On February 10 several radical environmental groups filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Federal District Court against the National Park Service (NPS), seeking a court order to set aside authorizations granted over
PRIME Act Introduced in the Senate
Washington, D.C.—March 9, 2016—Yesterday, Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the PRIME (Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption) Act, lending Senate support for Representatives
West Virginia Raw Milk Bill Now Law
Falls Church, VA—March 4, 2016—Raw milk is now legal in West Virginia, the state that previously had the most anti-raw milk laws in the United States. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed Senate Bill 387 yesterday
Slaughterhouse Shortage in the U.S.
In 1967, at the time of the passage of the Wholesome Meat Act, there were nearly 10,000 slaughterhouses in the country. The table below from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) on the number of livestock slaughter plants (poultry plants are not included) shows how the local
State Raw Milk Bills – 2016 Update
In the 2015 legislative session, six states passed legislation increasing raw milk access. While it doesn’t look like this year’s session will be as productive, there are several states that have a good chance of
FDA “Pauses” Testing Requirement for Raw Cheese
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has temporarily suspended its requirement that raw cheese producers test for non-toxigenic E. coli. In 2010 FDA lowered the limit from 10,000 MPN down to 10 MPN, a move that had little to do with food safety and everything to do with
Who Makes Law in Virginia? FDA
On February 1, the Virginia House Agriculture Sub-Committee quietly killed an amended version of the Virginia Food Freedom Act (HB 619) by tabling the bill during a subcommittee hearing. The amended version of HB 619 would have
Bavuso’s Fight for Local Aquaculture in Virginia Continues
Anthony Bavuso began oyster farming on his property in York County, Virginia because he wanted to be a producer and saw oysters as a way to help improve
Food Freedom Farce in Virginia
When is a final committee vote on a bill not final? In Virginia, it’s when the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) decides it doesn’t like the outcome.
Who’s Afraid of Hawkins Family Farm?
Legislation prohibiting or restricting market access for local food producers is not about food safety but rather about eliminating competition for the industrial food system, often before local producers can get any traction