Yes Tom please post your findings on the list.
Judy Murphy
SPLENDID OAK FARM
Organic vegetables, berries & pastured chickens
49 Haggett Rd
Montpelier, VT 05602
802-223-2577
[log in to unmask]
On May 5, 2010, at 6:35 PM, Joe Buley wrote:
> I am interested. This along with GAP certification will pose very
> serious problems for growers under 50 acres.
> Joe
> --
> Screaminridgefarm.com
> 802-461-5371
>
>
>
> From: Tom Stearns <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Tom Stearns <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wed, 5 May 2010 18:17:10 -0400
> To: Veg Serve <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Senators accuse USDA of favoring "hobbyist" farmers
>
> This is a very interesting issue and perspective. I'll be meeting
> with Ms. Merrigan tomorrow and will get a better understanding of
> the situation and will report back to anyone who is interested.
>
> Tom
>
> Tom Stearns, President
> High Mowing Organic Seeds www.highmowingseeds.com <http://
> www.highmowingseeds.com>
> 76 Quarry Road
> Wolcott, Vermont 05680
> Join us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wolcott-VT/High-
> Mowing-Organic-Seeds/66866610663 <http://www.facebook.com/pages/
> Wolcott-VT/High-Mowing-Organic-Seeds/66866610663>
>
> Also, check out The Center for an Agricultural Economy
> www.hardwickagriculture.org <http://www.hardwickagriculture.org>
> Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hardwick-VT/The-Center-for-
> an-Agricultural-Economy/99713028701 <http://www.facebook.com/pages/
> Hardwick-VT/The-Center-for-an-Agricultural-Economy/99713028701>
> Blog http://hardwickagriculture.blogspot.com/ <http://
> hardwickagriculture.blogspot.com/>
>
> And check out Dan Rather's recent report on High Mowing and the
> Hardwick VT ag. scene: http://www.highmowingseeds.com/HMS-on-Dan-
> Rather-Reports.html <http://www.highmowingseeds.com/HMS-on-Dan-
> Rather-Reports.html>
>
> Phone: (802) 472-6174 ext. 114
> Cell: (802) 224-6301 - not very reliable in rural VT yet
> Fax: (802) 472-3201
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
> From: Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers on behalf of Wendy Sue
> Harper
> Sent: Wed 5/5/2010 10:16 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Senators accuse USDA of favoring "hobbyist" farmers
>
> If anyone wants to see the original letter, I have it and can send the
> pdf. The list denied me sending it for distribution.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Wendy Sue
>
> *************************************************
> Wendy Sue Harper, Ph.D.
> Vegetable and Fruit Technical Assistance Advisor
>
> Providing Technical Assistance for Farmers, Apprentices, and Gardeners
>
> Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont
> PO Box 697
> Richmond, VT 05477
> (802)434-4122 phone
> (802)434-4154 fax
> [log in to unmask]
> *************************************************
>
>
> >
> > The article first appeared in May 3rd at www.meatingplace.com, a
> meat
> > industry website and reprinted at May 4th at
> > www.ciclt.net/sn/new/n_detail.aspx?ClientCode=ncagbc&N_Id=21266,
> a website
> > for North Carolina ag-business. Snopes as no mention of the
> article.
> > Alan
> >
> > Date: Wed, 5 May 2010 07:16:50 -0400
> > From: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Fw: Senators accuse USDA of favoring "hobbyist" farmers
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Scott MacKenzie
> >
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 6:52 AM
> > Subject: Fw: Senators accuse USDA of favoring "hobbyist"
> > farmers
> >
> >
> > I am not sure if this liget and if it is it sounds
> > bad Scott
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: scott
> > macKenzie
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 3:02 PM
> > Subject: Fw: Senators accuse USDA of favoring "hobbyist"
> > farmers
> >
> >
> > FYI
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From:
> > Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 2:11 PM
> > Subject: [NODPA-ODAIRY] Senators accuse USDA of favoring "hobbyist"
> > farmers
> >
> >
> >
> > Senators accuse USDA of favoring “hobbyist” farmers By
> > Rita Jane Gabbett on 5/3/2010
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Three Republican senators asked Agriculture
> > Secretary Tom Vilsack to justify USDA's Know Your
> Farmers,
> > Know Your
> > Food (KYF2) initiative, which they said subsidizes the
> > "locavore
> > niche market" and "hobbyist" producers instead of rural
> > communities
> > and the farmers who produce the vast majority of the
> nation's
> > food
> > supply.
> >
> > In a letter to Vilsack dated April 27, Senators John
> > McCain (R-Ariz.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Pat
> Roberts
> > (R-Kan.)
