Homestead Hill Farm: Lookin' Out for the "Little Guy"

I know I’ve written about this before, but…BIG changes are coming to small farms…and they are not changes for the better.

The open comment period for the Food Modernization Safety Act (FMSA) ends on November 15, 2013. Another draft of the regulations is set to come out by the 30th...so time is of the essence.

If you value food choices…if you like shopping at a Farmers’ Market, CSA or pick-your-own, you owe it to yourself (and the farmers who provide those services) to pay attention and take some action prior to that date. Really.

I wrote about this issue in detail here.http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2013/10/at-risk-of-sounding-like-chicken-little.html

When you hear that small farms are exempt, don’t be lulled into a false sense of reassurance. The government definition of “very small farms” is those making less than $25,000 annually. Farms making $25,001 in total sales would be subject to the same regulations as facilities making millions of dollars. However, they would be given up to four years to comply. Personally, I don’t think “one-size-fits-all” ever works, but definitely not in this particular case.

While safe food is a concern and priority of anyone who grows or produces food, these new regulations are costly and oppressive, not to mention redundant and in some cases, contradictory as to what is already being done (that is working…and approved) . For the record, there are forms of oversight in place already.

It is feared that many small producers may go out of business. The fresh, local food that so many folks desire may become difficult, if not impossible, to get at some point in the future. The food choices that we all take for granted may well become a thing of the past.