HR 875 - This is chilling new proposed legislation...

[Cuban Longtails]

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I'm not discussing it, I was pointing out another thread on the very same issue.

 

[scbatz33]

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The "exemptions" are for "non-profit" organizations that prepare and sell directly to the public and anyone covered by the meat production and poultry production acts.

Small farmers, growers, backyard folks like us are NOT covered by those two pieces of legislation.

Therefore, these new bills DO affect those of us who are small potatoes in the agriculture world.

I have read the bill as it is proposed and I have checked into the other bills that are mentioned as "exepmt" from coverage.

 

[poltroon]

I think the response has to separate two issues:

First, I think it is critical that any bill be mindful of the needs of small local farmers, gardeners, and the like, whether producing just for friends and family, or for the local farmer's market. Small producers are not causing food safety problems, and consolidating the food distribution chain into fewer hands does not serve the interests of food safety.

The second issue, creating a Food Safety Administration, is meant to be a reorganization, taking food away from the FDA and USDA and putting it into a more sensible grouping. For example, today frozen cheese pizzas are regulated by the FDA and frozen pepperoni pizzas are regulated by the USDA. That's silly, and worse, food isn't really a focus of either organization, and particularly not from a consumer point of view. I don't think that per se is a threat to small farms or to chicken owners, nor to American freedoms.

Most people who know about the bill will only know about the second intent, without thinking much about the first.

Writing to your senators and representative about the importance of understanding the impact of regulation on local farms and home growers is always welcome. I think the best way to approach it, in order to be heard, and at this very early stage of the game, is to assume ignorance rather than malice, and that perhaps the people writing the bill are only thinking about the large producers that have lobbyists that whisper in their ears every day.

I think that there is now a First Garden is in general a positive sign.

 

[poltroon]

I wanted to add, that from skimming the legislation, it is not clear to me that the language does apply to small farmers, though I need to do some checking. In particular, on the other thread, someone suggested that their home flock was a "confined animal feeding operation" because they have a fence. This is not so; a Confined Animal Feeding Operation, or CAFO, is a defined term under the law, and has to do with treatment of animal waste. A small CAFO for chickens is 9000 birds; a large CAFO is either 30,000 or 125,000 chickens, depending upon what kind of waste handling facilities you have.

I think we can all agree that those are not small operations by BYC standards.

http://www.epa.gov/region7/water/cafo/index.htm

 

[HennyPennies2007]

Hate to break it to y'all... but the horse is out of the barn and about 2 miles down the road. The government is lready in the process of assuming control of everything and there is nothing we can do about it at this point. Some people are for it.... some against it. It really doesn't matter because the people no longer have control. The government controls everything we see and hear through the media. The things we could have done to stop this we should have done about a decade ago. Only thing left is to take notes and enjoy the ride. I may be dating myself... but it's gonna be an "E" Ticket.

 

[erik520]

Well people i hate to say it democrats will kill this nation and we all let it happen weather you vote or not; you helped this happen. there's nothing we can do now, becouse even if your republican house speakers vote againced it it will still pass the house. thay own us. We just have to get are guns ready and pray for them not to go nuts. i bought a new gun last week and all the ammo i could afford.
also i would buy all the seed you can find too, just in case.
I hate to sound like a negitive person but we all seen this comming.
I'm calling my senator tomarrow.

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

It's not deomcrats killing this country... nor is it republicans... it's big business and all the fingers they have in the DC Pie... Fact is, things are coming and we can either stick together and work against the change or throw our hands up and give up. Keep growing your grandmothers heirloom tomatoes.. and yes contact your senators, but you can't look at this like Orwells 1984 either. Until it's a little more finalized I think we all need to step back, breath and keep doing what we're doing...

 

[idealpoultry]

The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has ‘strongly recommended’ that Tractor Supply Company (TSC) gather personal information from their customers when they purchase baby poultry. This is not in compliance with the current laws. The current law is stated below and I have bolded the portion of the law that applied to this situation.

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Texas Administrative Code
TITLE 4
AGRICULTURE
PART 2
TEXAS ANIMAL HEALTH COMMISSION
CHAPTER 54
DOMESTIC AND EXOTIC FOWL REGISTRATION
RULE §54.3 Registration Exemption
________________________________________
(a) The commission may exempt from registration a person participating in a disease surveillance program recognized by the commission.

(b) The commission recognizes the following disease surveillance programs:

(1) National Poultry Improvement Plan ("NPIP") with the "U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean'' ("PT") and "U.S. Avian Influenza Clean" ("LPAI") programs

(2) The Texas Poultry Federation Avian Influenza Monitoring Program

(3) sellers, distributor or transporter of only fowl classified as baby poultry, at the time of receipt, from NPIP hatchery and accompanied by NPIP Form 9-3, or APHIS Form 17-6.

(c) A disease surveillance program not identified in subsection (b) of this section may request approval for recognition provided it contains the following minimum elements:

(1) Verifiable disease testing protocol
(2) Includes PT and LPAI requirements
(3) Specified risk based sample size

(d) In order to recognize a disease surveillance program not identified in subsection (b) of this section, a person shall submit a detailed explanation of the surveillance program to the Executive Director for consideration. A decision to recognize a disease surveillance program will be provided to the requestor within 30 days of receipt by the Executive Director.

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We believe that the TAHC has overstepped their authority in the case of ‘highly recommending’ to TSC that they obtain personal information from their customers that purchase baby poultry. We are asking that you contact Andy Schwartz DVM at the TAHC [email protected] and that you also file a complaint with the TAHC at [email protected]. Ideal Poultry is strongly against the position taken by the TAHC on this issue and would appreciate you contacting your local State Representative and Senator, National Representative and Senator and the TAHC. Your actions can and will help the poultry industry in the State of Texas as well as future Federal legislation.

 

[DiVon80]

DID I HEAR SOMEONE SAY DICTATORSHIP!!!!! I was watching fox news last night and thats exactly what they were talking about. Our country--change alright!!! Even a one world money its all happening and we are here to witness it. I am so greatful not to have children.....Glenn Beck has a web sight THE912PROJECT.COM check it out....

Our rights are disappearing as we speak.

 

[HennyPennies2007]

Glenn Beck for president.