Following is the letter I emailed to Rep. McKee. I sent a copy to Rep. Susan Westrom, my representative who is on the House Ag Committee as well.
Please write to McKee — particularly if you are a farmer; he really needs to hear from farmers — and tell him we need SB47. He thinks we do not. The Press Release at the end of my letter clearly shows EXACTLY why we need it in Kentucky, now more than ever!!!
Please do two other things:
- Send me a copy of the letter and I will get it in the hands of the citizen group working on the bill. They are hand-delivering letters to McKee.
- Call 800-372-7181 and request that McKee bring up the bill for discussion in the Ag Committee. If he brings it up, it will pass. But he is saying he will not bring it up because he doesn’t believe we need it… [I just made this call: they ask for your name and address, then your message. Took 2 minutes. I have the # in my quick dial list.]
There are a couple of good articles linked at the bottom of this newsletter, too. I found them particularly enlightening!
Good Afternoon, Representative McKee,
I am writing to you re. SB47, the Kentucky herdshare bill affirming Kentuckians’ right to privately contract with each other. Specifically, affirming the right of Kentucky’s farmers and consumers to privately contract.
After heavy lobbying by citizens, this bill was passed in the Senate 22-15.
SB47 is now in the House Agricultural and Small Business Committee. You have said that this bill is not needed and will not be heard.
We do need this bill in KY, Representative McKee, particularly farmers because they are the people being targeted by overzealous agencies. Please read the press release below. While it hasn’t happened in Kentucky, if this is allowed to stand in Wisconsin, how long will it be before these agencies go after Kentucky’s farmers?
Many of my Kentucky farmer friends have already been visited by local agencies who are operating outside of their authority!
Please bring this bill to the your Committee for discussion and a vote. We need this bill. We need our legislators to affirm our right to privately contract and we need our local regulatory agencies to know their limits.
Thank you. I appreciate your service to the great Commonwealth of Kentucky!
Best regards,
Sally O’Boyle
www.FFFKy.org<Attachment>
Media Alert
Friday, 24 February, 2012Farmer Faces Possible 3-year Prison Term for Feeding Community
Customers and Other Supporters Stand with Farmer
February 24, 2012–Baraboo, WI—Food sovereignty activists from around North America will meet at this tiny town on March 2, 2012 to support Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger and food sovereignty. Hershberger, who has a court hearing that day, is charged with four criminal misdemeanors that could land him in prison for three years with fines of over $10,000. The Wisconsin Department of Agricultural Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) targeted Hershberger for supplying a private buying club with fresh milk and other farm products.
DATCP has charged Hershberger with, among other things, operating a retail food establishment without a license. Hershberger repeatedly denies this, citing that he provides foods only to paid members in a private buying club and is not subject to state food regulations. “There is more at stake here than just a farmer and his few customers,” says Hershberger, “this is about the fundamental right of farmers and consumers to engage in peaceful, private, mutually consenting agreements for food, without additional oversight.”
At a pre-court rally scheduled for 11:00am, in front of the Sauk County Courthouse in Baraboo, food rights activists will read and distribute a “Declaration of Food Independence” that asserts inherent rights in food choice. A signing ceremony will be part of the rally. The signers expect the declaration will inspire a growing food sovereignty movement. Speakers at the rally will include members of Hershberger’s club.
Hershberger and other farmers around the country have been and are facing state or federal charges against them for providing fresh foods to wanting customers. In recent months the FDA has conducted several long undercover sting operations and raids against peaceful farmers and buying clubs that have resulted in farms shutting down and consumers without access to their food.
Farm Food Freedom Coalition wants to ensure that America’s treasures, our independent farms and ranches, are able to thrive. We aim to preserve our agricultural heritage and the future availability of traditional, farm fresh foods. Americans want and deserve the freedom to choose natural, unprocessed foods for generations to come.
Information about farm raids: FarmFoodFreedom.com. For additional information on raw milk: westonaprice.org.
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Media Contact: Liz Reitzig, Co-founder, Farm Food Freedom Coalition
301-807-5063, click here for email
More event information: RawMilkFreedomRiders.com
More Farm Food Freedom Links:
- Gets to the heart of our troubles: Restoring Freedom in Tennessee by Franklin Sanders, The-MoneyChanger.net. You could definitely substitute Kentucky for Tennessee in much of this!
- Henry Ford’s Hemp-powered Hemp-made Car (2 min. Youtube video) If you know David Williams, tell him to stop sitting on the hemp bill. We all want it. Kentucky needs it. He’s refusing to bring it to the floor due to party politics. Shameful!
- Something good happened for farmers: Supreme Court streambed decision protects landowners
And this from Ray Kruse, who keeps me thinking:
“The DOA (Dept of Ag) is pleased to announce it is distributing the greatest amount of food stamps ever. Meanwhile, the Park Service, part of the DOA, asks us to please not feed the animals because they may grow dependent and not learn to take care of themselves.”
Thank you!
As always, email us your news and priorities, what you are working on, what you would like to see happen in Frankfort. Have a great week!
Please forward this to anyone you know who is interested in Farm Food Freedom in KY! The more numbers we have behind us, the smaller big ag and big dairy will seem. Thank you!
