HB 484 and HB 495 Pass House and Head to Senate!
THANK YOU to all the CFA members and friends who made calls to Representatives asking for support of HB 484 and HB 495! Both bills passed on the House Floor Wednesday!
On to the Senate!
Please make sure to call your Senators and ask them to support our bills! We should be in front of the Senate Ag Committee within 2 weeks and need to get those calls going NOW!
Ways to Help:
1. Come to Frankfort and help us lobby!
For more information contact Kaycie Len at the Frankfort office 502.223.3655
2. Call the LRC Message line and leave a message for the Senate Ag Committee asking them to VOTE YES on HB 484 and HB 495!
1-800-372-7181
3. Call your Senator and ask them personally to VOTE YES on HB 484 and HB 495!
To find your Senator's contact information visit www.lrc.ky.gov "Who's my Legislator"
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Premiere of CFA’s new short film, "L.I.F.E.’s Lessons," at Derby City Espresso on March 6th
Community Farm Alliance invites the public to the world premiere of L.I.F.E.’s Lessons, a new short film showcasing CFA’s work in bringing fresh, local food into Louisville’s food deserts, on Thursday, March 6th from 7-9 PM at locally-owned Derby City Espresso, located at 331 East Market Street in downtown Louisville. There is a sliding scale of $5-$30 for admission, which includes a year’s membership to CFA. CFA is a statewide grassroots membership organization working on, among other things, connecting small family farmers in Kentucky with urban markets.
“This new video is about food justice, and giving all of Louisville’s citizen’s equal access to fresh, local food,” says Bill Huston, a CFA leader and partner in Urban Fresh, a business initiative to get fresh local food to residents of West Louisville and east Downtown, two of Louisville’s food deserts. “It is the story of L.I.F.E.- a locally integrated food economy - and how CFA farmers and urban residents are working together to bring health, wealth, and safe “real” food into Kentuckians’ kitchens.”
Mr. Huston is referring to the fact that many of Louisville’s citizens live in neighborhoods where they cannot access fresh food within walking distance of their homes, and do not own vehicles to drive to other neighborhoods. Instead, they are relying on either fast food, or people who can transport them to other neighborhoods’ stores. CFA, in partnership with other organizations, has initiated a movement to change that, first, by helping create Grasshoppers Distribution, LLC, Louisville’s first farmer-owned, all local food distributor, and Urban Fresh.
Ivor Chodkowski, CFA board member and owner of Grasshoppers Distribution, LLC, continues, “This month, this country experienced one of the biggest recalls of beef ever in the history of modern agriculture. The global food system is broken. With a locally integrated food system, consumers get to know and trust the farmers who produce their food, local businesses prosper, and everyone in Kentucky wins.”
Both Mr. Huston and Mr. Chodkowski are featured in L.I.F.E.’s Lessons, a short film that allows residents of Louisville’s food deserts, and Kentucky farmers, to speak for them selves about the ill health effects experienced in the food deserts, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. They also discuss why they see a local food system as their only chance for a positive solution.
Another person featured in the film, California neighborhood resident Dorcilla Johnson, continues, “We at CFA are firm believers that those who experience the challenges, own the solutions. The people interviewed in the film are all participants in the grassroots organizing that is needed to fix the problems in our local food system.”
Adam Barr, CFA board member, and a young farmer who participates in the Smoketown Farmers Market adds, “This is a great time for the public to get involved in helping us recreate our own food system. There are all kinds of ways to plug in: organizing the neighborhoods around our two low-income farmers markets, working on our new community kitchen project, and continued lobbying of local officials for support. CFA wants you all to come out to Derby City Espresso, enjoy the film, drink up some locally-roasted coffee drinks, and become part of an active network of great people who get things done, and have fun doing it.”
“This new video is about food justice, and giving all of Louisville’s citizen’s equal access to fresh, local food,” says Bill Huston, a CFA leader and partner in Urban Fresh, a business initiative to get fresh local food to residents of West Louisville and east Downtown, two of Louisville’s food deserts. “It is the story of L.I.F.E.- a locally integrated food economy - and how CFA farmers and urban residents are working together to bring health, wealth, and safe “real” food into Kentuckians’ kitchens.”
Mr. Huston is referring to the fact that many of Louisville’s citizens live in neighborhoods where they cannot access fresh food within walking distance of their homes, and do not own vehicles to drive to other neighborhoods. Instead, they are relying on either fast food, or people who can transport them to other neighborhoods’ stores. CFA, in partnership with other organizations, has initiated a movement to change that, first, by helping create Grasshoppers Distribution, LLC, Louisville’s first farmer-owned, all local food distributor, and Urban Fresh.
