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 >