regulations on local food sources, which are very important to me. The Committee version of the bill does not address my concerns, and I urge the Senator to support the Tester Amendment to exclude small facilities and direct marketing farms from the most burdensome provisions of the bill. Please call me back at ____________.”
TALKING POINTS
The major foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls have all been caused by the large, industrial food system. Small, local food producers have not contributed to the highly publicized outbreaks. Yet S. 510 subjects the small, local food system to the same, broad federal regulatory oversight that would apply to the industrial food system.
Increased regulations and record-keeping obligations could destroy small businesses that bring food to local communities. In particular, the reliance on hazard analysis and risk-based preventative controls, a concept similar to “HACCP”, will harm small food producers. HACCP has already proven to be an overwhelming burden for a significant number of small, regional meat processors across the country. Applying a HACCP-type system to small, local foods processors could drive them out of business, reducing consumers’ options to buy fresh, local foods.
FDA does not belong on the farm. S. 510 calls for FDA regulation of how farms grow and harvest produce. Given the agency’s track record, it is likely that the regulations will discriminate against small, organic, and diversified farms. The House version of the bill directs FDA to consider the impact of its rule-making on small-scale and diversified farms, but there are no enforceable limits or protections for small diversified and organic farms from inappropriate and burdensome federal rules.
Food safety and security both come from a diversified, vibrant local food system. Local foods give consumers the choice to buy from producers they know, creating a transparent, accountable food system without federal government oversight. State and local laws, which are often size-specific rather than one-size-fits-all, are more appropriate for local food producer.
Act now. We cannot do this without your help.
Sincerely,
VICFA Communications
Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association