Health Impact News Editor Comments:

The Senate is voting on amendments today for the 2013 Farm Bill. In addition to the amendment below which seeks to protect small farms from Agribusiness, there are other key amendments dealing with such issues as GMO labeling, GMO Salmon, the “Monsanto Protection Act” and others. It is important that you contact both of your Senators TODAY (June 3, 2013) to make your voice known on these issues. You can read all the proposed amendments relating to protecting small farms and take action here: http://farmandranchfreedom.org/alert-national-farm-bill-5-21-13/

by The Cornucopia Institute

Federal Research and Marketing Promotion Programs = Robin Hood in Reverse

Call your senators now to tell them to support SA 1083.  –  Senator Cruz amendment to the Farm Bill

This amendment to the Farm Bill allows farmers to voluntarily choose whether or not they pay into Federal “checkoff” programs.  Anytime a farmer sells a steer, a gallon of milk, an egg, bushel of corn or soybeans, or any other covered commodity, the producer is required to pay a fee to industry-run organizations for marketing campaigns such as theGot Milk? and Pork, The Other White Meat or The Incredible Edible Egg.

The problem is that advertising of this nature primarily benefits processors, marketers and retailers — not the farmers who are stuck paying the bills! Now a new similar tax is being proposed covering all organic farmers. Senator Cruz (R-TX) has offered this amendment:

“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no program to promote and provide research and information for a particular agricultural commodity without reference to 1 or more specific producers or brands (commonly known as a “check-off program”) shall be mandatory or compulsory.”

Starting on Monday June 3rd the full Senate will continue their discussion of the 2013 Farm Bill as recommended by the Senate Ag Committee.  Please Call Your Senators’ offices  — on or before Monday — and ask to speak to the Staff who deals with agriculture – Be sure to leave a message if you don’t get to talk to this person.  

This amendment will be part of SEC. __XX. PROHIBITION ON MANDATORY OR COMPULSORY CHECK OFF PROGRAMS.

By supporting this amendment you will be giving family farms the freedom to choose how their money is spent.

More Details:

  • Tell them Your name, Your Location, Your Farm or business and  your interest in sustaining family farms
  • Many small and mid-sized farmers oppose these check-offs due to problems in oversight and because money is spent on programs that do not benefit them
  • Tell them that you want farmers to have the freedom to decide how they spend their hard earned dollars.
  • Farmers do not want to be forced to pay into federally mandated check-off program
  • They do not trust them and they do not see them as beneficial to their business
  • This amendment would effectively prevent the creation of an Organic Check-off Program. Many organic farmers–as well as small businesses that make and market organically certified product and consumers–do not want an Organic Check-off Program!
  • This amendment would allow organic farmers and processors to decide whether they pay into the conventional check-off programs and or use this money to benefit organic and local production

By supporting this amendment you will be giving family farms the freedom to choose how their money is spent

For more information on the organic check-off please go to: http://nodpa.com/checkoff_opposition.shtml

If you need information on how to contact your senators please go to: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Or Call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be transferred to your Senator’s office (if you give them your state, they will tell you who your 2 senators are).

This action alert comes from the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA), The Cornucopia Institute,  Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) and the Midwest Organic Dairy Farmers Alliance (MODPA).

Read the full action alert here: http://www.cornucopia.org/2013/05/action-alert-stand-with-family-farmers-protect-them-from-a-tax-benefiting-agribusiness

Buy here!


Published on June 3, 2013