H.R. 2749 The Food Safety Enhancement Act Passes

Stann · #41 08/02/09, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomegrownAcres

You know, I've read the entire bill that passed and it isn't nearly as bad now as it was when first proposed. Most small farms are exempted, even many farms that sell directly to consumers. Meat, poultry and egg processing is exempted (they remain regulated under current USDA rules). It looks like it mostly applies to commercial farms and processing plants that deal in vegetables.

...

So, calm down, folks. Unless you have a large commercial spinach farm next to a cattle feedlot, you may be okay.

Really? So, how does this NOT effect the small farmer.

Since if it passes into law, anyone who sells fruits, nuts, or vegetables to be used as an ingredient in a product, such as a baked good, must adhere to these new fees, record keeping (ie. NAIS like traceability), and any imposed, unscheduled government search of your premise, according to HR 2749 . Therefore as an example, if you sell bushels of cherries to a neighborhood "pie maker" who resells, then you would follow the FEDERAL proposed law. The yearly fee is $500, currently and probably will increase (my guess), the record keeping must be maintained, etc.

thatcompchick · #42 08/02/09, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomegrownAcres

It passed on a second vote. However, this was after farms were exempted from many of the requirements.

It's not over yet. The Senate still has to consider their bill and work out compromises before anything makes it to the President's desk.

Brian

Farms that do a majority of direct to consumer or restaurant are exluded, however farms that do Whole Foods, etc are not. It's not a 'win' situation but that it was not as bad as it could have been.

Andrea

HomegrownAcres · #43 08/02/09, 04:41 PM

"Really? So, how does this NOT effect the small farmer."

I said that MOST small farms are exempted, not all. If you sell to a processor and your receipts from that are less than direct sales to consumers then, yes, you might be affected. But this is only a bill that passed the House. The Senate still has to pass their bill, which may be wholly different than this one, and if the two bills go to committee who knows what compromises may be made, or they may not pass any food safety bill at all which means this thing dies. It's not close to being law yet.

thatcompchick · #44 08/02/09, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomegrownAcres

"Really? So, how does this NOT effect the small farmer."

I said that MOST small farms are exempted, not all. If you sell to a processor and your receipts from that are less than direct sales to consumers then, yes, you might be affected. But this is only a bill that passed the House. The Senate still has to pass their bill, which may be wholly different than this one, and if the two bills go to committee who knows what compromises may be made, or they may not pass any food safety bill at all which means this thing dies. It's not close to being law yet.

Unfortunately, the Senate bill that matches is sponsored by Durbin, and it is being fast-tracked as the house bill was. We were in DC a few months ago lobbying against this bill when it first came out and we were 'shoo shoo'd it's not close' then - they didn't think it was going to make it out of committee.

This bill has all sorts of exemptions prompted by teh strong lobby of the Certified Organic folks - there are exemptions for those who sell at auction, etc as that all falls under USDA - the folks who are going to hurt are the still small family farms that sell to local stores - they seem to have forgotten them...

Andrea
www.wvicfa.org