USDA Provides Disaster Food Assistance to Southern California
http://www.usda.gov/2007/10/0305.xml
Contact:
USDA: Terri Teuber (202) 720-4623
Angela Harless (202) 720-4623
Food Assistance: Jean Daniel (301) 305-2286
USDA PROVIDES DISASTER FOOD ASSISTANCE TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
2,500 USDA Forest Service Firefighting Personnel Deployed
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2007-Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner today approved the State of California's request to operate a Disaster Food Stamp Program (DFSP) in San Diego County from October 21 to November 19, 2007. CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Fire in California - Donate Now to Help
The program is called the "California Firestorm Relief Fund".
Farmosa Farms is collecting donations dedicated to help farmers and other agricultural folks get back up on their feet as soon as possible.
This is our Katrina. Bless you all for helping out!
Please send donations to:
Farmosa Farms
5279 Linda Vista Drive
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011-1649
818.585.5660
relief@farmosafarms.org
www.FarmosaFarms.org - promoting agriculture for good health
EIN - 0054638
California 501(c)3 founded in 2002
Farmgirl Detoxes
As you know, I have multiple sclerosis, an annoying disease brought on by not taking care of myself. I could say this about a lot of diseases but can speak truthfully only about my own experiences. One of my first healing processes, after being diagnosed, was studying and becoming certified as a holistic nutrition educator. During that same time I met Jill Brook, nutritionist, and we worked together to reduce my inflammation and get me back into the game of life. Jill has been an inspiration and fountain of knowledge for my progress.
School offered many options and programs from detoxing to digestion repair. It has all been necessary for the welfare of my health. This summer I did a new detox program - a tea and body work program through Wholisti Center in Montrose.
The first day of my new detox program involved an intestinal tea which I steeped too long. One thing to note is that you may want to by some psyllium seeds at Trader Joes. So the first day was a bit of a doozy. But wonderful and necessary!
And then the cleansing - apples upon apples in the morning. If you don?t like apples, the key is to find one you can tolerate. For me it?s an organic fuji. I sweated and stunk for the first few days. Next time I will know what to expect and will follow it more closely as I don?t think it?s quite detoxing to have a glass of wine now and then. So, I give myself a ?B? this time around. My main weaknesses: wine, strong, dark, decaf coffee and cheese. I started drinking herb tea in the morning but playing it by ear depending upon how toxic I was the night before. It?s a process and as I said, I would give myself a ?B? based on the average Sally and Joe Six-Pack. 0
After a few more days I started the liver tea. I definitely need the liver tea. And then, about a week or so had passed and my teas and face lotion being used plenty I thought, ?Hey, lazy bones, get up and go to yoga?. So I did. OK. It was very difficult in that I am completely out of shape/health/wholeness?. But boy did it feel good. What felt just as good was looking in the mirror that morning and saying, ?Darn, girl, you look much better?.
Skin looking rejuvenated, some of the toxins out, some still coming in. It?s a process....
Food Security FARM BILL UPDATE
Countdown to the Senate
Farm Bill Review
Congress has been on recess for the Columbus Day holiday, so it has been a bit quiet here in Washington DC. The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to meet to go over Chairman Harkin’s proposed Farm Bill the week of October 22, but no specific date has been set. We here at CFSC hope that you've had the opportunity to call or email our Senate Champions and thank them for their support! If you need a reminder, please see our update from last week.
This gives us a great opportunity to share with you some aspects of the Farm Bill that we don’t usually have the time or space to talk about in our regular updates. For one thing, we thought that it might be useful to point out that we have a document on our website that goes over the ten separate sections of the Farm Bill and what all is included in these ten different components of the legislation. You can check it out here. Along with these ten sections of the Farm Bill, there are some additional titles that have been proposed in the past and are coming up again in this round.
One of these proposals is a set of bills known collectively as the Competition Title. These proposals seek to combat increased concentration and lack of competition in the agricultural sector that occurs as a result of a few companies owning most or all of the components of the food production chain. Small farmers are hurt by concentration and consolidation because it lessens their bargaining power, enables prices to be manipulated, and restricts their options in negotiating contracts. The National Farmers Union found that the top four companies in the beef, pork, poultry, flour milling, and soybean crushing sectors controlled more than 40% of the market, which is the limit at which economists say that competition starts to decline. That report can be accessed here.
