H.R. 875

There is a bill under consideration right now called “H.R. 875: Food safety and Modernization Act of 2009”. It’s amazingly hard to read, and if I try to summarize it, I’ll do an embarrassingly poor job. But the gist of the bill is this: in the process of attempting to make the process of getting food from farm to table safer for consumers, no distinction is made between giant agro-business farms, small organic farms, and backyard gardens. The wording is so bad, that if this passes, not only will organic farms be driven out of business, but it would be illegal to keep a backyard garden without regular inspections and a ton of paperwork.

You can use this site to tell your representative that you oppose this bill.

Ironically, and more happily, the Obamas will soon be planting an organic garden at the White House! If nothing else will prompt a rewrite of H.R. 875, this will!