Daily Update: Oregon Counties GMO Bans, School Lunch, Food Safety Regs, Local Food, Farmland Preservation Biotech Next steps in Oregon counties with new GMO bans. Yesterday, the Portland Tribune reported, “Voter approval of a ban on GMO farming in Jackson County on May 20 was a historic victory, according to the Our Family Farms Coalition. We are just forever grateful for the community stepping up and showing what they believe is really important for Jackson County, said Elise Higley of the coalition. “But not everyone was cheering. Ian Tolleson of the Oregon Farm Bureau was against the ban. Regrettably ideology has won over sound science and common sense, Tolleson said. “With the passage of Measure 15-119, there will be no more GMO farming in Jackson County. Opponents say while the vote is over, the debate is not. We respect the will of the voters that they rejected our position but we still believe that this is terrible public policy, Tolleson said. “So what is the Jackson County policy at this point? County officials said there are a lot of unknowns. As far as working out the particulars we havent determined that yet, said County Commissioner Don Skundrick. “What is known is that GMO farmers will have one year from when the vote is certified to rid their farms of GMO crops, but the enforcement process is still a work in progress. Skundrick said. Those against the GMO ban said this isnt just about big business. This isnt Monsanto or Syngenta. These are local farms that have been farming the way they have chosen here in the valley for generations, said Tolleson.” School Lunch Nutrition regulation waivers are strange issue for SNA to champion. Jerry Hagstrom, Nation Journal, reported yesterday, “It takes a lot of work to damage or even come close to ruining the image of the people who make lunch and breakfast in schools throughout the United States. But their own organization, the School Nutrition Association, is taking a good stab at it. “SNA championed better nutrition for children for 67 years and supported the 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, which called on the Agriculture Department to require schools to provide healthier meals in exchange for an increase in federal spending on school lunches. “This year, SNA has called on Congress to make the Agriculture Department grant waivers from the new rules for any school that says its school-meals program has been losing money for six months, and it asked USDA to roll back some of the regulations. The grounds: The new foods are expensive, and some children dont like them. “House Republicans jumped at the chance to side with this industry request. The House Appropriations Committee approved the waiver request on a party-line vote. SNAs problem is that almost everyone else is against them, including first lady Michelle Obama, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the American Medical Association, the national Parent Teachers Association, and retired military officers, who are worried that too many young Americans are too obese to serve their country. “To make SNAs situation worse, 19 former presidents of the association have come out against SNAS position on the rules. And several current members met last week with the first lady, who is fighting obesity through her Lets Move program, to publicize that they back the new rules and have found ways to get kids to eat the healthier food. “With so much opposition, it seems unlikely the House measure will ever become law. The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed only a minor measure holding salt reductions to their current level and keeping the proportion of whole-grain items at 50 percent. “But the situation has longtime observers of the nutrition scene shaking their heads and wondering what has happened to SNA. It turns out the cafeteria folks—or at least some of their bosses—have gotten caught up in the deep cultural and political battles the country is going through.” Food Safety White House’s projected regulatory agenda. Lydia Zuraw, Food Safety News, listed the food regulations found in the Administration’s new spring 2014 regulatory plan, including scheduling changes made to new poultry inspection and restaurant menu nutrition labels and upcoming FSMA actions. Right to Farm Missouri. Yesterday, Marshall Griffin, Kansas City Public Media, reported, “Supporters of the proposed right to farm amendment to the Missouri constitution will begin stumping for the proposal around the state this week. “Four members of Missouris congressional delegation, all Republicans, are scheduled to rally support for the measure this week: U.S. Reps. Billy Long, Blaine Luetkemeyer, Jason Smith and Vicky Hartzler. Long will appear in Springfield today; then on Tuesday, Luetkemeyer will be in Jefferson City; while Smith will speak in Cape Girardeau, and finally Hartzler will speak in Columbia Wednesday. “What became known as Constitutional Amendment 1 was first passed by Missouri lawmakers in 2013 as House Joint Resolution 11. It states in part that