Thursday, July 30, 2009

Food Safety

This is a little late but outside of healthcare, food safety is being discussed as legislature, specifically HR 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act. I do not feel as well informed as I should to discuss this but people have and do die when we neglect regulating food safety. It is a matter of national security. I found a good non-partisan blog devoted to this issue, Marler Blog, well actually he tracks food poisoning around the US. "Bill Marler is an accomplished personal injury and products liability attorney," so begins the description. I feel guilty for not being able to speak better about this. It is this guy's job to know what is going on with food safety, anyway, it just passed in the house. I still do not know exactly what sort of suspect modification and improvements have been made to it. Some parts were threatening to small farmers, and I am not sure what has been left in.

I'll talk about something I know a little about, my garden. Here's my cabbage growing back in. After a cabbage is beheaded, it often sprouts numerous smaller heads to replace it.
My yarrow is starting to grow in. In part because I am concerned about food safety, I do not eat anything grown on my curb. I understand in some areas that they are trying to force farmers to have dead barriers surrounding their fields to prevent disease. Seems to me that this would not work. What drives me nuts about the internet is that I read so many little things and cannot quite recall my source. OK, it is the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, which I found out about via ACTION: Speak Out Against the LGMA!, a post in Lavida Locavore.
Anyway, my scarlet runner beans have reached the top of this tower I made from a bunch of rose of sharon that was towering over much of my back yard. Now these scarlet runner beans will tower and perhaps the hummingbirds will enjoy them.
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2 comments:

Unknown said...

I also sometimes feel guilty about not being sufficiently informed about important issues, and, like you, I care deeply about food safety, yet, don't know much about the bill. I can't drive myself crazy over this--- one person can only read so much, know so much and absorb so much.

I have to shake my head when I think I've reached a decision on an issue, then I hear some opposing view and realize it's much more complicated than I though. That may be the case here. Why would we oppose food safety? Well, maybe as written, the bill hurts small farmers, I'm not sure.

Gabrielle Marsden said...

From what I know it is better than nothing. I am more frustrated in my news sources.

Why do they pre-empt things for Michael Jackson? He is a tragic figure but I was never a fan. And there really is much about him that is... well creepy.

I care about health care reform bit does food safety not impact health as well? People have died do to lack of regulation. I really wish that there was just more press for this issue.