Sustainable Agriculture
Organizations for sustainable agriculture
1. http://sustainableagriculture.net/
'...The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.
'...NSAC’s vision of agriculture is one where a safe, nutritious, ample, and affordable food supply is produced by a legion of family farmers who make a decent living pursuing their trade, while protecting the environment, and contributing to the strength and stability of their communities.'
From the NSAC website;
'...“Sustainable agriculture” as legally defined in U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103 means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long term:
- Satisfy human food and fiber needs.
- Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends.
- Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.
- Sustain the economic viability of farm operations.
- Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.
'...The basic goals of sustainable agriculture are environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity (sometimes referred to as the “three legs” of the sustainability stool).' (See also references to the work of John Ikerd in 'Farms and Farming'.)
Local Food Bills;
http://sustainableagriculture.net/our-work/local-food-bill/
'...The Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act
'...Congresswoman Chellie Pingree introduced HR3286, the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act, to support the local-food movement. It has over 65 cosponsors in the House and Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio has introduced a companion bill, S.1773, in the Senate.'
2. http://www.cornucopia.org/
'The Way Food Should Be'
http://www.cornucopia.org/2012/02/the-way-food-should-be/#more-4868
The question of Regulations
One of the issues taken up in this article is 'Local Food, Local Rules'; a way to move to a system of local governance concerning private farm transactions. This is further discussed in the writings of the organization 'Food for Maine's Future', which operates the website;
3. http://savingseeds.wordpress.com
Their link, http://savingseeds.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/maine-town-passes-landmark-local-food-ordinance/
discusses an ordinance passes by the town of Sedgwick, Maine. This is an excerpt;
'...MAINE TOWN PASSES LANDMARK LOCAL FOOD ORDINANCE
'...March 7, 2011
'...MAINE TOWN PASSES LANDMARK LOCAL FOOD ORDINANCE
'...Sedgwick becomes first town in Maine to adopt protections
'...SEDGWICK, MAINE – On Saturday, March 5, residents of a small coastal town in Maine voted unanimously to adopt the Local Food and Self-Governance Ordinance, setting a precedent for other towns looking to preserve small-scale farming and food processing. Sedgwick, located on the Blue Hill Peninsula in Western Hancock County, became the first town in Maine, and perhaps the nation, to exempt direct farm sales from state and federal licensing and inspection. The ordinance also exempts foods made in the home kitchen, similar to the Michigan Cottage Food Law passed last year, but without caps on gross sales or restrictions on types of exempt foods.'
They also included a link to an online template for drafting such an ordinance;
3. http://savingseeds.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/localfoodlocalrules-ordinance-template.pdf
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
'Necessary and Sufficient'
It is a huge question, when considering the production of food, and food safety, to determine what practices are necessary, and what practices are sufficient. Sufficiency, in this context, comprises those activities which, in actual practice, result in production of a safe and wholesome product. Necessary practices *may* be defined by that same list of practices- but not always in actuality. You may be carrying out processes necessary to 'result in the production of a safe and wholesome product'. But those practices may not be the ones necessary to satisfy a state or federal inspector in order to obtain a license to market your product.
I will tell you, from my perspective of better than 30 years' experience in food production (Maine and West Virginia); that it is vital; 1. to acknowledge the need for proper hygiene and infection control 'best practices' in food production, and 2. to follow those practices. That said, some of the state and federal regulations are onerous and counter-intuitive. If I make cheese and propose to sell it, I am not allowed to cook anything else- ever- in my cheese make room. If I store milk or cheese products in a cooler I am not allowed to store anything else- ever- in the same cooler. I can't store the milk in the same room where I make the cheese. No farmstead, historically was ever operated that way, and it was *not* necessary to abide by any such restrictions to produce safe, wholesome food.
The regulations are set up to control factory scale operations. They kill the small-scale producer.
The Maine Cheese Guild is against the Local Food Ordinance. It is an interesting position to be in, attending their meetings and knowing I am engaging in 'guerilla' cheese making. I do *not* sell my products, for this very reason.
For the current (2012 winter) 'Saving Seeds' newsletter, see
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1221/images/Saving%20Seeds%20Winter%202012%20Web.pdf