Your taxes are supporting Factory Farms

[Mike Clifford]

Thought I pass along this newsworthy item.

Your rivers and streams aren't getting any healthier as long as this continues.

 

 

Dear Mike,

 

Asa Farm Aid supporter, you know that nobody is more committed than weare to helping family farmers keep their land and their livelihood.While we encourage federal efforts to assist farmers, the fact is thatnot all government policies are created equally — and neither are allfarms.

 

That'swhy we need you to take action today to urge the federal government tostop giving taxpayer money to destructive factory farms.

 

Here'sthe basic problem: A current USDA program is funneling taxpayer moneyto fund new and bigger factory farm operations. This lending is leadingto the gross overproduction of hogs and poultry. So much livestock isbeing churned out that it has caused a long-term depression of producerprices, forcing family farmers out of business. This gives us feweroptions at the grocery store and gives factory farms more power.

 

Notonly that, but these factory farms pose a real danger to ourcommunities, our natural resources, and the livelihood of hardworkingfamily farmers who dedicate their lives to raising poultry andlivestock in ways that safeguard our air, water and public health.

 

Tell Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to stop using our money to prop up factory farms.

 

Weare working with our long-time partners Iowa Citizens for CommunityImprovement, Land Stewardship Project, Missouri Rural Crisis Center andRural Advancement Foundation International-USA, to put pressure on Secretary Vilsack — and we need you with us.

 

It'stime for Secretary Vilsack to end this destructive lending and focusUSDA resources on helping those who need it most: the family farmerswho have been supplying America with healthy, safe food forgenerations. Click here to sign our petition now — and thanks for standing up for family farmers.

 

Sincerely,

Hilde Steffey, Program Director

Farm Aid

[Norm M]

CAFO's screwed my family farmers, you bet I signed.

[jim bielecki]

This is legislation that is apparently in progress. It was initiated last year but hasn't been voted on yet. Maybe if people were informed about how their food is produced this would help decrease the practice of CAFO's storing and spreading raw sewage. I continue to write to our congressmen to stop further development of CAFO's.

Here's my source for information; (we should all begin citing sources to demonstrate best practice of information sharing.) http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h185/actions_votes

 

H.R.185 - Sewage Sludge in Food Production Consumer Notification Act

To amend the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the egg, meat, and poultry inspection laws to ensure that consumers receive notification regarding food products produced from crops, livestock, or poultry raised on land on which sewage sludge was applied.

[jim bielecki]

Action on H.R. 185 has been dormant for over a year...when you are contacting your congressman and women, ask them to support H.R. 185.

 

Mike has been working to get HB6072 passed as well...please support these actions. (Recreational liability act).

 

Both actions are important steps to increase awareness. Landowners need to know they are protected, and consumers need to know sludge (common from cafo's concentrated animal farms) is used to grow their food.

 

For me...every time I contact a congressman I indicate there should be a ban on CAFO's and any future development. If that doesn't happen, at the very least people should know sludge is used on producing their food.