121 replies to this topic

[spectacled_owl]

So Obama appointed someone from Monsanto to be the FDA Food Safety Czar and the first thing he's doing is investigating small raw dairy farmers.


QUOTE
When Barack Obama ran for President he promised to end the “revolving door” between agribusiness lobbyists and government and to “regulate” factory farms. Unfortunately Obama's decision to appoint Monsanto super lobbyist Michael Taylor as FDA Food Safety Czar broke the trust that the American people had placed in him during his campaign. Now Michael Taylor is heading up undercover investigations at the FDA into small raw milk dairy farmers that end in armed raids while the worst factory farm violators are getting away. It's time for President Obama to stand up for real food safety and put an end to the assault against family farmers producing healthy food.


Tell President Obama to DUMP Monsanto Michael Taylor! It's time to protect family farmers and stop letting Big Ag lobbyists write the rules.


Click here to send a letter. All you have to do is fill in your name and click.

http://action.foodde..._monsanto_mike/

Yes... let's spend time, effort and tax dollars on ridding the country of the HORRIBLE RAW DAIRY farmers who are apparently causing mass sickness and extinction with their deadly brew. I'm sure you heard about the raid on Rawesome Foods in CA. Makes me sick :\

I tell you, when I make my weekly trip to the dairy farm, it's like my Disneyworld. Seriously it's the happiest place around here!

I love Jamie Kilstein's approach to taxes... "There should be a form where I can check off where I want my tax money to go: Education, yes! War, no thank you!" Democracy is a joke.

[alternativista]

So is anyone clicking on the Take action links to send letters to your representatives?

Put Junk Food Subsidies On A Diet

In the face of rising childhood obesity rates, TexPIRG is part of a nationwide effort with consumer organizations from 20 states to educate citizens about the billions of dollars Americans give to the junk food industry every year.

Since March, TexPIRG campaign staff have spoken with thousands of residents across the state. So far, our coalition has talked to half a million people nationwide.

After decades of giving big agribusinesses a pass, Congress finally proposed meaningful reform to the subsidy program that has helped flood the market with cheap, unhealthy food made with high-fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), would cut $28 billion in subsidies over 10 years.

Apples To Twinkies
TexPIRG’s report, “Apples to Twinkies,” found that for all the taxpayer subsidies to junk food, very little money goes to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Between 1995 and 2010, $16.9 billion went to subsidize just four food additives with no nutritional value, including high-fructose corn syrup.

These subsidies amount to 19 Twinkies per taxpayer per year, which stands in stark contrast to subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Apples are the only fresh fruit or vegetable to get a significant subsidy—$262 million. That’s less than a quarter of a Red Delicious apple per taxpayer per year.

[/left]

[/left]

[ClownSki]

Not sure what the policies on this board are with linking to outside sources (they blocked amazon), but FDN has emailed me about a secret farm bill attempting to be past. they are asking for donations, anybody on their mailing list i ask you to check your emails.

We find these backroom deals to be an outrageous betrayal of our democratic process and another sign of how deeply out of touch politicians are in Washington DC. As we mentioned earlier, the Secret Farm Bill is being hatched behind closed doors by only 4 members of Congress and Big Ag lobbyists in an effort to reach arbitrary budget cuts to food and agricultural programs that will be proposed to the Super Committee to meet the November 23rd deadline.


It’s widely agreed that the $23 billion in cuts proposed by House and Senate ag leadership will essentially kill the 2012 Farm Bill, gutting any chances for major reforms in food and agriculture until the next farm bill due in 2017.


We need your help today, now more than ever. Help us raise $5,000 over the weekend so we can mount a last minute defense for farmers and eaters everywhere.

Is a snippet of it.

[spectacled_owl]

So is anyone clicking on the Take action links to send letters to your representatives?

Yes!

[alternativista]

Well, now they want people to make calls today before it's too late:


