Crunchy Chicken

Notice the new button on the top right of my blog. After reading My Forbidden Fruits(and Vegetables), Crunchy Chicken wants us to petition congress about the farm commodities restriction.

Here is the deal. Once a farm enters the commodities program it can only grow corn, soy beans, wheat, and rice. The land can not be used for fruits and vegetables or the farmer will be severely penalized. Two points I will stress are these from the Forbiden Fruits op/ed.

Why? Because national fruit and vegetable growers based in California, Florida and Texas fear competition from regional producers like myself. Through their control of Congressional delegations from those states, they have been able to virtually monopolize the country’s fresh produce markets.[...]
Last year, Midwestern lawmakers proposed an amendment to the farm bill that would provide some farmers, though only those who supply processors, with some relief from the penalties that I’ve faced — for example, a soybean farmer who wanted to grow tomatoes would give up his usual subsidy on those acres but suffer none of the other penalties. However, the Congressional delegations from the big produce states made the death of what is known as Farm Flex their highest farm bill priority, and so it appears to be going nowhere, except perhaps as a tiny pilot program.

Go see Crunchy Chickens letter. Also, Burban Mom. Do not copy their letters exactly. A form letter does not count as much as a regular letter. Congress. Senate.

Micheal Pollan described author of In Defense of Food said this was the books mantra.

Eat food.
Not to much.
Mostly plants.

The folks at Edible Portland came back with some of their own. I think this one is my anti bio diesel, anti commodities mantra.

Grow corn.
Just for food.
Not cars.