If You Value Safe, Local, and Healthy Food

Please Make a Call!

Food Safety legislation headed for the Senate floor would considerably ramp up regulation on farms that even minimally process their crops and sell them to restaurants, food coops, groceries, schools and wholesalers.

The new regulations could erect new barriers to these important markets for small and mid-scale farmers unable to bear the expense of compliance.

Fortunately, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has introduced the Growing Safe Food Act (S. 2758) to create a national food safety training and technical assistance program. It would deliver training and technical assistance appropriate to small and mid scale farms to reduce the incidence of food borne illness.

Senators Bennet (D-CO), Bingaman (D-NM), Boxer (D-CA), Brown (D-OH), Casey (D-PA), Feingold (D-WI), Franken (D-MN), Gillibrand (D-NY), Leahy (D-VT), Merkley (D-OR), Sanders (I-VT), Shaheen (D-NH), and Udall (D-NM) have already added their support. If your Senators are not on this list please call them and urge them to co-sponsor the Growing Safe Food Act (S 2758).

Calling your Senator is easy.

Step 1: You can get your Senators names and direct numbers by going to Congress.org and typing in your zip code. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senators office. Once connected to your Senator’s office ask to speak to the aide that works on agriculture. If the aide is unavailable leave a brief voice mail message about the Growing Safe Food Act. Be sure to leave your name and a call back number.

Step 2: Urge your Senator to co-sponsor the Growing Safe Food Act (S 2758). Tell them that providing training and technical assistance to farmers engaged in on farm processing is essential to good economic development and safe, local and healthy food.

Step 3: Report your call. Click on this link to let us know the results of your call.

With your help, NSAC has already won a number of key changes to this legislation and we will continue to push for improvements. We can’t let rules designed to address serious food safety deficiencies in our industrial food system shut down the move toward healthy, natural and local food. Your calls are essential.