the right to engage in farming and ranching shall not be infringed upon and shall be forever guaranteed. It is set to go before voters Aug. 5, along with four other proposed constitutional amendments. The original resolution was sponsored last year by state Rep. Bill Reiboldt, R-Neosho. Were not in any way trying to stop the old traditional ways of farming or the new modern ways of farming, Reiboldt said. We just are giving farmers the constitutional right to do what they do in a way that they feel like is the best for their particular operation. “Reiboldt also says the amendment is needed to guard against over-regulation from the federal government and to protect farmers and ranchers from frivolous lawsuits. It could also cement protections for dog breeders and concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. “Opponents argue that the proposal gives constitutional protection to animal abuse.” Farmland Preservation Fine-tuning the rules on Long Island, NY. Yesterday, Beth Young, East End Beacon, reported, “When Southampton Town began preserving farmland at the inception of the Community Preservation Fund 16 years ago, there was little inkling of how wealthy would-be landowners would take advantage of land whose development rights were stripped, purchasing parcels at bargain prices to create expansive lawns and private horse farms. “Last week, after years of discussion on rethinking the town’s land preservation methods, the Southampton Town Board unanimously agreed to preserve its first farmland parcel using new criteria that the land, two parcels totaling 33 acres on the corner of Head of Pond Road and Leo’s Lane in Water Mill, must remain in the hands of working farmers. “The Peconic Land Trust, a non-profit that conserves working farms, is in contract to purchase the property from the estate of Charlotte Danilevsky once the development rights are sold to the town. Southampton will pay a little over $11 million, about $338,000 per acre, for the development rights using the Community Preservation Fund. “Southampton Community Preservation Fund Director Mary Wilson said at a public hearing May 27 that anyone who farms the land in the future cannot use it for equestrian, horticulture or vineyard purposes, with the intent that it “remain in productive food crops and remain affordable to qualified farmers.” “In recent years, sales prices of preserved farmland to non-farmers have skyrocketed as high as $200,000 per acre, after the development rights are already sold, according to the Peconic Land Trust, which estimates that the price of an average preserved acre is about $100,000, well out of the reach of most farmers who work in food production.” Local Food Considering a food hub in northeast Kansas. Yesterday, Elliot Hughes, Lawrence Journal-World, reported, “Although there are risks, researchers on Monday gave their thumbs up for pursuing a food hub that would collect and distribute produce from northeast Kansas farmers. “The results of a survey, conducted by SCALE, Inc., to determine the viability of such an enterprise, were presented to an audience of 40 farmers, restaurateurs and other professionals at the Douglas County Extension Office. “The study determined there to be a critical gaps in existing infrastructure, but said that the demand for locally grown foods, although varied across the region, exceeds the current supply. The full study can be found at douglas-county. “The goal of a food hub, which would cover a 16-county region including Douglas County, is to increase the availability of local foods and spur agricultural business. The survey was performed at the behest of the Douglas County Food Policy Council, made possible by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Health Foundation. “Anthony Flaccavento, the principle researcher, said at the meeting that the region lacks a central aggregation warehouse, cooling and produce-packing systems and has a limited meat-processing capacity. “But at least parts of the region do have a rising consumer interest in local foods, according to Flaccavento. He said Lawrence has a mature market for it, while those in Manhattan, Hiawatha and the rest of Brown County are emerging. Topeka represents an untapped market, he said. “Researchers consulted 125 farmers in northeast Kansas. Flaccavento identified six to 10 farmers interested in being anchors and 60 to 100 other contributors. Researchers concluded that a pilot food hub could launch in 2016.” Rural Community Development Intermediary Relending Program. This morning, USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service announced changes and proposed changes to the Intermediary Relending Program. The IRP is designed to establish revolving loan funds for development and job creation in rural communities. Comments on the proposed changes will be accepted through August 4. agtogo.blogspot/2014/06/daily-update-oregon-counties-gmo-bans.html
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 11:55:02 +0000
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