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strata at 11:46am on 05/04/2009
strata at 11:46am on 05/04/2009Either mosey on over to Food Democracy Now to use their letter or write one of your own.
Senators Boxer and Feinstein, Representative Eschoo, Mr. McGlynn
Washington, DC
RE: Comment on Farm Program Payment Limitation Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 23, February 5, 2009
Dear elected officials and Mr. McGlynn,
Thank you for your hard work on behalf of your fellow Americans. I am writing today to urge you to close the farm subsidy loopholes that permit direct payments to businesses that do not directly farm. Agricultural subsidies should be directed at preserving independent farms and farm familiies not at corporations or funding partnerships.
Please provide strong and specific definitions for "farmers" and those “actively engaged in agriculture” to specify that those receiving subsidies should provide at least 51% of the active crop and personnel management of the farm.
Please limit subsidies to actively farmed land, and end the practice of paying organizations not to grow crops.
I also encourage you to strongly support tax incentives for diversified small farming and diversified organic farming, e.g., the 'a little of everything' traditional family farm. CAFOs and acres of identical crops, whether organic or conventional, hurt the soil and weaken our food security.
Finally, I beg of you to get Monsanto and other patent-seed companies OUT of our foreign-aid and Middle Eastern programs, where they are destroying traditional agriculture and (literally!) driving small farmers to suicide, and support non-patent, open-pollinated, and heirloom seed efforts.
Sincerely,
Strata Chalup
Sunnyvale CA 94089
Woman Small Business Owner
Senators Boxer and Feinstein, Representative Eschoo, Mr. McGlynn
Washington, DC
RE: Comment on Farm Program Payment Limitation Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 23, February 5, 2009
Dear elected officials and Mr. McGlynn,
Thank you for your hard work on behalf of your fellow Americans. I am writing today to urge you to close the farm subsidy loopholes that permit direct payments to businesses that do not directly farm. Agricultural subsidies should be directed at preserving independent farms and farm familiies not at corporations or funding partnerships.
Please provide strong and specific definitions for "farmers" and those “actively engaged in agriculture” to specify that those receiving subsidies should provide at least 51% of the active crop and personnel management of the farm.
Please limit subsidies to actively farmed land, and end the practice of paying organizations not to grow crops.
I also encourage you to strongly support tax incentives for diversified small farming and diversified organic farming, e.g., the 'a little of everything' traditional family farm. CAFOs and acres of identical crops, whether organic or conventional, hurt the soil and weaken our food security.
Finally, I beg of you to get Monsanto and other patent-seed companies OUT of our foreign-aid and Middle Eastern programs, where they are destroying traditional agriculture and (literally!) driving small farmers to suicide, and support non-patent, open-pollinated, and heirloom seed efforts.
Sincerely,
Strata Chalup
Sunnyvale CA 94089
Woman Small Business Owner
(no subject)
(no subject)
letter