Advocate for local food at Farm Food Voices 2011!

On Wednesday, March 16, local food advocates will convene on Capitol Hill for a grassroots lobby day. If you care about where your food comes from, join them!

Joel Salatin with Polyface Farms' grassfed cows

Farm Food Voices says: “Join a coalition of organizations, local food advocates, and small family farmers from across the country to lobby federal legislators on local food and food sovereignty. Help reveal to Congress the disastrous ramifications of the recent “food safety” legislation and provide them the real food safety solution: unregulated local trade direct from producer to consumer. True food sovereignty means food security and national prosperity. In every country.”

This event, organized by the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA), is in its fifth year. From 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. will be an impressive “Feast,” a local foods reception in the Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building. In addition to the fact that “chefs and caterers from some of the finest restaurants in our region will serve dishes showcasing locally produced food,” there will be some amazing speakers. Farmer/author/activist Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm will emcee the reception. Other speakers include:

Jonathan Emord, Esq. – Attorney and author of The Rise of Tyranny and The Global Censorship of Health Information, he has defeated the FDA seven times in federal court.
Bryan Voltaggio – Chef/owner of acclaimed VOLT restaurant and season six runner-up of the TV series Top Chef
Kristin Canty – Producer and director of Farmageddon, the movie that depicts the dwindling food sovereignty in America and the extreme measures the state uses to attack farmers growing healthy food
Mark Lilly – Founder and owner of  Farm to Family “farmbus”, bringing fresh farm food to central Virginia communities and transforming the American food landscape “one stop at a time.”

Attendees are encouraged to make appointments with their legislators from 9:00 to 4:00 that day and to urge their Senators and Representatives to attend the 12-2 reception.

See also Kimberly Hartke’s blog, Hartke is Online!

Contact information for the event:

Contact: Liz Reitzig, NICFA Secretary
liz.reitzig@verizon.net
301.807.5063

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms with chickens

Pigs foraging at Polyface Farms

My son with the turkeys at Polyface Farms (and a hat that was given to us; we've never eaten at Rainforest Cafe! I don't know anything about its food politics)