Action Alert February 10th, 2005

In this Action Alert:
--Citizen Action Day 2005 - Get your Reps to support the Farmer Protection Act!
--Special Alerts for Rutland, Bennington, Addison County
--Upcoming Events...

CITIZEN ACTION DAY 2005
February 15, 2005
11 am - 2 pm
Meet at Christ Church at 11 am - March to Statehouse at 12:15 pm.
Please WEAR RED for a TIME OUT on GMOs!

Let your Reps know you're coming. Call and make an appt. with them for sometime between 12:30 and 2 on February 15th. Call them at home this weekend to make your appointment! You can find out who your representative is and get their phone numbers here:
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/legdir/districts.cfm?Body=H
We need to focus on the HOUSE for this bill. We already have STRONG SUPPORT in the Senate, and we don't need to bother our Senators (except for the three exceptions below). Please be sure to call your HOUSE REP this weekend and tell them you want to meet with them about the Farmer Protection Act on Tuesday.
Get all the details and download a flyer off of this website.

Speaking of House Representatives, YOUR CALLS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!! We now have 39 representatives signed onto the Farmer Protection Act in the House. At least one dozen representatives indicated that they were signing on because of YOUR PHONE CALLS! Also a big THANK YOU to those of you who emailed to let us know that your rep wanted to sign on. If you talk to your rep, and they want to sign on or if they want more information, please email amy@ruralvermont.org.

Here is who is signed on to the bill so far:
Representatives Ancel, Bohi, Botzow, Brooks, Chen, Clarkson, Darrow, Deen, Dowland, Edwards, Emmons, Gervais, Haas, Heath, Hutchinson, Mitzi Johnson, Kilmartin, Kiss, Klein, Larson, Leriche, Marek, Marron, Clint Martin, Linda Martin, McCullough, McLaughlin, Milkey, Minter, Nuovo, Obuchowski, Orr, Pellett, Pillsbury, Randall, Sharpe, Shap Smith, Sweaney, Zuckerman

If you don't see your Representative on this list, please ask them to SIGN ON when you call this weekend!

SPECIAL ALERTS FOR RUTLAND, BENNINGTON, AND ADDISON COUNTIES

Please read carefully, and TAKE ACTION if you live in these counties!

IF YOU LIVE IN RUTLAND COUNTY:
Please call Senators Wendy Wilton (773-3426) and Kevin Mullin (775-7631) and tell them to VOTE YES ON THE FARMER PROTECTION ACT when it comes up for a Senate Vote. Senator Wendy Wilton is actively opposing the bill (she is pretty much the only one really really opposed), and she is claiming that everyone in her district is opposed to the bill. SHE NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU! Please ONLY call her if you live in RUTLAND county! Get your neighbors and friends to call her, too!

IF YOU LIVE IN BENNINGTON COUNTY:
Please call Senator Mark Shephard (447-7322). Senator Shephard voted for our bill last year, but he is wavering this year. Be friendly and encouraging, and ask him to support the Farmer Protection Act. Please DO NOT call Senator Sears. He is completely on our side, and he has the flu. Let him rest, so he can help us get our bill passed!

IF YOU LIVE IN ADDISON COUNTY:
Please WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR! Our friendly and supportive senators are getting hit hard by our opponents, and they need your support. In your letter, thank Senators Ayer and Giard for supporting the Farmer Protection Act and say that it does not judge the technology. Also, it protects ALL Vermont farmers, including GE Farmers. If the products are good, then the bill burdens nobody. If the products cause a problem, then the bill puts the burden on the manufacturers, instead of on the farmer, where it currently rests. If the company won't stand behind its products, then farmers should wonder what kind of liability they are currently at risk for.

Please submit your letter to: news@addisonindependent.com and to eaglepub@bluemoo.net.

We should have a Senate Vote scheduled by the end of next week!

Upcoming Events:

FILM SCREENING!!!

Tuesday Feb. 15
7pm
Screening of The Future of Food
Springfield Library - Springfield, VT

Thursday Feb. 17
Time TBA
Screening of The Future of Food followed by Q&A with Linda Setchell from
Rural Vermont
Vergenes Union High School Library - Vergenes, VT

PUBLIC FORUM WITH BRIAN TOKAR AND BILL McKIBBON!
Thursday Feb. 24
7pm
Public Forum "Industrial Food - Local Alternatives" with Bill McKibbon,
author and Brian Tokar from the ISE Biotechnology Project
Riley Center for the Arts in Manchester, VT (located off Rte. 7 on
Seminary Rd. in historic Manchester).
more info at www.ruralvermont.org - Calendar of Events!

If you have any questions about this email or want to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Farm Policy Network Activist List, please contact amy@ruralvermont.org.
Amy Shollenberger
Policy Director, Rural Vermont