> > asked for an itemized breakdown of all awards made
> under the
> > KYF2
> > initiative detailing amounts, receiving organizations
> and the
> > USDA
> > programs under which the awards were made.
> >
> > "In the name of
> > promoting local food systems, the Department appears
> to be
> > prioritizing Rural Development grant and loan
> programs for
> > locavore
> > projects in urban areas, apparently at the expense of
> rural
> > communities with documented rural development needs,"
> the
> > letter
> > charged. "Given our nation's crippling budgetary
> crisis, we
> > also
> > believe the federal government cannot afford to spend
> precious
> > Rural
> > Development funds on feel-good measures which are
> completely
> > detached from the realities of production agriculture."
> >
> >
> > Specifically, the senators pointed to an Aug. 26, 2009 memo
> > from USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan which
> they said
> > encouraged agency chiefs to take programs — such as
> the USDA
> > Community Facilities Program originally intended for
> essential
> > community facilities related to healthcare and public
> safety
> > in
> > rural areas — and re-imagine them as grant money for
> community
> > cooking classes or refrigeration units in urban areas.
> >
> > They
> > said the Merrigan memo also expressed her intent to
> use $31
> > million
> > in stimulus grants and another $930 million in
> stimulus loans
> > for
> > the KYF2 initiative.
> >
> > "American families and rural farmers
> > are hurting in today's economy, and it's unclear to
> us how
> > propping
> > up the urban locavore markets addresses their needs,"
> the
> > senators
> > wrote.
> >
> > Vilsack responds
> >
> > In an April 30 return
> > letter to the Senators made available to Meatingplace,
> > Vilsack defended KYF2 and Merrigan's memo.
> >
> > "I believe
> > cultivating these new markets — not replacing old
> ones — is
> > critical
> > to revitalizing rural America," he wrote. He added
> that local
> > and
> > regional food systems can expand markets for
> producers of all
> > sizes.
> >
> >
> > "Further, I can assure you that when reviewing applications
> > none of these programs are providing preference to
> local and
> > regional food system projects, except as provided for
> in their
> > existing regulatory rules or legislative authority,
> such as
> > the 5
> > percent set-aside established in the 2008 farm bill for
> > business and
> > industry," he added.
> >
> > Vilsack called Merrigan's Aug. 26 memo,
> > "an example of our efforts to enhance awareness of our
> > programs and
> > utilize them more effectively."
> >
> > He went on to say, "For
> > example, while the Community Facilities program will
> continue
> > to
> > support critical public safety needs, it serves as a
> reminder
> > that
> > communities can also utilize the program to finance
> other
> > essential
> > community facilities, which in turn create new economic
> > opportunities for local and regional producers."
> >
> > In response
> > to the Senators' request, Vilsack included a 90-page
> > accounting of
> > funding awards associated with its KYF2 concept.
> >
> > For
> > example, $78,051 was granted to People's Grocery in
> Oakland,
> > Calif.
> > to purchase infrastructure to improve fresh food
> access in the
> > West
> > Oakland community. The grant was to establish a mid-
> sized,
> > accessible food retail outlet to provide residents with
> > adequate
> > access to fresh and affordable foods, and strengthen and
> > expand a
> > sustainable supply chain of local farmers, producers and
> > People's
> > Grocery agricultural products.
> >
> > A grant of $29,700 went to
> > the National Bison Association to develop curriculum,
> conduct
> > workshops, develop educational resources, establish
> an on-line
> > e-commerce site, develop point of sale informational
> material,
> > and
> > conduct an assessment of these actions for farmers
> and vendors
> > selling at a new farmers market in Colorado.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Ed
> > Maltby
> > Northeast Organic
> > Dairy Producers Alliance
> > Executive
> > Director
> > 30 Keets
> > Rd
> > Deerfield, MA
> > 01342
> > Tel:
> > 413-772-0444
> > Cell:
> > 413-427-7323
> > Fax:
> > 866-554-9483
> > Website: www.nodpa.com or www.organicmilk.org
> > NODPA
> > Pasture Page
> > Join NODPA Facebook page
> > Sustainable base
> > pay-price; level playing field; organic integrity
> > Thinking of transitioning to organic
> > dairy?
> > Got questions on Organic
> > Dairy?
> > Contact NODPA first and get the
> > independent, unbiased facts.
> >
> > The purpose of
> > the NODPA is to enable organic dairy family farms, situated
> across an
> > extensive
> > area, to maintain the sustainability of organic dairy
> > farming.
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from
> your
> > inbox.
> > http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?
> ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_1
>
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