Attend a USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Food Safety Hearing

Posted on September 21, 2009 by in Beginning Farmers, Business, Events, Farming Practices, Policy // 0 Comments

Attend a USDA AMS Food Safety Hearing

Food safety issues are contentious, are moving quickly through a number of policy channels, and can have important implications for small and beginning farmers among others. Consider attending one of the following hearings.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will hold seven public hearings in September and October to hear public comments on a proposed national leafy green marketing agreement. The hearings stem from the 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to bagged spinach and the subsequent adoption of a California marketing agreement for handlers of leafy greens. The agreement is widely seen as problematic for small and mid-sized farms, for diversified and organic producers, and for wildlife and biodiversity.

The USDA added hearing sites in response to an NSAC and National Organic Coalition request to ensure that they hear from a more diverse cross section of vegetable producers. The hearing schedule is:

* September 22 – 24 — Monterey, CA
* September 30 – October 1 — Jacksonville, FL
* October 6 — Columbus, OH
* October 8 — Denver, CO
* October 14 – 15 — Yuma, AZ
* October 20 — Syracuse, NY
* October 22 — Charlotte, NC

>>> Go to the AMS press release for hearing locations

>>> Read the proposed marketing agreement at AMS