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I see this as being dangerous to small farm and garden operations, even those of families and individuals. The following text was taken from the information on AB 875 that was found on this site:
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
(14) FOOD PRODUCTION FACILITY- The term ‘food production facility’ means any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation.
SEC. 206. FOOD PRODUCTION FACILITIES.
(a) Authorities- In carrying out the duties of the Administrator and the purposes of this Act, the Administrator shall have the authority, with respect to food production facilities, to--
(1) visit and inspect food production facilities in the United States and in foreign countries to determine if they are operating in compliance with the requirements of the food safety law;
(2) review food safety records as required to be kept by the Administrator under section 210 and for other food safety purposes;
(3) set good practice standards to protect the public and animal health and promote food safety;
(4) conduct monitoring and surveillance of animals, plants, products, or the environment, as appropriate; and
(5) collect and maintain information relevant to public health and farm practices.
As I read this, each of the five items listed are authorities given to the federal government to enforce compliance of backyard gardens and family farms. Even having a couple of fruit trees or an egg laying chicken could make you subject to these provisions if this bill passes.
The definitions of farm, ranch, orchard, and vineyard are subject to interpretation, since they were not defined in the text of the bull..., oops, I mean bill. Can anyone show me where I am wrong about this?
I see this as being dangerous to small farm and garden operations, even those of families and individuals...As I read this, each of the five items listed are authorities given to the federal government to enforce compliance of backyard gardens and family farms. Even having a couple of fruit trees or an egg laying chicken could make you subject to these provisions if this bill passes...The definitions of farm, ranch, orchard, and vineyard are subject to interpretation, since they were not defined in the text of the bull..., oops, I mean bill. Can anyone show me where I am wrong about this?
I think you're right. It looks to me like the 10 planting beds in my backyard could be classified as a farm. My rabbits could be construed as a confined-feeding animal facility. If I sold a little surplus produce at the farmers market, or if I butchered a rabbit or two and sold them, I'd have to fill out paperwork, file that paperwork and open my property to government inspectors. I believe I'll pass on that, and just keep my food to myself. I probably won't have much surplus anyway. What little I have will just go on the compost pile if this bill becomes law.
What's odd about this is there has been a "Eat Local" push across the nation for several years; consumers have been encouraged to go visit their farmers markets to buy locally produced food. If this bill becomes law, you'll hear crickets at the markets because most small growers (which is all we've got around here0 aren't going to put up with the added costs of licenses, paperwork headaches and government agents on their property. Forget about eating locally grown food unless you grow it yourself.
The problems are with large scale producers and imported food from third world countries. This will over-burden small and local producers and...drum roll....give the big producers behind the big problems in the first place even more of a monopoly on the food market.
I absolutely oppose this. I have planned to sell excess from my small subsistance farm/homestead in Alaska for a bit of extra income in the future...honey, vegetables, fruit, whatever...no way could I do that with such regulations, paperwork, fees, potentially being ordered to use chemicals...no way, even though if a customer asked I'd be happy to show them my place (all of the "whopping" 20 acres of it)...it ain't people like me you'd have to worry about but this stops people like me, it's the big guys who are the problem and this gives them an even bigger monopoly/advantage over smaller, local people...with local or smaller producers you can check things out, go by reputation (word spreads fast in small town/rural areas!), and if anything did go wrong it's a quick matter of tracking down the source because you know exactly where the item came from...
Looks like it's back to counting on trapping and the gold pan to stay afloat once I'm set up...I won't deal with this stuff, won't open my doors to big brother...
Most folks aren't going to get up in arms over this bill until it hits their checkbook. When a 10# sack of potatoes will cost them $10, head of lettuce $4, tomatoes in season $1 for one. Sadly most folks don't even know or care to know where their food comes from other than whatever grocery store they buy it at.
Big corporations are behind this but most folks don't see or don't care. Our government leaders are too stupid, yes I said stupid, to see further down the road past their greased palms.
No the govt knows all about it. The person who drafted the bill her husband works for one of those big corporations.
And so the palm greasing begins. I would bet my farm that over 3/4 of the leaders in D.C. have no clue how to garden, can or preserve anything but their 401Ks. Or how to live within a budget and I mean live within one.
I'm surprised so many people on city-data believe in more regulation and more government intrusion. Through e-mail and postings, I understand many of you believe I should get a license and pay fees just to sell surplus tomatoes, squash and pumpkins out of my garden. If that comes about, I'll can and freeze as much as I have time and space for, give away as much as my relatives can take and throw any surplus onto the compost pile to enrich next year's garden.
If you don't want to abide by the rules that govern safe production of food going onto the national food chain, then by all means do what you say in the latter of your post quoted above. When you SELL to the public you are obligated to do so ethically and within strict guidelines...period. There are thousands of small scale farmers who do so every year and abide by the rules and make a living at it. Simply put, farming is a heavily regulated industry and for good reason.
I get tired of people tossing around the "freedom" banner when the fact is it is their right to chose whether or not they get paid for the food they produce. Once you make that decision to sell, then the dynamics of the entire situation changes.
If you don't want to abide by the rules that govern safe production of food going onto the national food chain, then by all means do what you say in the latter of your post quoted above.
Well, sir, they aren't the rules yet, and we hope the bill isn't passed and signed.
Oh there is a lot of it, and I fight it as best I can, but atlas I do more then complain on forums. I actually join committees that are county based and help shape agriculture since it literally is my bread and butter.
My greatest concern is not for myself...I have had it good all my life...I fight hard to make sure my daughter can have it as good as I did...or maybe even better.
I'm not big on regulation but if someone in my family died of salmonella poisoning due to negligent practices by food producers and production facilities I would be saying this bill doesn't go far enough.
Wash the vegetables you buy at the roadside stand.
Thoroughly.
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Sadly most folks don't even know or care to know where their food comes from other than whatever grocery store they buy it at. 
