Sunday, April 14, 2013

Produce is trending "local farmer", but needs small regulation


The Daily Journal (San Mateo), Sally Schilling, 4/13/13.  "Assemblyman Rich Gordon's bill seeks clarity on citizen-farmer partnerships."

No regulation?  Well okay, its organic !
...  California consumers are increasingly opting to buy directly from farmers. This growing demand for direct exchanges between the farmer and the consumer has led the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish regulations for farmers’ markets.

A California Farmers’ Market certification assures market goers that the food being sold is actually grown on the farms represented. The direct marketing of agricultural products from small farms is something Assemblyman Rich Gordon, D-Menlo Park, says the state needs to encourage further. He is proposing a certification process for Community-Supported Agriculture, or CSA. 

....   The details of Gordon’s proposed legislation, Assembly Bill 224, are still being worked out, but he said his main purpose is to avoid the establishment of a one-size-fits-all regulation that hampers the operations of CSAs. He aims to establish a no-cost certification process that takes into account the various sizes and types of CSAs. .... As these larger operations emerge, so will public health concerns.   Read article.

Related articles - Re Plan it, Jock Brandis, "Great reasons to bguy fruits and vegetables locally."  "We all tend to get sucked into buying from huge food chains like Whole Foods or Harris Teeter because they are conveniently spread around town with great deals including coupons and discount cards. However, the local farmer’s markets are the best places to buy your local foods including fruits and vegetables. Don’t believe us? Well, let’s break down some reasons why shopping locally is great for your health, community and the environment." Note: photograph above, and more from this article.  San Francisco examiner, 4/11/13, "Urban farming report overdue, long-awaited in San Francisco." Movement toward streamlining the "decentralized" San Francisco government bureaucracy.

Posted by Kathy Meeh 

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