Last week we sent you an email alert warning of the imminent announcement of the "Secret Farm Bill" which has been hatched behind closed doors by only 4 members of Congress and Big Ag lobbyists. The deal was supposed to be announced last Tuesday, Nov. 1st, but more than 27,000 phone calls from Food Democracy Now! members helped slow that process down.
Regretfully we have to inform you that multiple sources in DC have confirmed that a final deal has been brokered between the 4 members of House and Senate Agriculture committee leadership and that deal will be announced soon - as early as today.
For those that care about healthy food, family farmers and the environment, this is devastating news is a sign of how broken our democracy is in Washington.
While final details of the deal have not been announced, massive cuts to conservation and nutrition programs are on the table. Sources are expecting that a new subsidy program may be announced that won't tie direct payments to farmers to conservation mandates as it is now. Instead, this new program being proposed could put more tax dollars in the hands of insurance companies like Farm Bureau. These proposed cuts, without input from other members of Congress, farmers and the American people fundamentally weaken the health and safety of food system, our farmland, environment and our democracy.
Please take a moment to call those members of Congress today to let them know that you do not agree with this blantantly unfair and undemocratic process before it's too late -- and then ask at least 2 friends today to do the same.
If you made calls last week, we're asking you to make them again. It's vital that they hear from as many people as possible today. We recognize that calls are not easy to make, but this is an urgent issue and we need your voice to be heard.
Let Congress know that you fundamentally disagree with legislation being hatched behind closed doors with agribusiness lobbyists. By agreeing to this Secret Farm Bill, these 4 House and Senate Ag leaders are essentially killing any opportunities for vital reforms that will protect family farmers, the environment and improving healthy food opportunities for all Americans.
If corporate greed gets its way, family farmers and food reformers will possibly be locked out of the conversation on reforming food and farming policy until 2017. It’s no wonder people are marching in the streets!
Click here to make a call to kill the “Secret Farm Bill”. We need your voice today - now more than ever. If you support local family farmers and sustainable agriculture for our future, please join this call to action.
If you think the ghouls of Halloween served up a frightening brew last week, wait until these members of Congress write your Food and Farm Bill behind Closed Doors!
The Four Horsemen of the Farm Bill Apocalypse
House Agriculture Committee:
1. Frank Lucas (R-OK) Current Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee
Lucas is so in the tank for industrial agriculture that earlier this year he proposed a hearing on the “over-regulation of agricultural biotechnology”.
Not surprisingly, during the 2009-2010 election cycle, Lucas received more than $317,000 from agribusiness interests, including $16,000 from Monsanto and $15,000 from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. What do you think they want now?
2. Collin Peterson (D-MN) Former Chair of the House Agriculture Committee
Peterson is widely known as “Cargill” Peterson for his love of defending industrial agriculture and has taken millions of dollars from agribusiness firms during his career; including $19,999 from Monsanto and $21,750 from the American Farm Bureau during the 2010 election cycle.
Senate Agriculture Committee:
3. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee
Rumors point to Stabenow as leading the push for the “Secret Farm Bill” because she doesn’t want to have to deal with crafting this complicated piece of federal legislation during an election year.
If you think Stabenow’s willingness to throw out real reform of U.S. food policy because she doesn’t want the “headache” during an election season, consider the fact that during the 2012 election cycle, from 2007 to now, Stabenow has pocketed more that $483,000 in agribusiness PAC and individual donations and is currently the top recipient of Agricultural Services & Products donations. Priceless!
Kind of gives new meaning to the term, “Perks of the Senate”.
4. Pat Roberts (R-KS) Senate Agriculture Committee – Ranking Member
Roberts is a known industrial ag favorite, that during the 2009 Senate confirmation hearing of Secretary Vilsack he went so far as to draw an outrageous picture of organic farmers as GQ reading porch sitters. If that weren’t bad enough, Roberts has already grabbed more than $706,000 in agribusiness cash for the 2012 election cycle, including political donations from the National Corn Growers Association, DuPont, Pfizer and Syngenta.
Click here if you want to tell these congressional leaders that they work for the American people and that you want to end the collusion between corporate greed and Congressional misdeeds. Tell Congress to Kill the Secret Farm Bill today!
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=11
We are committed to this fight now, more than ever - please join us. Together, our voices will create the future we hope for.

Thanks for being a part of the solution and participating in food democracy,
Dave, Lisa and the Food Democracy Now! Team
Sources:
1."Farm bill runs into 11th-hour opposition", San Francisco Chronicle, November 4, 2011
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=13
2. "Keith Good Farm Policy: Farm Bill Deal Offered to Super Committee", FarmPolicy.com, October 17, 2011
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=15
3. "Quick and dirty: Congress may rewrite the Farm Bill in two weeks", Grist, October 24, 2011
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=17
4. "Representative Frank D. Lucas 2009-2010, Sectors, 200-2010", OpenSecrets.org
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=19
5. “Representative Frank D. Lucas 2009 – 2010, Top 20 Contributors,” OpenSecrets.org
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=21
6. “Hearing to review the causes and consequences of government over-regulation of agricultural biotechnology”, House Committee on Agriculture, August 4, 2011
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=23
7. “Representative Collin C. Peterson 2009 – 2010, Top 20 Contributors”, OpenSecrets.org
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=25
8. "Senator Deborah Ann Stabenow 2007 - 2012 Top Industries", OpenSecrets.org
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=27
9. "Senator Pat Roberts 2007-2012, Top Industries", OpenSecrets.org
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=29
10. "Show Senator Pat Roberts that small farmers aren't little GQ-reading dilettantes", January 14, 200, Ethicurean
http://action.foodde...302.BOLuJu&t=31

Here's a simple script, heck, have fun with it!