An agricultural market that lacks legitimate competition not only affects small farmers, but also consumers. When competition decreases, consumers can be faced with fewer choices, higher prices, and lower quality products. With the recent upsurge of food recalls, it is important to consider how the consolidation of food production can negatively affect food safety. In February of 2007, the Center for Food Safety, along with the National Black Farmers Association, criticized a Monsanto merger in a report found here.
The version of the Farm Bill that was passed in the House in July did not address competition in a meaningful way. A competition title was proposed for inclusion in the 2002 Farm Bill, but was blocked in part by the lobbying efforts of large livestock companies. More information about what is specifically contained in the bills known as the Competitive Title can be found on the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s “Understanding the Farm Bill” report.
Aimee Witteman from the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition also wrote a piece about the competition title on the Grist blog, found here.
While CFSC does not have an official position on the Competition Title, we do believe that promoting fair and active competition in the food system helps keep our food safe, the marketplace healthy, and family farmers on the land. We encourage you to follow the links above and become more educated on these proposals.
Farm Bill Chatter
Senate Dynamics
The “Washington Insider” section of DTN stated that Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) are working with other members of the Agriculture Committee to come up with enough votes to approve the alternative plan they have generated. The article states that Sen. Conrad has already wooed Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), by offering more funding for the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program, and he will continue to work on other members. The alternative plan is considered by some to be a direct challenge to proposals made by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA). (FarmPolicy.com, Oct. 10)
Meanwhile, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) made some comments regarding the Farm Bill process in the Senate so far. Sen. Grassley mentioned Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who has a different approach from former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) who worked aggressively on the 2002 Farm Bill. Sen. Grassley said Sen. Reid is pretty consistent in keeping out of committee work and relying upon the chairmen to get their work done. Sen. Grassley also defended Sen. Harkin's handling of the Farm Bill, stating “Harkin ‘can’t be condemned for not coming forth with a bill if he doesn’t know how much money he’s dealing with,’ says Grassley. Grassley urged Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss to use those dollars for conservation programs and value-added agriculture. He would also like to see some of the money go to the African-American farmers who were denied entry in the Pigford settlement case. (FarmPolicy.com, Oct. 11)
"Make the Farm Bill Fair"
A coalition of nine groups including Oxfam America, the Environmental Working Group, and Taxpayers for Common Sense are putting pressure on the Senate to institute meaningful reforms to commodity payment programs. The campaign includes a tagline "Make the Farm Bill Fair". Although united for reform, the groups making up the coalition have some different goals. Some, like Environmental Working Group and the Land Stewardship Project, based in Minnesota, want more money for land stewardship and rural development. Taxpayers for Common Sense would phase out crop supports altogether. (FarmPolicy.com, Oct 11)
Conservation Advocates Push Senators
Twenty-three conservation and environmental groups have co-signed a letter to U.S. senators telling them the Senate farm bill has to at least match the House farm bill on conservation spending or the proposal "falls short." The groups called on the Agriculture Committee to add at least $2 billion more in funding to the pot created by the Finance Committee package. The letter sent to Senate leadership as well as the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee. A spokeswoman for Harkin said Thursday that he is still looking to spend more on conservation than the House bill, though he noted in a news conference last week that conservation was "under attack" by forces wanting to spend more money elsewhere in the bill. (Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Oct. 11th).
Specialty Crop Growers
An article in the Financial Times talked about the demands of specialty crop growers, which include increased money in research on issues specific to specialty crops, and also market development. They have not requested subsidy payments similar to what is received by crops like corn, wheat, and rice.
Specialty crop growers do support the current restriction on planting fruits and vegetables on acres that are considered "base acres" for commodity crops. They feel that landowners who receive commodity payments would have an unfair advantage over farmers who have traditionally only planted specialty crops, and therefore can't fall back on subsidy payments. This restriction has been a point of contention in the World Trade Organization, and there is some movement to do away with that planting restriction.
