Local Food Activists Lobby Day to be Held on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Food Safety Modernization Act has local food activists concerned about the broadened authority it gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate small farms. On March 16, they are bringing a message to lawmakers: my food choice is my right. Pointing to raids by FDA enforcement agents against farms that supply farm foods - including raw milk, activists plan to meet with legislators on Capitol Hill during their annual national grassroots lobby day "Farm Food Voices."

“This is a civil rights issue, not a food safety issue”

“This is a civil rights issue, not a food safety issue,” says Liz Reitzig, Secretary of the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA) sponsors of the event. “The failure of the judiciary to resolve our grievances in recent court cases on raided farms has increased the conflict between farmers and the regulatory agencies," said Reitzig.

Filmmaker Kristin Canty, member of Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF), is a speaker at the event. She is about to release her powerful documentary film about the war against America's small farms, Farmaggedon.

Farmers and consumers will meet all day with their elected representatives. From 12:00-2:00 pm, a legislative reception will be held in the Kennedy Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building. Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm, an active member of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, will emcee a reception with food from regional farms prepared by top area chefs.

Angelo Vangelopoulos, owner of the Ivy Inn in Charlottesville, a participating chef says, “Rapport with the people who grow our foods is very important to me. Small farms and their families are my business's greatest asset.”

National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association mission is to promote unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products.

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a nutrition education non-profit which promotes farm fresh foods for their nutritional value.

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund defends the rights of family farms and protects consumer access to raw milk and nutrient dense foods.