Market Forces: Creating Jobs through Public Investment in Local and Regional Food Systems | Union of Concerned Scientists.

The Farmers’ Market Management Network is highlighting the accomplishments of our Ohio Farmers’ Markets that are achieving their missions by boosting the local economy, providing small business and job opportunities, improving health, and bringing people together.

Featured Ohio Farmers’ Markets:

This market is unique in that it welcomes organic (non-certified) gardeners, who produce smaller quantities of product.

Read the details at:  Farmers wanted for New Central Ohio Farmers Market « Farmers’ Market Management Network.

President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act today, after a long bout of legislative wrangling by local food advocates, small farmers and their allies for food safety rules that protect consumers without curbing the growing movement toward fresh, local and regional food.  The food safety bill passed by the House in July of 2009 would have imposed a one size fits all regulatory system biased toward  industrial agriculture with a regressive registration fee, expensive food safety plans, and regular on-farm FDA inspections regardless of the degree of the potential risk for food borne illness.  The new regulatory burdens threatened to erect formidable barriers to the developing local and regional markets for many small and moderate sized farms.

In the past two years, small farm advocates worked to win small and mid-size farm amendments to the legislation.  One organization that was key to the efforts was the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

The  amendments incorporated into the Food Safety Modernization Act and signed today by the President include:

• An amendment, sponsored by Senator Sanders (I-VT), giving FDA the authority to either exempt farms engaged in low or no risk processing or co-mingling activities from new regulatory requirements or to modify particular regulatory requirements for such farming operations.
• An amendment, sponsored by Senator Bennet (D-CO), to reduce unnecessary paperwork and excess regulation required under the preventative control plan and the produce standards sections of the bill, including instructions to FDA to minimize the number of different standards that apply to separate foods, to make requirements scale appropriate, and to prohibit FDA from requiring farms and other food facilities to hire outside consultants to write food safety plans.
• An amendment, sponsored by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), to provide for a USDA-administered competitive grants program for food safety training for farmers, small processors and wholesalers, with a priority on small and mid-scale farms.
• An amendment,  sponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), to strip the bill of wildlife-threatening enforcement against “animal encroachment” of farms and require FDA to apply sound science to any requirements that might impact wildlife and wildlife habitat.
• An amendment, sponsored by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), to exempt farmers from extensive and expensive traceability and recordkeeping requirements if they sell food directly to consumers or to grocery stores, to allow labeling that preserves the identity of the farm through to the consumer to satisfy traceability requirements, and to in most cases limit farm recordkeeping to the first point of sale when the product leaves the farm.
• An amendment, sponsored by Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Kay Hagan (D-NC),to provide a size appropriate and less costly alternative to preventative control plans and produce standards for farmers who:
  • Direct market more than 50% of their products directly to consumers, stores or restaurants,
  • Have gross sales (direct and non-direct combined) of less than $500,000,
  • Sell to consumers, stores, or restaurants that are in-state or within 275 miles, and
  • Provide their customers with their name, address and contact information.

The NASC will now engage the Administration over the details of how they implement the important provisions we all fought so hard to secure.  Please help them to do this work and to respond quickly to other threats and opportunities for sustainable agriculture by making a tax deductible donation to NSAC today.

The food safety bill hit a roadblock after passing the Senate in late November because a provision requiring the collection of user fees violated the Constitutional mandate that all revenue-generating measures must originate in the House.  House leaders then attached the bill as an amendment to two separate spending bills, neither of which were able to gain Republican support in the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) circumvented the original technical mistake by attaching the bill to a House-originated measure (HR 2751) authorizing a cash-for-clunkers program – a “shell bill” with bipartisan support.  Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), who had threatened to filibuster S.510 in November, dropped his objection at the last minute, allowing the food safety bill to pass unanimously.  The Washington Post reported this morning that Coburn staffer John Hart did not know why the Senator relented.

Text of the Bill: HR2751

President Obama is expected to sign the bill before Christmas.

Action Alert – Local and Regional Food at Risk

Update on Federal Food Safety Bill S.510

The two-day conference will be packed with presentations, displays and networking opportunities and is geared toward farmers market managers, vendors, and community development stakeholders who want to start or grow farmers’ markets in their local communities.

Topics to be covered include food safety, market funding opportunities, direct marketing, and more. Opportunities to network also will be available, which will give participants the chance to discuss ideas with other farmers market professionals.

The Statewide Farmers Market Conference is a collaborative effort of Ohio State University South Centers, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Farmers Market Management Network (FMMN) and the Farmers’ Market Coalition.

The conference will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m., March 4, and run through 4:00 p.m., March 5.

Registration fees for FMMN members are $100 for both days, $70 for Thurs. only or $50 for Fri. only. Non-member fees are $125 for both days, $80 for Thurs. only or $60 for Fri. only. Registration fees include all presentation materials and meals.

Hotel accommodations will be available at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Marriott in Reynoldsburg for an $89 discounted double-room rate until Feb. 22 and will be $109 after that date.

Conference participants are asked to bring their farm or market’s best marketing piece for the “Show n’ Tell Marketing Contest”. All conference attendees will have a chance to vote on the best marketing piece. The winner will receive a prize and publicity in the event news release. The winner will be announced on March 5 during lunch.

For more information about the conference, including hotel information, agenda and directions, log on to: http://ohiofarmersmarkets.osu.edu/conference.htm . To register, contact Melissa Hurtt, at 800-297-2072 ext. 222 or email at hurtt.8@osu.edu .

For those of you that work downtown visit Pearl Market for those last minute Thanksgiving purchases. This is Pearl Market’s first year doing an indoor winter market, and it seems a lot of the regular customers at the outdoor, summertime Pearl Market still haven’t heard that the market is inside now. It’s on the first floor at 20 East Broad Street from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

More info on all the winter markets in the Columbus area.

The winter Pearl Market will be held every Tuesday and Friday from 10:30am-2pm Opens November 3 through February 26 on the first floor of 20 E. Broad St. downtown.
http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/pearlmarket

Columbus Winter Farmer’s Market  in Clintonville will be held selected Saturdays 10 am – 1 pm.  Opens Nov. 14, 2009 to April 17, 2010 in the Fellowship Hall at 93 West Weisheimer Rd. Columbus 43214. See their schedule at http://columbuswinterfarmersmarket.com

Olde Worthington Indoor Winter Farmers Market
Opens Saturday, November 21, 2009,  10 am – 1pm held at
Griswold Center 777 High Street, NW corner of Rt. 161 & High Street
http://www.owba.net/winter_farmers_market.htm