The Price of Food
Food prices are up, and many people have ideas as to why this is. Some factors may include the rising cost of oil, federal subsidies, a weak US dollar that raises the price of imports, higher commodity prices, and a larger global growing middle class increasing demand on foods, especially meat. Demand for wheat is also at a record high due to a shortage of supply, making the price skyrocket. Many of these issues were discussed on The Diane Rehm Radio Show last Tuesday, and the guests included Bruce Babcock (professor of economics and the director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University), Dan Morgan (special correspondent, Washington Post and fellow, German Marshal Fund of the United States) and Lauren Etter (reporter, Wall Street Journal). You can listen to the show by clicking here. (FarmPolicy.com, Oct. 9)
Concerns Over Ethanol
Cornelia Dean reported in the New York Times on Oct. 11 that increasing the acres of crops grown for ethanol could harm water quality and leave some parts of the country more prone to water shortages. Corn is the most widely grown crop to produce fuel in the US, and it may cause more damage per unit of energy than other fuel crops. This makes conservation provisions in this coming Farm Bill more important than ever.
Alerts from Our Allies
Support the Efforts of other Organizations
Conservation Call-In Day, October 17: The Sustainable Agriculture Coalition along with national conservation and environment organizations will be participating in a nationwide call to action for the Senate to commit to conservation in the Farm Bill. They are asking that constituents call their Senators next Wednesday and ask them to:
"Provide at least $5 billion more for conservation in the farm bill, including $2 billion for the Comprehensive Stewardship Incentives Program."
Thanks for your support, and be sure to call our Senate champions to say thank you!
Sincerely,
Steph, Kacie, and Sarah
***
Community Food Security Coalition
110 Maryland Ave. NE Suite 307
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202.543.8602
Email: Steph@foodsecurity.org
www.FoodSecurity.org
USDA'S Conner Celebrates Schools' Work for Improved Nutrition
Keith Williams (202) 720-4623
USDA'S Conner Celebrates Schools' Work for Improved Nutrition
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2007 - Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner today marked the opening of National School Lunch Week, highlighting local school wellness and school nutrition through the President's HealthierUS School Challenge. On Wednesday, October 17, Secretary Conner will travel to celebrate with students at Neabsco Elementary School Woodbridge, Virginia.
"Our schools are taking on the HealthierUS School Challenge, and combined with local wellness policies, have raised students' awareness of healthy nutrition," Conner said. "Agriculture offers healthy food choices as an important start to the day, while USDA provides nutritious snack, school breakfast and school lunch opportunities for many of these children."
The President's HealthierUS School Challenge recognizes elementary schools that voluntarily meet rigorous nutrition criteria established by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, awarding them either Gold, Silver, or Bronze status. As part of its National School Lunch Week celebration, USDA recognizes 46 schools in Prince William County, Virginia, with Gold status. The Prince William County schools are among 176 schools nationwide achieving Gold or Silver level distinction through the HealthierUS School Challenge.
The National School Lunch Program, administered by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, provides federal assistance to more than 101,000 schools and residential childcare institutions. More than 30 million children each school day are served nutritionally balanced, low-cost, reduced-price or free lunches through the program.
National School Lunch Week was established in 1963 to raise awareness and support for the National School Lunch Program and the role of nutrition education in the lives of children. Find out more about USDA school nutrition programs at www.fns.usda.gov.
#
USDA News
oc.news@usda.gov
202 720-4623
nutritional detoxing day 6
So, what to expect? I didn't know. And it's been a process. The first day I was getting over a cold, and the first few night have been interesting. Sweat and chills. Toxic smells. Not to mention all of those apples coming out. I could feel it immediately, as my body pushed the toxins out. Five days later and five pounds lighter! Not physical pounds (well maybe, don't weigh myself too often) but unhealthy mental pounds. Between the meditations, the teas, the mood swings, the addictions wearing off, my energy is growing inside. Blood is pumping stronger. Skin is clearing. Muscles relaxing. Ahhhhh....
If only it weren't for all of those apples!
Farmgirl detoxes
Whatever your means or ways, take this time to make a change in your diet or shopping habits. I am currently on a tea-detox system combines with body work and yoga. It's unbelievable. After the summer, when my multiple sclerosis gets horrid in the heat, my body is craving the cleansing. It's a complete Dosha light switch! This year I am adding something new to my ever changing routine by adding a detox program through Wholisti Center in Montrose, California. I have already had several small "cleansings" and followed a bit of a building diet to feel at my strongest before I began.
WholistiCenter is new but watch this spot. The website will be arriving and if you live in the Montrose, California, area, I would definitely check it out. If you don't know where Montrose, California, is then you don't live nearby. But I will share my experiences as I go.