Hi, my name is _______ I'm calling to put an end to corporate greed and say "No" to the Secret Farm Bill. Rushing this vital piece of legislation behind closed doors is unfair and undemocratic.
Please tell Congressman / Senator _____ that I care about America's family farmers and support the right to an open and transparent Food and Farm Bill and that they should pass the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act instead of the Secret Farm Bill.
Senate Ag Committee Leadership:
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) - Chair of Senate Agricultural Committee - call: (202) 224-4822
Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) Ranking Member Senate Agriculture Committee - call: (202) 224-4774

House Ag Committee Leadership:
Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK) Chair House Committee on Agriculture - call: 202-225-5565
Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN) Former Chair House Committee on Agriculture - call: (202) 225-2165

Additional Congressional Leadership - please call to tell leadership you disapprove of this corrupt, backroom process.
Congressman John Boehner (R-OH) Speaker of the House (202) 225-6205
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D - CA) Minority Leader (202) 225-4965

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) Senate Majority Leader (202)-224-3542
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-MS) Senate Minorty Leader (202) 224-2541

If you feel like calling more members of the Senate or House Ag Committees to tell the to Kill the Secret Farm Bill click on the links below.
Members of the Senate Ag Committee:
http://ag.senate.gov/site/cmtemembers.html
Members of the House Ag Committee:
http://agriculture.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=1222&LSBID=23|69&RBSUSDA=T

Edited by alternativista, 07 November 2011 - 01:49 PM.

[alternativista]

This is more like what I say when I write to my congressmen:


Stop subsidizing agriculture that makes us fat and sickly, is inhumane and is harmful to the environment. Oppose the undemocratic Secret farm bill.

Instead, please support the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act.

Thank you.

[alternativista]

Grist article you might want to read. Links to various alternative farm bills and info about how California is lobbying to be involved in the process but being left out.

Meanwhile, California food, farming, conservation, and environmental groups have been lobbying hard to have some say in the proposed Farm Bill. But the state -- whose agricultural industry is said to produce more than 400 different crops, employ 800,000 people and generate annual revenues of $37.5 billion -- will most likely continue to be left out of the discussion. One reason is that California farms don't produce the bulk of those commodity crops -- like corn, soy, and wheat -- that farm bills tend to concentrate on.

http://www.grist.org...assed-this-week

Article on the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act http://sustainableag...-new-farm-bill/

Beginning Farmer Bill http://sustainableag...ill-introduced/

[alternativista]

Another petition you might want to sign. This one focuses on the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program and Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

http://salsa.democra...action_KEY=8383

And a couple of articles on the supercommittee and the secret farm bill:
http://opinionator.b...cret-farm-bill/

http://www.ewg.org/a...dout-to-big-ag/

What's happening now is a 'supercommittee' of a few reps is trying to put together a budget deficit reduction bill that will pull money from all over, mostly places they shouldn't cut while trying like hell to avoid cuts in our bloated defense budget which is where a huge percentage of our money goes. One such place being farm subsidies. So in effect, they will be replacing the farm bill that isn't up for renewal until next year. And will probably not be getting the kinds of reforms we want to see in farm subsidies. And they are taking the advice from 4 congressmen from big ag states.

And a site with a database on who got subsidies for the past nearly 10 years. http://farm.ewg.org/...mSubsidySummary

Edited by alternativista, 19 February 2013 - 12:09 PM.

