Dear Local Food Supporters,
I received a phone call from Rob Holley of Holley Family Farms last night and was shocked to hear that not only is the Nevada Organics Program dead but a very dangerous bill, which could harm local food - AB77 - has made it's way through legislature and is now awaiting a signature from Governor Sandoval.
We have been providing information about the Organic Certification Program at the Nevada Dept. of Agriculture (NDA) for the past couple of months (see below for resources). Unfortunately, we have learned that the organics program is and was already dead. To make matters worse, a plan has been in place for its demise since last year.
Everyone got distracted in the pursuit to save organics when the real threat to Nevada's local food supply was passing through Legislative committees under our noses: BILL AB77.
Section 133 of the bill will mandate that all producers of ag products (other than livestock, livestock products, or poultry) obtain a Producers Certificate from NDA. Organic producers are exempt. Currently there are 175 certified producers in the optional program - all of them producers of vegetables, honey, fruit, etc. If this bill passes, all ag producers (hay, grain, feed, etc.) will have to obtain a certificate.
Additionally, NDA has the mandate, if they continue to charge a fee, to impose a fee proportionate to the cost of the program.
This new law, if signed by the governor, will impose increased regulation and a new tax burden on nearly all of Nevada's agriculture industry outside of the livestock sector.
Please encourage Governor Sandoval, by either email or telephone, to veto AB77 and direct NDA to work with industry and stakeholders to develop solutions that do not hinder, but develop agriculture.
Email Governor Sandoval: http://gov.nv.gov/Contact/Email-the-Governor/
Call Governor Sandoval: (775) 684-5670
Bill AB77 was proposed by The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA), primarily Director Jim Barbee & Deputy Director Lynn Hettrick.
The NDA is funded over 80% by YOUR Federal Tax Dollars. Simply put: You work hard each month to provide money to a government that has a GMO & Pesticide agenda in mind...this is fairly common knowledge at this point. Now the trickle down effect has reached our state agricultural agency, the NDA. This agency that you work hard to fund has no educational resources, support for and institutional knowledge about sustainable, organic, healthy, local food.
Today I encourage you all to use your voice as a constituent and let Governor Sandoval know that WE CARE ABOUT SAFE, LOCAL & ORGANIC FOOD and we don't want to give agencies with a GMO & PESTICIDE DRIVEN AGENDA the power to regulate and control all local food in the State of Nevada.
Thank you,
Amber Sallaberry
Co-Founder & General Manager
amber@greatbasinfood.coop
Care about local and organic food in Nevada and just hearing about all of this stuff?
Learn More Here:
Reno Gazette Journal Opinion Piece on Organics: http://www.rgj.com/story/opinion/voices/2015/05/13/nda-failing-local-organic-producers-certification/27261897/
Reno Fox News Coverage:
http://www.foxreno.com/news/features/mornings-on-fox-11/stories/nv-could-lose-organic-certification-program-2073.shtml#.VWyNLFxVikr
Advocacy & Information Website about this issue. With video of the last Organic Advisory Council Meeting at the NDA. Hear Hungry Mother Organics, Holley Family Farms, Lattin Farms, Churchill Butte Organics and more of your local food favorites speak on the issue:
www.ambersallaberry.com
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Our mailing address is:
240 Court St. Reno, NV 89501 (775) 324-6133 - www.greatbasinfood.coop