USDA CONCLUDES GENETICALLY ENGINEERED RICE INVESTIGATION
Release No. 0284.07
Rachel Iadicicco (202) 720-2511
Angela Harless (202) 720-4623
USDA CONCLUDES GENETICALLY ENGINEERED RICE INVESTIGATION
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2007--The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bruce Knight today announced the conclusion of the genetically engineered rice (GE) investigation. The investigation, which was conducted by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Investigative and Enforcement Services in coordination with USDA's Office of the Inspector General, focused on the unintentional release of trace amounts of regulated genetically engineered rice detected in two commercial varieties of long-grain rice. READ MORE
Acting Secretary Chuck Conner will deliver remarks to the National Chicken Council.
Release No. 5094.07
CONTACT: Press Office (202) 720-4623
ACTING SECRETARY CHUCK CONNER DELIVERS REMARKS
TO THE NATIONAL CHICKEN COUNCIL
WASHINGTON, October 3, 2007-- Acting Secretary Chuck Conner will deliver remarks to the National Chicken Council.
WHO: Acting Secretary Chuck Conner
WHAT: Remarks to the National Chicken Council
WHEN: Thursday, October 4, 2007
8:00 a.m. EDT
WHERE: Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City
1250 South Hayes Street
Arlington, VA
USDA News
oc.news@usda.gov
202 720-4623
LocalHarvest Newsletter - one of Farmgirl's Favorites!
September 30, 2007
Time conscious readers will notice that although the calendar already has a toehold on October, we're only now sending out the September newsletter. Why? In a word, the boss-man has been out of town. Backside glued to a motorcycle seat for over two weeks, truth be told, and having the time of his life. Guillermo Payet, LocalHarvest's founder and chief brain, writes a little about his farm-hoppin' adventures in the article below, but who can stuff so much fun into 500 words? If you want to get the true flavor of his trip, you'll have to check out our blog, where the best stories of the trip are told, and some great photos tell the rest.
Bike2Barn 2007 Farm Tour
On September 13, my sweetheart Amber and I left Santa Cruz, CA for a two week long trip across the southwestern United States. We nicknamed the trip "Bike2Barn 2007", since we traveled on a motorcycle, stopping to visit Localharvest member farms along the way. We had many reasons for taking this trip, including the desire to take an adventurous vacation, visit farms, make new friends, learn about the land, and eat good food.
Read on...
>From the LocalHarvest Catalog
Our Thanksgiving turkeys are quickly finding good homes with family-farming fans all across the country. Ready to reserve yours? You can try to find a local turkey in our directory or through our catalog, which includes birds available for local pickup and those available by mail-order. Hurry, they won't last long!
If watching this month's video makes you as hungry for artisan cheeses as it made us, you'll be happy to know about our fine selection of handcrafted cheeses - cow, sheep, goat, we have them all.
And please do visit our catalog for more goodies!
Quote of the Month, from Sandor Katz
From an interview with Sandor Katz, author of Wild Fermentation and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, published in "Grist".
All the problems of globalized commodity agriculture and foods traveling thousands of miles from farm to the plate, those are the result of people sort of thinking bigger and bigger, and I think the solutions come from people thinking smaller. And that's why community gardens and community-supported agriculture and community kitchens and things like that are all part of the solution, because they enable people to focus on their needs and their community's needs and satisfying those needs. I really think we need to just focus on small things within our realm that we can actually do."
Video: On Dairies Worth Supporting - and Avoiding
Ever fighting the good fight, the staff at the Cornucopia Institute has been working long and hard to force the giants of the organic dairy industry to comply with the USDA organic rules. Thanks to their advocacy, the USDA recently found Aurora Organic Dairy to be in "willful violation" of the organic standards. Among other things, Aurora was cited for illegally confining cattle, and knowingly selling non-organic milk as organic. Aurora is the nation's largest private label dairy operation; its milk is sold under store brands for Trader Joe's, Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Wild Oats, and Safeway and other supermarket chains.
Obviously, this bad behavior has the potential to erode consumers' trust in the organic label. We still believe strongly in organic dairy ... but we're being more careful about where we get it. As if we needed it, this is just one more reason to support small, locally run dairy operations. Want to see the real thing? The good folks over at Farmers Almanac TV have produced a number of great videos, including this one featuring our friends at Strauss Family Creamery.
