It's Time to Stand Up With Family Farmers - by Willie Nelson

[bobm]

Yup ... when someone points out the pitfalls imposed on others of the do gooders way of thinking ie: " we know what is best for you then they let you pay for it". ... Change the subject !

 

[bobm]

In the State of Washington - Initiative I- 522 ... Another example of the do gooders' agenda of " we know what is best for you, then we let you pay for it". It is a proposed law that would impose complicated food labeling, packaging, distribution and recordkeeping regulation by farmers and food producers in Washington, that do not exist in any other state, or switch to higher priced "organic" or "non- GMO" ingredients in order to sell food here. Enforcing I-522 would require a whole new state bureaucracy to monitor and regulate the wording on food labels. Washington Research Council estimates that it would require about 200 new government employees at a cost of $22.5 million per year, but sets no limit on how much it could ultimately cost taxpayers. This will cost families to pay hundreds of dollars per year in higher prices at the grocery store. The campaign promoting I-522 is written and funded by the folks that grow / make alternative or organic food products. It was written in such a way as to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace by requiring common grocery items to be labeled by a whole separate food labeling system but exempting their products from the new labeling system. The existing nationwide labeling system already allow consumers to choose foods that may or may not contain GMOs by simply choosing foods labeled "organic" or " non- GMO". Huhhh ? :barn

 

[seedcorn]

Now Bob, stop thinking for yourself. Repeat the montra, big is bad (unless it's you). Organic is the only way. Organic people are the salt of the earth and only have your best interests at heart. They have all the answers, don't think, just blindly follow.

 

[bobm]

Now Bob, stop thinking for yourself. Repeat the montra, big is bad (unless it's you). Organic is the only way. Organic people are the salt of the earth and only have your best interests at heart. They have all the answers, don't think, just blindly follow.

Just 3 miles from my ranch there are way over 10,000 acres of land with a lot of salt, even in the water wells that the livestock won't drink and that one would have a very sparse crop if any would even sprout. Then there are many thousands of acres surrounding the salty ones where one would be lucky for their well to produce 4 gals. / hr. from about 350 f. . No trees, only grasses that are adapted to salty soils and tumbleweeds. If the "organic people " have all of the answers, please enlighten me as to how they would feed the community much less themselves. Well gee wis, I must be a very rare beast as when I first wake up, my brain turns on and my eyes open wide to face the real world. Also, my mommy told me to never follow the pied piper !

 

[bobm]

Vancouver, Wa.... " The Culumbian" newspaper , Friday Sept. 27, 2013 , ... " Vancouver's Urban Growers Market, which brought together shoppers and backyard farmers ( as well as large farmers ) will have its final market today. Because in a drop in interest from both visitors and venders. The group chose to end its' run rather than hobble forward." This venue ran twice a month during the summer and charged the small scale growers a $10 fee per booth. I have seen as many as 50-60 venders there, prepared and bbq booths ( 5-10 depending on timing and weather) to feed the lunch crowd, and several musicians to entertain shoppers which was always quite large in numbers. Their prices were the same and in quite a few cases, much more than any of the local grocery stores. They allowed dogs on leach as well as off leach to accompany their owners , that sniffed at and sampled the produce as well as some lifting their leg to irrigate a bushel of apples or flat of lettuce, and strawberries, etc.. Yes folks, My wife and I saw this happen several times during our shopping there for 2 years. Then one has the pleasure of seeing smarms of fruit flies hovering over many open to the air boxes of produce and fruit and hear the city kids exclaim eeehhwww. I, as well as a number of other patrons complained to management, but nothing was done to correct these. Also, many produce items were graced with extra protein ( bugs, worms, slugs, etc.). Makes city folks want to buy here ... I guess not !

 

[bobm]

Vancouver, Wa. ... " the Columbian " newspaper, Sunday, September 29, 2013 ... Glowing Article on front page about a local organic farm ... " A hunger for food knowledge " ( about 1/3 of front page and all of page 4. " Inspiration Plantation specializes in pasture- raised and GMO free chicken, turkey and pork, grass- fed lamb, and beef. They have 59 egg- laying hens, 200 meat chickens, 15 turkeys, 4 pigs, eight lambs, and 7 beef calves. ( NO breeds given for any of these) They sell shares in CSAs, their own Farm Store, "New Seasons" grocery, as well as at a Farmers' Market. They sell a dozen of their eggs for $7.39. No other prices noted) ... Here are the price differences for a few items at "New Seasons" Grocers mentioned in this article ...Milk- A half gallon of Portland, Ore. based Alpenrose brand 2 percent milk costs $2.79. A half gallon of Organic Valley brand 2 percent organic milk. which comes from Northwest farms is $4.49. ( at the local grocery stores one can get a full gallon for those prices) Eggs- the" New Seasons" brand of Pacific Northwest grown eggs has two options. A dozen white cage free and antibiotic free eggs costs $2.99.( A dozen brown free range , organic eggs is $4.99.( one can buy 18 eggs for similar prices at the local grocers) . While a dozen eggs from Insperation Plantation , which are pasture raised and given organic, GMO free feed costs $ 7.39. Chicken - A "New Seasons" brand free range chicken costs $2.49 per pound. A pasture raised chicken given GMO free and soy free feed from Botany Bay Farm in Brush Prairie costs $4.99/ lb. at the store. ( one can buy chicken at the grocery stores for $0.99/ lb. and last Sat. I purchased chicken from the grocery store for $ 0.79/ lb.) Blueberries - A 6 oz container of organic blueberries grown in Washington, costs $4.99 ( $0.82/ oz.) An 18 oz container of nonorganic blueberries. grown in Oregon costs $7.99 ( $0.44 . oz.). ( I purchased 22 lbs. of Blueberries a month ago for $1.00/ lb. ( $0.0625/ oz.) [ $ 22 for 22 lb.] at a U-Pick farm just 2 miles from our home ).
These type of prices may be just fine to organic foodies and they pay them, but what is left from their income to pay their rent , utilities, gas, clothes, cell phones, etc. Can the rest of wage earners ( many of whom live pay check to pay check) , pay those type of prices ? How about the families with the Wick program ? How about those receiving unemployment ?