Call Senate Ag Committee TODAY
BACKGROUND: In 1993 Virginia passed a law to regulate convenience stores that made sandwiches. The law was misconstrued and applied–several years after passage–to home kitchens, thus eliminating our food heritage of home-produced foods in church bake sales, farmers markets and more. This bill rectifies that mistake and restores common sense by making an exception from the law for inspections of home kitchens selling to the final consumer foods like breads, jams, jellies, pickles, etc.
Senator Creigh Deeds is the sponsor of SB272. This bill might go to the Senate Ag Committee as early as Monday. We will post updates.
ACTION: Please call all Senate Ag Committee members today and ask them to SUPPORT SB272. Please THANK Sen. Creigh Deeds for sponsoring this bill.
Ag Committee members, Talking Points and link to bill below.
SENATE AG COMMITTEE
Harry Blevins – R – District 14 – 804.698.7514
R. Creigh Deeds – D – District 25 – 804.698.7525
Emmett Hanger – R – District 24 – 804.698.7524
Ryan McDougle – R – District 4 – 804.698.7504
A. Donald McEachin – D – District 9 – 804.698.7509
Ralph Northam – D – District 6 – 804.698.7506
Mark Obenshain – R – District 26 – 804.698.7526
Chap Petersen – D – District 34 – 804.698.7534
Phillip Puckett – D – District 38 – 804.698.7538
Wm. Roscoe Reynolds – D – District 20 – 804.698.7520
Frank Ruff – R – District 15 – 804.698.7515
Richard Stuart – R – District 28 – 804.698.7528
Patricia Ticer – D – District 30 – 804.698.7530
John Watkins – R – District 10 – 804.698.7510
Mary Margaret Whipple – D – District 31 – 804.698.7531
TALKING POINTS:
1. Local/home-based food production and consumption supports earned income in neighborhoods and communities.
2. The demand for local artisanal cottage-based food is growing exponentially. People want alternatives to mass produced food.
3. This growing desire for local food is stifled by laws requiring inspected home kitchens. People want to eat locally grown and produced food. They are being denied access because of the misapplication of this law. Church sales and farmers markets have been severely hurt.
4. Seasonal food production overages, including home garden surpluses, can be used to bring in extra money by allowing neighbors to provide for neighbors.
5. Labeling the product “Not for resale-processed and prepared without state inspection” informs the consumer that is not inspected and not to be resold.
6. Rural Virginians on low or fixed incomes historically counted on these type items to bring in a little extra money. This bill is simply the reasonable, right thing to do.
Link to SB272:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=081&typ=bil&val=sb272&Submit2=Go
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