Ask Congress to Cut Subsidies to Big Agriculture

I received this from the great local group, Hunger Action Los Angeles, a group that focuses on providing sufficient, affordable, healthy food to all, http://www.hungeractionla.org/. and thought I 'd pass it on here verbatim since they can say it best. It's about the seemingly endless struggle to pass the "2007" Farm Bill and how there's an opportunity to help family farmers and address the worldwide food shortage all at once:

"Congress has once again passed a two-week extension to the 2002 Farm Bill so they can continue working on the “2007” Farm Bill.

The main issue now are billions of dollars in ag subsidies. President Bush has weighed in, with suggestions that he would veto a bill that didn’t cut the huge payments to U.S. farms.

'Americans are concerned about rising food prices,' President Bush said. 'Unfortunately, Congress is considering a massive, bloated farm bill that would do little to solve the problem. The bill Congress is now considering would fail to eliminate subsidy payments to multimillionaire farmers.

'America’s farm economy is thriving, the value of farmland is skyrocketing, and this is the right time to reform our nation’s farm policies by reducing unnecessary subsidies. It’s not the time to ask American families who are already paying more in the check-out line to pay more in subsidies for wealthy farmers.'

http://deltafarmpress.com/farmbill/conference-postponed-0430/

Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard (1-202-224-3121) and ask to speak to any of our California representatives below. If you’re not in their district, remind the person you talk to on the phone that this is a national issue:

Rep Maxine Waters (South LA): Rep Henry Waxman (West LA): Rep Brad Sherman (San Fernando Valley)
Rep Howard Berman: Rep Joe Baca (San Bernardino): Rep George Miller: Rep Dennis Cardoza

“Thank you for passing $10 billion in nutrition increases in the Farm Bill. This is desperately needed as food stamps only average $3 a day in benefits and food prices are rising.”

“Please support the effort to reduce the huge ag subsidies. This will allow farmers in poor countries to be able to look forward to getting realistic prices so that they can expand their own production and feed their own people."

(Currently the subsidies allow the US to sell its products cheaper overseas and put local farmers out of business.)"

Me talking again, let's see if we can make a difference by getting involved!!

LA Farm Girl in Shock

For those of you who know LA Farm Girl, what I am about to say might shock you. But, rather than say it myself because I simply can't get the words out, I will let Sustainable Table say it for me as follows:

"Sustainable Table fully supports the creative solution suggested today by President Bush to buy food from local farmers as a means for communities to be more self sustaining. The nonprofit program adds that purchasing sustainably-raised local food is the best option for all Americans."

That's right, W. actually said something that makes sense during his Rose Garden Speech.

President Bush said, "We are deeply concerned about food prices here at home” and the “creative policy is to buy food from local farmers.”

As Diane Hatz, Director of Sustainable Table points out:

“Sustainable Table agrees with President Bush’s statement made today that large subsidies to multimillionaire farmers should be cut."

Wow, if that doesn't tell you that something needs to be done, I don't know what will.

The food crisis has been greatly exacerbated by the huge subsidies for corn and grains that go to the large agri-businesses.

As Hatz points out: "Today’s industrial form of agriculture is funded by tax payer subsidies which can push small, family farmers out of business and pollute the environment. That’s why it is better for people to purchase foods grown locally, on sustainable family farms or at farmers markets."

LA Farm Girl in Daily Link

Just another brief shameless post to let everybody know that LA Farm Girl was featured in the Daily Breeze's Daily Link section both in the paper and on their Daily Link blog, I am hoping it will help people want to get involved with The Giving Gardeners.

Check it out here: http://www.insidesocal.com/dailylink/2008/04/la_farm_girl_dishes_on_where_t.html#more
And, as I mention in the blog entry there, I am working on putting together a What's in Season feature here on LA Farm Girl so you will know what is and what's coming soon at your local farmers' market!

Eat Well Guide's New Green Fork Blog

The wonderful folks at The Eat Well Guide have created another awesome site, its called the Green Fork Blog and it is the new "official" site of The Eat Well Guide. The Guide is "your resource for finding thousands of farms, grocery stores, restaurants and other "green" food outlets throughout the US and Canada." If you've never used the guide, it's a great place to find out the latest food and farming news, and get farm tour and seasonal food information, book reviews, and interviews with the leading voices in the sustainable food movement.
http://blog.eatwellguide.org/

Pledge to "Go Local" For Earth Day

Earth Day is here once again and for those who may be hesitating or who need a "reason" to become a locavore, Earth Day might be just the thing.

Started in 1970, by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin as the first nationwide environmental protest, its goal was "to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda."

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. That first Earth Day saw a rare alignment of all kinds of groups and political parties, including farmers and urban dwellers alike.

Ultimately, it resulted in the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

This history is a reminder that we do have the power to make a difference. And, one way to make a start is to eat local, buy local, and consider how your purchases affect your local community and environment.

Eating foods that are produced locally or grown nearby reduces transportation fuel four to 17 times (according to the Rocky Mountain Institute). That means four to 17 times less carbon dioxide pollution.

And, when you buy locally, every dollar spent in your community adds about twice as much value to the local economy than it would if it were spent at a chain store.

All of those super "bargains" we get at those big stores, aren't so wonderful, they do come at a higher cost, the loss of local businesses, the fact that we don't really produce anything any more, more use of fuel, and that we get tainted foods and other products, even toys.

Even focusing on just eating locally can make a big impact. Here's a link to a list on the PBS website about how to start eating locally, developed by the folks at the Eat Local Challenge, http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/344/locavore.html

And for more information on the Eat Local Challenge, visit them here:
http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/

King Corn On KCET Thursday April 17

I just wanted to let everybody know that tomorrow night, Thursday, April 17, our local LA PBS station, KCET is showing the great documentary, King Corn as part of the Independent Lens series.

Here's the specifics:

Independent Lens: King Corn, Thursday, April 17, 2008, 9:00 PM

KCET Channel 28

Can't watch at this time? Find other broadcast times during the next two weeks for Independent Lens at http://www.pbs.org/whatson/

For more on King Corn, check out their site at http://www.kingcorn.net/

Why LA Farm Girl Hasn't Posted

View of boardwalk and wharf from West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz

Well, I haven't posted for a few days because I took a little vacation, one I was supposed to take last month. I went up to Santa Cruz for a little R&R, to visit my sister and my old stomping grounds and to go up to UC Berkeley to see my smarty pants nephew and to San Francisco to see my niece who are now all grown up. I will spare them the embarrassment of posting their photos here on their dorky auntie's blog!

This is UC Santa Cruz, how lucky was I to go to school here?!