Action Alert March 12, 2007

--House Ag Committee NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT to Consider Removing Poultry Regs for <1000 birds
--Rural Vermont Hot Chocolate Socials
--Rural Vermont Democracy Workshops
--Other events...

WILL HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE CONSIDER REMOVING POULTRY REGS FOR <1000 BIRDS?
WE NEED YOUR HELP! The week before Town Meeting, the House Agriculture Committee was discussing removing regulations for poultry inspection when a producer processes 1000 birds or less per year. However, just before the break, the committee was unsure whether this was still a good idea. THEY NEED ENCOURAGEMENT. If we are successful, you could sell less than 1000 birds/year at these venues without state inspection. You can already sell less than 1000 birds/year from the farm with no inspection. Federal law carries this exemption to other venues, but Vermont regulates this "exempted category." The Committee has not yet drafted their bill, and there is still time to make a difference.

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP REMOVE THESE POULTRY REGULATIONS:
1) On MONDAY, March 12th, CALL your HOUSE REP(s) at home and ask them to talk to a House Ag Committee member. Ask your Rep to tell the House Ag Committee that they want language removing regulations on 1000 birds or less in the "omnibus ag bill". You can find out who your rep(s) are here, as well as their contact information (remember, an email will not be effective - please call!): http://www.leg.state.vt.us/legdir/districts.cfm?Body=H

2) Please WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR of your local paper this week, stating your support and your wish that the committee push this provision forward. You can find contact information for your local paper here: http://www.ruralvermont.org/getinvolved.html (scroll halfway down the page). Your letter will help to keep this discussion alive in the statehouse and in your community. If your letter gets published, please clip it and mail it to us at Rural Vermont, 15 Barre Street, Ste 2, Montpelier, VT 05602.

3) Check our outgoing voicemail message this week as things progress. Call 223-7222 for updates.

PUBLIC HEARING ON MEAT PROCESSING ISSUES
THANK YOU to all who have called your Representatives and Senators. YOUR CALLS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. The House Ag Committee Chair has announced that a hearing will indeed be held, but scheduling issues have arisen, so a date is not yet set. We'll keep you posted...it does seem that the hearing will be broadened to cover all agricultural issues, and we'll let you know if the committee is asking specific questions as the hearing gets closer. We still do NOT have a set date for this hearing, but the House Ag Committee has confirmed that the hearing will indeed be scheduled once they have a bill drafted, so your calls to your reps on the bill above will really help!

***RURAL VERMONT EVENTS***
RURAL VERMONT HOT CHOCOLATE SOCIALS! PLEASE JOIN US!
This week - LYNDONVILLE SOCIAL ON TUESDAY! MIDDLEBURY SOCIAL ON THURSDAY!

Come one, come all to enjoy Fair Trade Hot Chocolate made with Vermont Farm Fresh Milk. Learn about how you can get involved with Rural Vermont and work toward our vision of living soils, thriving farms, and healthy communities. Find out what you can do to help make a strong local food system right here in Vermont! Meet local farmers, hear interesting speakers, and enjoy some of the best hot chocolate you've ever had (and other treats, too!).

All socials are 7 pm to 8:30 pm, and are free and open to the public. We hope you'll become a member of Rural Vermont while you're there! We'll have activities for kids, too, and great door prizes!

PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND THE SOCIAL NEAREST TO YOU!
Tuesday, 3/13/07 - Miss Lyndonville Diner, Lyndonville
Thursday, 3/15/07 - Illsley Library, Middlebury
Wednesday, 3/21/07 - New Life Christian Fellowship, Milton
Thursday, 3/22/07 - United Methodist Church, Danville
Tuesday, 4/3/07 - Pawlet Community Church, Pawlet
Tuesday, 4/10/07 - United Church of Colchester, Colchester
Monday, 4/16/07 - Methodist Church, Enosburg Falls
Tuesday, 4/24/07 -- Boccelli's on the Canal, Bellows Falls

If you have any questions, please call or email Shelby at shelby@ruralvermont.org or 802-223-7222.

RURAL VERMONT DEMOCRACY WORKSHOPS
THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!

THIS WEEK - RUTLAND WORKSHOP ON WEDNESDAY!

Please join Rural Vermont and the Vermont Conservation Education Fund for a great workshop on how to get involved with policy making in Vermont. You'll learn all you need to know to be an effective advocate for issues that you care about. No experience necessary. All welcome! A great opportunity for home-schoolers, too!
--Learn how the Vermont legislature works
--Get the scoop on how to navigate the legislative process
--Learn the statehouse lingo
--Find out where things are at the statehouse
--Practice talking to legislators one-on-one and testifying at a public hearing
--Take home a helpful booklet filled with tips, tricks, and contact information for your local legislators

All workshops are 6 pm - 8:30 pm and will include light refreshments.
Suggested donation $5 - nobody turned away for lack of funds.

MARCH 14, 2007 - Grace Congregational Church, 8 Court Street - RUTLAND
MARCH 20, 2007 - Shelburne Town Offices, 5410 Shelburne Road - SHELBURNE
MARCH 26, 2007 - Northshire Bookstore, 4869 Main Street - MANCHESTER CENTER
APRIL 5, 2007 - American Legion Hall, 60 Railroad Street, ISLAND POND

Please call Robb at 223-7222 to RSVP - not necessary, but helpful!

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other events...

GREEN MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL
Our Daily Bread (cosponsored by Rural Vermont)
Monday, March 19th, 8:15 pm
Wednesday, March 21st, 2:00 pm

City Hall Arts Center

Films in Yiddish, Krio, Pidgin, Turkish and Ylongu...and films by
Vermont filmmakers. too! Documentaries from the Margaret Mead Traveling Film and Video
Festival....A tribute to documentary pioneer Albert Maysles...A chance to talk movies with critic Kenneth Turan....All this and more at the 10th Annual Green Mountain Film Festival, coming March 16-25! Go to www.greenmountainfilmfestival.org to see the entire schedule and order tickets via a downloadable order form.

A Going Local Colloquium:
"The Challenges and Opportunities in Promoting Local Food and Local Food Systems"
9:00 am-5:00 pm in UVM's WATERMAN building
APRIL 19, 2007
Join Madeleine Kunin in an opening speech April 18th, 7:00 pm in Memorial Lounge, Waterman Hall
On April 19th, please come enjoy panel discussions, display booths, taste tests, film fest, raffle prizes, and MORE!
FEATURING: Michael Shuman, keynote speaker and author of Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age
Stay tuned for more information coming your way!
For more information contact Jennifer Green or Patrick Wood
e-mail: jlgreen@uvm.edu
pwood@uvm.edu