 |
 |
REMINDER - Submit YOUR Testimony to House Agriculture Committee by this Saturday, April 28! The deadline to submit written testimony on the economic impacts of organic production and processing to the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture is Saturday, April 28th, 2007! The Subcommittee held an historic hearing last week in Washington, the first ever devoted exclusively to organic farming and processing. Testimony from the hearing record (including written submissions) will play an important role in the development of 2007 Farm Bill language for organic agriculture. This is a great opportunity to tell your story, in your own words, and educate policy makers about organic agriculture. Please submit written testimony via email to the staff of the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture and be sure to send a copy your Member of Congress. Contact information for Subcommittee staff and your Representative as well as talking points for your testimony are provided below. Contact Information for Staff at the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Submit your written testimony to both: Jamie Weyer, Hearing Clerk - [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Keith Jones, Staff Director - [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Your Congress Member's Contact Info: Mike Rogers http://www.mikerogers.house.gov/Contact.aspx <https://mail.carrs.msu.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://ofrf.hopto.org:81/CT00008907MTI3NTEA.HTML> <https://mail.carrs.msu.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://ofrf.hopto.org:81/CT00008908MTI3NTEA.HTML> Pointers for Submitting Testimony * Make the following your email subject line: "Written Testimony for April 18 Organic Hearing." * You can write your testimony in the body of the email or attach it as a document. * Include the following as the title of your testimony: "Written Testimony for the Hearing on Economic Impacts of Production, Processing, and Marketing Organic Agriculture Products, 4/18/07." * Address your testimony to "Honorable Members of the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture:" * Tell them where you live. * Describe your farm operation, including products grown, methods of marketing, and innovations you use. * Describe some of the contributions your farm (or organic farms in your community) makes to the local or regional community and economy. * Describe some of the challenges, particularly economic ones, that you face as an organic grower (or that you see facing organic growers). * Provide suggestions and ideas you have that would help organic growers increase their contribution to their communities, local economy and food system. * Include your full name and address. Once you submit your testimony, email [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> to let us know who you contacted and if you can, please include your testimony. If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html