Ivor Chodkowski, CFA board member and owner of Grasshoppers Distribution, LLC, continues, “This month, this country experienced one of the biggest recalls of beef ever in the history of modern agriculture. The global food system is broken. With a locally integrated food system, consumers get to know and trust the farmers who produce their food, local businesses prosper, and everyone in Kentucky wins.”
Both Mr. Huston and Mr. Chodkowski are featured in L.I.F.E.’s Lessons, a short film that allows residents of Louisville’s food deserts, and Kentucky farmers, to speak for them selves about the ill health effects experienced in the food deserts, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. They also discuss why they see a local food system as their only chance for a positive solution.
Another person featured in the film, California neighborhood resident Dorcilla Johnson, continues, “We at CFA are firm believers that those who experience the challenges, own the solutions. The people interviewed in the film are all participants in the grassroots organizing that is needed to fix the problems in our local food system.”
Adam Barr, CFA board member, and a young farmer who participates in the Smoketown Farmers Market adds, “This is a great time for the public to get involved in helping us recreate our own food system. There are all kinds of ways to plug in: organizing the neighborhoods around our two low-income farmers markets, working on our new community kitchen project, and continued lobbying of local officials for support. CFA wants you all to come out to Derby City Espresso, enjoy the film, drink up some locally-roasted coffee drinks, and become part of an active network of great people who get things done, and have fun doing it.”
Monday, February 18, 2008
Legislative Call to Action!
CFA NEEDS YOU! COME TO FRANKFORT WEDNESDAY OR CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY!
HB 484 and HB495 will both be heard in the House Agriculture Committee Meeting this Wednesday February 20th at 8:00am in the Capitol Annex building here in Frankfort. If you would like to come and show your support by helping us fill the meeting room, please be at the CFA Office at 7:30am Wednesday morning!
If you can't make it to Frankfort on Wednesday, PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TODAY!
HB 484 – Local Food for State Universities
Sponsor: Representative Dwight Butler
Primary Co Sponsor: Representative Charlie Hoffman
What Will House Bill 484 Do?
HB 484 amends KRS 164A.575 to require state funded universities to purchase agriculture products from local producers.
To view a copy of the bill, go to: www.lrc.ky.gov
Why is This Necessary?
This legislation partnered with HB 669 from the 2006 legislative session ensures that Kentucky institutions are supporting a local farm economy and secures yet another market venue for Kentucky's family farmers. Now, not only will patrons of Kentucky's state parks and institutions be eating locally grown, so will our state universities' faculty, staff, and students!
HB 495: No N.A.I.S. in Kentucky!
Sponsor: Representative Rick Rand
Primary Co Sponsor: Representative Johnny Bell
To view a copy of the bill, go to: www.lrc.ky.gov
What Will House Bill 495 Do?
· HB 495 prohibits the state of Kentucky from mandating the National Animal Identification System in the absence of a federal law requiring compliance with the USDA program. In the event that NAIS does become mandatory at the federal level, HB 495 ensures that Kentucky's compliance can be no more stringent than federal policies.
· HB 495 also prevents the state from penalizing any farmer or withholding goods, services, licenses, permits, grants or other benefits based on non-participation in any phase of the National Animal Identification System.
What House Bill 495 Does NOT Do:
· HB 495 does not prevent Kentucky from establishing or participating in disease control programs specifically designed to address a known disease in a specific species of livestock.
· HB 495 does not prohibit private agricultural industry organizations from establishing voluntary source verification programs for their own members or others who elect to participate.
Why is This Necessary?
Though NAIS is currently voluntary and expected to remain voluntary at the federal level, USDA is funding state departments of agriculture that agree to implement the program. Kentucky has recently been promoting the program and requiring participation in certain phases of the system to qualify for certain services. HB 495 will stop us from going any further. Until USDA can get the program mandated, Kentucky should back away from it also, for the sake of our family farmers. The program is intrusive, costly, and burdensome to the family farmer and tilts the scales heavily in favor of corporate agribusiness. HB 495 is the necessary step to stop N.A.I.S. in Kentucky!
What Can You Do? TAKE ACTION!
Contact your legislators today! Ask them to vote yes on HB 484 and HB495!
To find your legislator’s contact information, visit the LRC website at: www.lrc.ky.gov
Call the LRC message line to leave a message of support for your legislator: 1.800.372.7181
Urge your legislators to support Kentucky’s diversifying family farmers.
HB 484 and HB495 will both be heard in the House Agriculture Committee Meeting this Wednesday February 20th at 8:00am in the Capitol Annex building here in Frankfort. If you would like to come and show your support by helping us fill the meeting room, please be at the CFA Office at 7:30am Wednesday morning!
