Hi, all, FYI: I just received the following post from Oxfam, forwarded by a local small farm/local food activist who has gained my respect over the years.
What gives? Is this the same bill we are being asked to support as community gardeners and ACGA members? Has somebody been tinkering with the bill? Should we support the amendment mentioned in the post? If we need to support the bill, what do we tell our allies and partners who oppose it as harmful to small farmers? Thanks, Don Boekelheide Charlotte NC Here's the post: As a member of the Farm Bill Action Team, your help is urgently needed. Time is running out for Congress to do the right thing on the Farm Bill. Last week, the House Agriculture Committee approved a bill that takes our food and farm policy from bad to worse, doing virtually nothing to help struggling farmers here and hurting farmers abroad. Billions of taxpayer dollars will continue to go to industrial-sized farms while our small farmers receive next to nothing. The House has scheduled a vote for Thursday. Luckily, there is still time to make a difference, but we need your help today to make that happen. Because you are a member of the Farm Bill Action Team, a group dedicated to reform, we are asking a little more of you than the average activists. We urge you to help make this reform a reality by doing two things. First, please call your Representative and ask him/her to support the Fairness Amendment to the Farm Bill offered by Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) and Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ). This bipartisan amendment will reduce trade-distorting subsidies and shift funds to programs that feed hungry families, protect the environment, and help poor and minority farmers. And second, please pledge to get five of your friends, family members, colleagues or co-workers to call their legislator as well. We've been working with you and preparing for a moment like this all year, and now is the chance for you to shine! It's fast and simple, and it can make a big difference. Please follow these simple instructions. 1. Call 1-800-977-1912. 2. An automated message will tell you what to say. 3. Please enter this six-digit code: 138353. 4. You will be connected to your representative's office. You can be sure the special interest groups will try to defeat this amendment, so it is critical that you call today. Representatives listen to their constituents and want to hear from you! And remember, after you have made your call, make your voice even louder by asking at least five friends to also make a phone call. Thank you again for your support of poor farmers. Sincerely, Tim Fullerton Oxfam America _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org