Watch the Video
Nancy's Nutrition Corner: Alluring Apricots
Historically, many recipes and love potions included the essence of apricot for its aphrodisiac qualities. Today, most people enjoy apricots for their incredibly pleasing taste and bountiful amount of carotenoids like beta-carotene and lycopene.
Read on...
Recipe Corner: Apricots - By Lorna Sass
My favorite apricot memory goes back about five summers, when I had the good fortune to "house sit" for two weeks in Sante Fe. The house was large and comfortable, but the great cause for celebration was the enormous apricot tree in the side yard.
Read on...
As always, thanks for your interest in and support of LocalHarvest.org! See you next month, and until then, take good care and eat well!
Contact Information
email: newsletter@localharvest.org
web: http://www.localharvest.org
CFSC Farm Bill Update - Don’t Wait! Call your Senator Today!
CFSC Farm Bill Update
September 21, 2007
Don’t Wait! Call your Senator Today!
Thank you for your continuing support of Community Food Projects (CFP) in the 2007 Farm Bill!
Community Food Project funding has made great progress toward healthy, sustainable food systems in communities around the country, and it’s up to us to ensure that this successful program continues. If you have not yet contacted your Senators to ask for their support of mandatory funding for Community Food Projects, now is the time. To find your Senators’ contact information, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, or look it up at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
For more information on how you can help keep Community Food Projects going, see last week’s Farm Bill Update at http://www.foodsecurity.org/policy
Recent Farm Bill Developments
Senate Timing:
According to Congress Daily on September 18, Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced that he intends for the Agriculture Committee to debate the draft of the Farm Bill before Congress goes on recess for Columbus Day on Oct. 8, even if Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) has not yet held his own debate session for the proposed agricultural tax package plan.
Congress is expected to pass a resolution to extend the present 2002 Farm Bill for one month because the current bill expires with the end of the fiscal year on Sept 30. There is a chance that instead of voting on a new farm bill, Congress could decide to extend the present bill that was passed in 2002. Harkin said he is not “unalterably opposed to extending the 2002 Farm Bill”, but expressed that he would rather get a new bill passed.
Possible New Funding for Fruit and Vegetable Programs:
Michigan Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a member of both the Finance Committee and the Agriculture Committee, is leading an effort to win $3 billion in new money for fruit and vegetable growers. Her letter to committee leaders and Senate leadership has 36 Senators’ signatures. There is $1.7 billion for fruit and vegetable growers in the House version of the Farm Bill. (Farm Policy, Sept. 14th).
Controversy in Farm Bill Funding:
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus has said he plans to provide between $8 and $10 billion in farm bill funding. As of yet, the source from which he aims to offset this money is unclear. At this point we do not have any indication that this package includes increases for nutrition programs similar to increases in the House version. We are continuing to push our legislators to support the allocation of significant farm bill funds for nutrition.
Revising his stance, Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) is warming to the idea of a permanent fund to provide disaster relief to farmers. A permanent disaster fund is a high priority of both Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and for Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), both of whom are members of the Agriculture Committee. Harkin is considering including in his draft both a revenue-protection program of the kind sought by corn growers and a ‘modest’ permanent disaster fund, which is a major priority for another influential member of both the finance committee and Harkin's. (Des Moines Register Sept 19th).
Commodity Groups Putting Pressure on the Senate:
On Sept 18, the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition asked Senator Baucus to make changes in the conservation tax credit portion of his proposal. The group noted that there are equity concerns at play here because wealthy landowners are the most likely to be supportive of tax credits while small farmers would be more interested in cash payments. The coalition also urged Baucus to provide more funding for conservation and wildlife habitat protection programs.