[alternativista]

Apparently the USDA is/has been up to no good in how they 'regulate' organic farming and labeling. This is a letter they'd like those concerned to print and mail before November 30.


http://www.cornucopi...-factory-farms/

[alternativista]

Another Mercola article that contains this bit about how Monsanto people have infiltrated our government and regulatory bodies:

[/left]

Biotech giant Monsanto is a prime example of how the industry has infiltrated U.S. regulatory agencies like the FDA and the USDA with their previous employees who are still very loyal to Monsanto. Cummins pointed out the following connections as a start:

[/left]

• Clarence Thomas, who did not withdraw himself from a Supreme Court decision on genetically engineered alfalfa last year, used to be the general counsel for Monsanto.
• Michael Taylor, who was formerly the vice president of Monsanto, is now the Food and Drug Administration Deputy Commissioner for Foods.
• Roger Beachy, the former director of the Monsanto-funded Danforth Plant Science Center in Saint Louis, is now the director of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
• Islam Siddiqui was vice president of Monsanto and Dupont's funded pesticide-promotion group CropLife. He is now the agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative. In other words, he is the enforcer for U.S. foreign policy that countries have to accept our genetically engineered exports.
• Rajiv Shah is the former Agricultural Development Director for the pro-biotech Gates Foundation, who are frequently partnering with Monsanto. He served as Obama's USDA undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics.
• Elena Kagan has served as President Obama's Solicitor General. She took Monsanto's side against organic farmers on the roundup ready alfalfa case.
• Ramona Ramiro, corporate counsel to Dupont, another biotech bully, has been nominated by President Obama to serve as general counsel for the USDA.

This is not an issue of Republican versus Democrat. As Cummins noted, both parties are guilty:

[/left]

"We must point that it's not just the Obama Administration that has served as a revolving door for Monsanto. We saw the same situation under Bush Jr., Clinton and Bush Sr. We have a corporation Monsanto that is not only out of control, but that places its people in high positions; that donates large sums of money to members of congress; and that basically gets its way every time there is a policy decision made in Washington."

It should not come as a surprise, then, that even the current secretary of the USDA, Tom Vilsack, is thoroughly entrenched in the industry. As the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) pointed out:

[/left]

• Vilsack has been a strong supporter of genetically engineered crops, including bio-pharmaceutical corn.
• The biggest biotechnology industry group, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, named Vilsack Biotech Governor of the Year. He was also the founder and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership.
• When Vilsack created the Iowa Values Fund, his first poster child of economic development potential was Trans Ova and their pursuit of cloning dairy cows.
• The undemocratic and highly unpopular 2005 seed pre-emption bill was Vilsack's brainchild. The law strips local government's right to regulate genetically engineered seed (including where GE can be grown, maintaining GE-free buffers or banning GE corn locally).
• Vilsack is an ardent supporter of corn and soy-based biofuels, which use as much or more fossil fuel energy to produce them as they generate, while driving up world food prices and literally starving the poor.
• Overall, Vilsack's record is one of aiding and abetting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and promoting animal cloning.

This is usually the problem with our regulatory agencies. They are filled with people from the field they are supposed to regulate.

More in the article, such as the move to allow GMO'd alfalfa which will threaten the organic food industry as it is a primary feed for livestock.
http://articles.merc...11129_DNL_art_2

[borie88]

My Senator actually wrote me an email in response to one of the petitions I signed:


Thank you for writing about the need to reform agricultural subsidies that help to promote unhealthy food. I agree with you that steps need to be taken to ensure that Americans can afford healthy food, and not just food made with artificially cheap crops.



I believe that our first step to making a healthy America is to teach our children better eating habits. Working with the USDA, I was able help to increase funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to over $6.7 million in New York. This funding will ensure that children in low income schools have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and not just cheaper processed foods. These programs should help to instill healthy eating habits in our children early in life.



The last Farm Bill was passed in 2008. While I did vote for some amendments which would have curbed subsidies for crops, those amendments did not pass. When the 2012 Farm Bill comes up for reauthorization, however, I will continue to push to cut wasteful subsidies.



Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can ever be of assistance to you on this or any other matter.





Sincerely,



Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator





Progress?? At least he wrote me back and it shows that someone up there supports "healthy" foods, though I doubt he knows the real definition of that word. At least processed foods are known as bad. That's a start. Didn't mention anything about meat though

[alternativista]

^ Mine write me back too. With a lot of Republican party line B.S. and you often can't tell what letter or petition they are responding to. Besides I already know the B.S. since the pundits repeat the buzz words of the day over and over and John Stewart arranges it all into a nice montage.

Your Senator at least sounds a lot less useless than mine.

[alternativista]

For more info on what's going on:

Greetings!

Last week while most of us were planning Thanksgiving dinners, the congressional “Super Committee” was trying to find agreement on how to cut $1.2 trillion from the federal budget. As a part of this process, congressional agriculture committees were trying to write a new farm bill and cut $23 billion from agriculture spending.