If you can't make it to Frankfort on Wednesday, PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TODAY!
HB 484 – Local Food for State Universities
Sponsor: Representative Dwight Butler
Primary Co Sponsor: Representative Charlie Hoffman
What Will House Bill 484 Do?
HB 484 amends KRS 164A.575 to require state funded universities to purchase agriculture products from local producers.
To view a copy of the bill, go to: www.lrc.ky.gov
Why is This Necessary?
This legislation partnered with HB 669 from the 2006 legislative session ensures that Kentucky institutions are supporting a local farm economy and secures yet another market venue for Kentucky's family farmers. Now, not only will patrons of Kentucky's state parks and institutions be eating locally grown, so will our state universities' faculty, staff, and students!
HB 495: No N.A.I.S. in Kentucky!
Sponsor: Representative Rick Rand
Primary Co Sponsor: Representative Johnny Bell
To view a copy of the bill, go to: www.lrc.ky.gov
What Will House Bill 495 Do?
· HB 495 prohibits the state of Kentucky from mandating the National Animal Identification System in the absence of a federal law requiring compliance with the USDA program. In the event that NAIS does become mandatory at the federal level, HB 495 ensures that Kentucky's compliance can be no more stringent than federal policies.
· HB 495 also prevents the state from penalizing any farmer or withholding goods, services, licenses, permits, grants or other benefits based on non-participation in any phase of the National Animal Identification System.
What House Bill 495 Does NOT Do:
· HB 495 does not prevent Kentucky from establishing or participating in disease control programs specifically designed to address a known disease in a specific species of livestock.
· HB 495 does not prohibit private agricultural industry organizations from establishing voluntary source verification programs for their own members or others who elect to participate.
Why is This Necessary?
Though NAIS is currently voluntary and expected to remain voluntary at the federal level, USDA is funding state departments of agriculture that agree to implement the program. Kentucky has recently been promoting the program and requiring participation in certain phases of the system to qualify for certain services. HB 495 will stop us from going any further. Until USDA can get the program mandated, Kentucky should back away from it also, for the sake of our family farmers. The program is intrusive, costly, and burdensome to the family farmer and tilts the scales heavily in favor of corporate agribusiness. HB 495 is the necessary step to stop N.A.I.S. in Kentucky!
What Can You Do? TAKE ACTION!
Contact your legislators today! Ask them to vote yes on HB 484 and HB495!
To find your legislator’s contact information, visit the LRC website at: www.lrc.ky.gov
Call the LRC message line to leave a message of support for your legislator: 1.800.372.7181
Urge your legislators to support Kentucky’s diversifying family farmers.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Final Chance for Farm Bill Reform
Senator McConnell needs to hear from all of us!
The Farm Bill is undergoing a final revision before it goes to the White House. With the Bush administration’s stance against taxes and “budget gimmicks,” the Congressional Conference Committee is scrambling to secure funding for crucial environmental and nutrition programs in the Farm Bill. This moment in the process offers us a final chance to push for positive reform.
Conservation, rural development and nutrition programs are in jeopardy. To help reduce environmental degradation, strengthen rural communities, feed the hungry and address rising diet-related health concerns these programs must be fully funded. Establishing payment caps (similar to Dorgan-Grassley) of commodity subsides would provide the needed funding for these programs.
Commodity subsidies are government payments that go to a narrow list of “program crops” (wheat, corn, cotton, rice and soybeans) and are mostly awarded to the largest farms in the United States. Reforming the commodity subsidy system would benefit many small, diversified family farms here in the U.S. and also reduce the amount of “dumping” of cheap commodities on poor countries, which devastates farmers abroad. Very few farmers profit from commodity subsidies, but everyone would benefit from an increase in funding to programs that help to improve the health of the environment, rural communities and families.
Small farmers have been chronically underserved or discriminated against by U.S. farm policy, especially minority and limited-resource farmers. This is why we are asking Senator McConnell to support an increase in funding - at least $10 million a year in mandatory funding - for Section 2501 of the Farm Bill. Producers of color are essentially shut out from U.S. farm programs due to a system that favors large-scale commodity crop and livestock producers. An increase in this funding would afford minority farmers better opportunities and help to level the playing field.
Please join friends and farmers and contact Senator McConnell with this important message, your voice can make the difference!
Make a Phone Call: Sen. McConnell’s Office – (202) 224-2541
Fax a Letter: Sen. McConnell’s Fax – (202) 224-2499
Send an Email: mcconnell@senate.gov
1. Fully fund conservation, rural development and nutrition programs.
2. Establish commodity subsidy payment caps.
3. Secure $10 million annual mandatory funds for minority farmers through Section 2501.
For more information go to: www.betterfarmbill.org
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