Last week, twenty-two commodity groups that included organizations such as the American Soybean Association and the National Association of Wheat Growers wrote to Agriculture Committee and Senate leadership to urge them to pass the farm bill as soon as possible. Senator Baucus is also under pressure from conservation groups and specialty crop growers to provide more assistance for them in the bill. (Congress Daily, Sept. 17th)
The White House Weighs In:
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns met with the National Farmers Union and outlined the reasons why President Bush has threatened to veto the House Farm Bill - mainly because of the proposed tax increase to pay for food stamps and proposed payment limitations that are not strict enough. Secretary Johanns also predicted that the Senate would not uphold the tax increase to pay for food stamp increases. However, Secretary Johanns was also quoted last week as saying that while "there were parts [of the House bill] we didn't like, there were parts we did like. We can get a bill done this year. We've done so much. We've come so far." (Congress Daily, Sept 18th)
Agriculture Secretary Johanns to Run for Senate:
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has resigned from his current position in order to run for the Nebraska senate seat being vacated by the retiring Senator Chuck Hagel. (Omaha World Herald, Sept. 19)
Connection with the Energy Bill:
Sen. Baucus is reportedly planning on shifting some renewable energy and fuels production tax incentives from the Energy Bill to the Farm Bill. Sen. Baucus said that the agriculture tax package would include provisions to help farmers and ranchers by including tax incentives for the production of wind and other means of alternative energy. Also, Sen. Baucus announced that there would be tax incentives to encourage farmers to grow crops that are used to make ethanol, biodiesel, and other biofuels. Both the oil and renewable energy industries said that they are in the dark about whether the tax incentives affecting them would be in the Energy or Farm Bill and what exactly the incentives will look like. (Congress Daily, Sept. 18)
Media Report:
Here are links to some interesting articles and editorials about food and nutrition policy, local food issues, and food security that we found this week:
Detroit Free Press by Ken Dahlberg: “Proposed Farm Bill falls short on food security”
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007709200360
NY Times article by Kim Severson: "Lunch with Alice Waters, Food Revolutionary"
NY Times op-ed: "Antibiotic Runoff"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/opinion/18tue3.html?ei=5070&en=7d11ba2d2b9a7dcf&ex=1190865600&adxnnl=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1190222301-+iREfXVJeHj1uFr4P3ARug
NY Times article by Andrew Martin: "Sugar Finds Its Way Back to the School Cafeteria"
Washington Post article by Henry C. Jackson: "Americans OK About Buying US Produced Food"
Washington Post article by David Hagedorn: "Better Meals From Humble Ingredients"
Don’t forget to call your Senators about Community Food Projects!
Thanks for your support,
Steph, Kacie, and Sarah
If you would like to be removed from this list, please email Steph@FoodSecurity.org and put “unsubscribe” in the subject line.
--
Community Food Security Coalition
110 Maryland Ave. NE Suite 307
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202.543.8602
Email: Steph@foodsecurity.org
www.FoodSecurity.org
SECRETARY JOHANNS DELIVERS REMARKS AT
Release No. 5071.07
CONTACT: Press Office (202) 720-4623
SECRETARY JOHANNS DELIVERS REMARKS AT
NATIONAL PORK PRODUCERS COUNCIL CONFERENCE
WASHINGTON, September 18, 2007-- Secretary Johanns will deliver remarks at the National Pork Producers Council Fall Legislative Action Conference.
WHO: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
WHAT: Remarks at the National Pork Producers Council Conference
WHEN: Wednesday, September 19, 2007
7:30 a.m. EDT
WHERE: Holiday Inn Capitol
555 C Street SW
Washington, D.C.
USDA News
oc.news@usda.gov
202 720-4623
American made, organic bedding and sheets
"American made Organic Cotton Sheets
Our organic cotton sheets are made in the USA by an Amish family in Ohio. These organic cotton sheets come in a cute little organic cotton draw string bag..." CLICK HERE FOR MORE
They even offer organic, American, hand-made furniture!
The f’Organic ™ diet is here!
Buy organic, do right, lose a few pounds:
Organic as an option
As many of us know, the price of organic food and clothing is more expensive in comparison to other options. Of course this will change as demand continues to increase, eventually providing affordable, healthier choices for all consumers and producers. Let’s speed up this process! CLICK HERE FOR MORE...
Jill's Latest Nutrition Tips
You may have never asked the question "What is food made of?",
but the answer will change the way you think about and choose
foods!
All foods have varying amounts of:
1. Fat
2. Protein
3. Carbohydrates
4. Fiber
5. Water
6. Vitamins & minerals
7. Additives (if the food has been processed with them)
Americans these days are eating too much of ingredients 1-3
(where all the calories are) and not enough of 4-6, which is why
Americans are called "overfed but undernourished." How do you get
more of the good stuff while cutting down on the other? It's easy
and not surprising: eat more fruits, veggies, whole grains and
lean meats. These foods are naturally high in water, fiber,
vitamins and minerals, which is why they are more filling per
calorie than other foods.
Processed foods generally have the least water, fiber, vitamins
and minerals because these things are removed or destroyed during
processing. For the next few days try thinking of your food as
the components that make it and see how it affects your choices.