They weren’t successful, and that’s fortunate for those of us who care about rural communities and family farms. Some of the proposed cuts would have shortchanged rural America. This month’s Notes from the Center is filled with updates about impacts of recent congressional actions on rural folks.

(For a quick primer on what the Super Committee was tasked with, click here or here.)

Misguided Farm Bill Shortchanges Rural America
By Chuck Hassebrook
The recent proposal for a farm bill was written for inclusion in larger budget-cutting legislation. When that stalled, the farm bill stalled. That is fitting. This farm bill was not worthy of advancing. Among the reasons why - limits on subsidy payments to large farms doubled, it left crop insurance premium subsidies for the biggest farms uncapped, it reduced conservation enrollment, and devastated rural development programs. Read more here...

A Handful of Opinions on the 2011 Farm Bill That Wasn’t
It is unclear whether the agriculture committees will use the proposal they developed for the 2012 farm bill or whether they’ll start over. Here are a few analyses we found interesting: Chris Clayton from DTN; Phillip Brasher from the Des Moines Register; and David Bennett fromDelta Farm Press. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has a pair of blog posts for those who like to get down in the weeds - this one on the next steps of the budget process, and this one on the details of the proposal that died.


Keystone XL Pipeline UpdateThe proposed TransCanada pipeline has been grabbing some national headlines, and a special session ofNebraska's state legislature passed two bills related to the Keystone XL pipeline. Read more here...

Local Farms, Food & Jobs ActLocal food systems connect consumers to farmers, boost farm income, and stimulate job creation and economic development. Are your legislators co-sponsors of this bill? Check here for your Representative, and here for your Senators. If not,call them and ask them to be co-sponsors!

Finish the GIPSA Rule, Congress! Meatpackers give mega livestock farms a premium just because they're big, and Congress blocked (for now) the GIPSA rule that would ensure that all producers would have the same opportunities to earn quality premiums. Sign this petition, and send it to 11 friends.

<img align="right" alt="" height="93" hspace="1" vspace="1" width="135" />Holiday TributeThis holiday season, give a Center for Rural Affairs Tribute card! Leave a legacy that supports rural Americans. Click here!
Rural Health Wins in Super Committee Failure
Blog for Rural America | Nov. 29, 2011 | Brian Depew
Agriculture cuts weren’t the only ones being considered - the Super Committee also considered deep reductions in rural health programs that make limited special payments to some rural hospitals to account for the challenges of delivering care in rural areas. No deal by the Super Committee means these cuts are off the table for the time being. Read more here...

Appropriations Process Cuts Important Rural Entrepreneur Program
Rural communities took an additional hit in the form of cuts in the fiscal year 2012 appropriations process. Among these cuts was the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program. Congress prohibited USDA from distributing funds from the program, cutting off support for loans already given to rural small business owners. Read more about funding cuts here... Rural Issues In the Media
Shhhhh...Farm Bill | Daily Yonder | November 22, 2011

Old Farm Law May Influence Health Care | Des Moines Register | November 19, 2011

Natural Gas Companies Have Too Much Heft | York (PA) Daily Record | November 16, 2011 Prices Shoot Up for Midwest Crop Land | LJWorld.com | November 22, 2011

Hispanics Reviving Faded Towns on the Plains | New York Times | November 13, 2011

How We Built Ord's Economy | Daily Yonder | November 28, 2011

[alternativista]

Farmers joining occupy Wall street marches:

http://action.foodde...YCUCt7&rd=1&t=1

[FaceValues]

http://www.huffingto...d_n_420365.html

Article about Monstanto's GMO corn causing organ failure.

[spectacled_owl]

Has anyone seen Farmageddon yet?

[FaceValues]

Has anyone seen Farmageddon yet?

Nah, is it good?

Whoa, definitely want to see this. watching the trailer now.

[spectacled_owl]

Has anyone seen Farmageddon yet?

Nah, is it good?

Whoa, definitely want to see this. watching the trailer now.

I wish I knew, I haven't seen it either. The only place it screened near me was Martha's Vineyard so I would have had to take the $35 ferry just to get there and I couldn't afford it then lol.

[alternativista]

So, the USDA is currently considering approving another GMO'd corn, this time by DOW chemical

Click here if you want to express your opposition to the appropriate people: http://www.organicco...ticle_24592.cfm

These crops aren't just bad for the environment and our health, they ruin the livelihoods of poor farmers all over the world, making them give up, move the cities to live in the slums. The reason that Port au Prince was so overcrowded wasn't because those people had too many kids as people like my sister like to think.

[spectacled_owl]

Done. I desperately want to see change this year.