Hi,
I'm a member of a garden group, and this email came across today. While the email talks a lot about organic gardening, in the bill it also mentions back yard egg and meat production.
I haven't had time to go through it, but it sounds like there could be some serious rules pertaining to back yard chickens!
Could someone with more time read through it and let us know?
Here's the post in it's entirety;
BOLD and Italics added
=-=-=-
I have seen this a few time in the past week and wondered if it would show up on this site. I did not want to post anything until I was more informed. It is a LONG bill and I have not read it all but the sections outlined below are a good starting place. This is a very bad bill. While the bill is not directly targeting backyard gardens, they are clearly not excluded either.
-----------------------
HR 875 The food police, criminalizing organic farming and the backyard gardener, and violation of the 10th amendment
HR 875 is in committee at this point and if you care about gardening (which everyone in this group does) then you NEED to read this bill and get involved!!
Pay special attention to;
* Section 3 which is the definitions portion of the bill-read in it's entirety.
* section 103, 206 and 207- read in it's entirety.
What it Does:
* Legally binds state agriculture depts to enforcing federal guidelines effectively taking away the states power to do anything other than being food police for the federal dept.
* Effectively criminalizes organic farming but doesn't actually use the word organic.
* Effects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it but consuming it.
* Effects anyone producing meat of any kind including wild game.
* Legislation is so broad based that every aspect of growing or producing food can be made illegal. There are no specifics which is bizarre considering how long the legislation is.
* Section 103 is almost entirely about the administrative aspect of the
legislation. It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow them to determine and interpret the legislation. Who do you think they are going to side with?
* Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility and what will be enforced up all food production facilities. The wording is so broad based that a backyard gardener could be fined and more.
* Section 207 requires that the state's agriculture dept act as the food
police and enforce the federal requirements. This takes away the states power and is in violation of the 10th amendment.
Please see these links for more details:
The Bill HR 875:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875
or
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h875ih.txt.pdf
An Overview:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=12671
Another Overview: (youtube video)
http://dprogram.net/2009/03/09/video-bill-to-“ban”-organic-farming/
=-=-=-
Edit; (bad link update)
I'm a member of a garden group, and this email came across today. While the email talks a lot about organic gardening, in the bill it also mentions back yard egg and meat production.
I haven't had time to go through it, but it sounds like there could be some serious rules pertaining to back yard chickens!
Could someone with more time read through it and let us know?
Here's the post in it's entirety;
BOLD and Italics added
=-=-=-
I have seen this a few time in the past week and wondered if it would show up on this site. I did not want to post anything until I was more informed. It is a LONG bill and I have not read it all but the sections outlined below are a good starting place. This is a very bad bill. While the bill is not directly targeting backyard gardens, they are clearly not excluded either.
-----------------------
HR 875 The food police, criminalizing organic farming and the backyard gardener, and violation of the 10th amendment
HR 875 is in committee at this point and if you care about gardening (which everyone in this group does) then you NEED to read this bill and get involved!!
Pay special attention to;
* Section 3 which is the definitions portion of the bill-read in it's entirety.
* section 103, 206 and 207- read in it's entirety.
What it Does:
* Legally binds state agriculture depts to enforcing federal guidelines effectively taking away the states power to do anything other than being food police for the federal dept.
* Effectively criminalizes organic farming but doesn't actually use the word organic.
* Effects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it but consuming it.
* Effects anyone producing meat of any kind including wild game.
* Legislation is so broad based that every aspect of growing or producing food can be made illegal. There are no specifics which is bizarre considering how long the legislation is.
* Section 103 is almost entirely about the administrative aspect of the
legislation. It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow them to determine and interpret the legislation. Who do you think they are going to side with?
* Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility and what will be enforced up all food production facilities. The wording is so broad based that a backyard gardener could be fined and more.
* Section 207 requires that the state's agriculture dept act as the food
police and enforce the federal requirements. This takes away the states power and is in violation of the 10th amendment.
Please see these links for more details:
The Bill HR 875:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875
or
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h875ih.txt.pdf
An Overview:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=12671
Another Overview: (youtube video)
http://dprogram.net/2009/03/09/video-bill-to-“ban”-organic-farming/
=-=-=-
Edit; (bad link update)
Last edited:
