Senate Poised to Act on the Farm Bill:
Your Calls Needed

A message from the California Food & Justice Coalition: 

After a number of delays, the Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled to take action on their version of the Farm Bill TODAY.

Right now, many confidential negotiations and back room deals are underway in preparation for the Committee’s Farm Bill mark-up next week.  Agriculture Committee Chair Tom Harkin has drafted a Farm Bill that includes many of our small farm, local food system, food access and sustainable agriculture priorities, but not all.  Despite enormous public outcry for increased funding for Community Food Projects, increased funding for this program is still not secure.  Other CFJC priorities, listed below, are on the table in these negotiations, but still need strong backing to get into the final bill.  It’s critical that our influential Senators work with their colleagues on the Agriculture committee to move forward a Healthy Food and Farm Bill that includes our priorities.

If you haven’t already contacted both California Senators, NOW is the time to Act -- Please contact them TODAY and urge their support  our Healthy Food and Farm Bill priorities!

Below are specific Farm Bill asks and your Senators’ contact info. When you call, ask to speak to the agriculture aide.

Calls and Faxes are best at this time.  Use this link http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=17327 to quickly print a formatted letter or send an automatic email.

Senator Dianne Feinstein

Phone: 202-224-3841

Fax: 202-228-3954     

       
Senator Barbara Boxer

Phone: 202-224-3553

Fax: 202-228-2382
 
Sample Call Script:
My name is __________ and I am from _________ [your home town].  I am calling because I feel that the Farm Bill should be a Healthy Food and Farm Bill that supports small farmers, local food systems and access to healthy food for all people and I want to urge ________ [Senator Feinstein or Senator Boxer] to support policies that direct our tax dollars to programs that deliver maximum public benefit and encourage a more equitable food and farm policy. Specifically, I ask that the Senator work with her colleagues on the Agriculture committee to get the following priorities included in the Senate Farm Bill.
[feel free to list all these priorities, pick your top 3 to highlight, or speak up for your own priorities that might not be listed here]

• Increased mandatory funding for the Community Food Projects Grants Program to $30 million
• Provide at least $5 billion more for conservation in the farm bill, including $2 billion for the Comprehensive Stewardship Incentives Program;
• Allow public health approaches in Food Stamp Nutrition Education;
• Increase mandatory funding for Organic Research and Extension to $25 million a year and support the creation of an Organic Conversion program; and
• Increase mandatory funding for the Beginning Farmer and Socially Disadvantaged Farmer Programs and set aside at least 10% of specialty crop funding to support minority, beginning and limited resource farmers.

End the call by thanking them for their support and help bring attention to these critical programs.

WHAT IS THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE?

The Strategic Alliance is reframing the debate on nutrition and physical activity away from a focus on individual choice and lifestyle towards one of environment and corporate and government responsibility. Current Steering Committee members are: California Adolescent Nutrition and Fitness Program (CANFit), California Center for Public Health Advocacy, California Food Policy Advocates, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, California Parks and Recreation Society, California Project LEAN, California WIC Association, Child Care Food Program Roundtable, Latino Health Access, Partnership for the Public's Health, Prevention Institute, Samuels & Associates and YMCA of the East Bay.

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER

The Strategic Alliance is currently engaged in building a broad and diverse statewide membership. To join or for more information, please visit us on the Web, www.eatbettermovemore.org, or contact Sana Chehimi at 510.444.7738 or Sana@preventioninstitute.org. And even if you're already a member, please forward this message on to your colleagues so we can continue to strengthen our coalition. Thank you!

The Strategic Alliance is reframing the debate on nutrition and physical activity--from a focus on individual choice and lifestyle, towards one of environment and corporate and government responsibility.

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