For example, bacon is mostly fat + a little protein, soda is carb
+ additives + water and green salad is just a big pile of water,
fiber, vitamins and minerals!
Is your mouth watering?
Have a good day!
Jill
Jill Brook, M.A.
Diet for Health
1047 Foothill Blvd.
(818) 952-0668
www.DietforHealth.com
See Jill's nutrition tips at
http://jillsblog.dietforhealth.com
ACTION UPDATE ON COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECTS IN THE FARM BIL
ACTION UPDATE ON COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECTS IN THE FARM BILL
Thank you for all your efforts to date on behalf of Community Food Projects and other progressive farm bill legislation. Unfortunately, despite all your efforts, funding for Community Food Project (CFP) remains discretionary at $30 million and not mandatory as it has been for 10 years. This means that right now, CFP HAS NO MANDATORY FUNDING FOR FY 2008. We need your help to change this in the Senate Farm Bill.
The key next step is to get CFP mandatory funding into the Senate’s initial draft of the Farm Bill. Your efforts right now can make a big difference as to this outcome! THE NEXT FEW WEEKS ARE CRITICAL FOR INPUT TO THE SENATE’S VERSION.
NEXT STEPS FOR CFP ADVOCATES: Contact your Senators about Community Food Projects and ask them to fund CFP as close to $30 million in MANDATORY money as they can.
A. Calls and letters: As with the House, this is a great strategy for your Senators:
- Call both your Senators and ask them to demand MANDATORY funding for Community Food Projects in the Senate mark up of the Farm Bill. If you don’t know your Senators’ contact information, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Or look it up here: http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/index.html http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
ALL Senators are important to contact, but if your Senators is on the Agriculture Committee, they ESPECIALLY need to hear from you because they are on the Senate Agriculture Committee and will be marking up the Farm Bill in September. To see if your Senator is on the Agriculture Committee, go to http://agriculture.senate.gov/sen.htm
These quick phone calls will take only a few minutes of your time, but could make a huge impact on whether this program continues. Enclosed are talking points and background on Community Food Project for you to use in your calls.
- Faxed letters: If you can, request your Senators’ FAX numbers and compose a brief letter. See talking points enclosed and add something about your own CFP projects or others in the district. (Note: emails are not preferred because they tend to get lost or ignored. Calls are recorded and faxed letters go right to the appropriate aide. Regular mail is not advisable).
B. Meeting with your legislators—especially in the Senate—is vital during this recess! Decisions are still being discussed and deals are being brokered, and WE NEED YOU to stress the importance of small but powerful programs like Community Food Projects and the need to adequately fund them with mandatory money. Contact their local offices for appointments. Meeting with aides who handle the farm bill can be very effective.
C. Project site visits: While Congress is officially on recess, your legislators are likely to be in their home states and districts, attending summer fairs and events. Many of them will even accept invitations to tour community food projects such as farms, community gardens, farmers’ markets, and other activities that highlight local food systems, especially if you invite the press along too! It’s easy to find your legislators—just call their local office and ask to speak to their scheduler. They may also post events on their websites.
D. Letters to the Editor and editorials in local papers have also been extremely successful, and we encourage you to continue submitting them. Sample op-eds and letters to the editor can be found at www.foodsecurity.org/policy
Updates, background, alerts and links on the Farm Bill (and there are others):
· Community Food Security Coalition: www.foodsecurity.org/policy
· Farm and Food Policy Project: www.farmandfoodproject.org
Thank you for all your hard work and support, and we look forward to working together to make a big impact as the Farm Bill moves to the Senate.
This message is sponsored by the Community Food Security Coalition and its partners
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Stephanie D. R. Larsen
Policy Organizer
Community Food Security Coalition
110 Maryland Ave. NE Suite 307
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202.543.8602
Email: Steph@foodsecurity.org
www.FoodSecurity.org
SPECIAL NEWS ALERT: TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT SUPPLEMENT ACCESS
SPECIAL NEWS ALERT: TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT SUPPLEMENT ACCESS
Please click here if you are interested in learning about and taking action on impending FDA guidelines that will affect your access to supplements. These guidelines are designed to raise the bar so high on information about what supplements can do and their health benefits, that, as the guidance says, small and medium sized supplement companies will be driven out of business.
