ACTION ALERT May 2, 2007

--CALLS NEEDED RIGHT NOW TO PASS THE CHICKEN BILL!!!
--Upcoming Events

OMNIBUS AGRICULTURE BILL NEEDS YOUR HELP!
The Omnibus Agriculture Bill (H. 522) is now on the schedule to be voted on by the Senate. A vote is expected tomorrow - THURSDAY. The bill still includes language that would allow farmers raising fewer than 1000 birds per year to process those birds on the farm (without inspection) and to sell from the farm, at farmers' markets, and to restaurants. The Senate version also includes the labeling requriements right in the bill, so the law could go into effect right away - and farmers could sell this year! The full bill as passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee can be seen here: click here. The Poultry Provisions are in Sections 7, 8, & 9. However, THESE SECTIONS ARE IN DANGER. Senators Kitchel, Mazza, Sears, and Illuzzi have introduced an amendment to completely delete Sections 7 and 8, which would take away the farmers' right to process on the farm and sell at farmers' markets and to restaurants. CALLS ARE NEEDED RIGHT NOW to kill this amendment!

AMENDMENT TO PROPOSAL OF AMENDMENT OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE TO H. 522 TO BE OFFERED BY SENATORS KITCHEL, SEARS, MAZZA AND ILLUZZI
Senators Kitchel, Sears, Mazza and Illuzzi move to amend the proposal of amendment of the Committee on Agriculture by striking out Secs. 8 and 9 in their entirety.

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY TO HELP:
1) Call YOUR SENATORS at the STATEHOUSE RIGHT NOW - Wednesday all day and Thursday morning!
Call 802-828-2228 and leave a message for ALL of your Senators - if you are not sure who your senators are, the Sergeant at Arms can tell you (they will be the person answering the phone) - you'll just have to tell them what county you live in. When you call, leave your name and number and ask for a call back. When your Senators call you back, ask them to please PASS H.522 just the way it passed out of Senate Agriculture AND VOTE NO ON THE KITCHEL AMENDMENT.
**Please DO NOT EMAIL Senators. This is NOT effective.**
A phone call is needed, and EVERY SENATOR NEEDS CALLS. Please call again even if you have already called. Specify that you want your senator to VOTE NO ON THE KITCHEL AMENDMENT.

2) Once you have made your calls, please ask a friend or family member to call. If you have extra time to help, call Shelby at Rural Vermont (802-223-7222), and we'll get you plugged in - you can help to get others to call!

3) JOIN RURAL VERMONT! We need your (financial) support to keep our work going! Please make a secure on-line donation at www.ruralvermont.org, or call 802-223-7222 - we can accept cash, credit cards, and checks! Your membership dues will go directly to our work to achieve our vision of living soils, thriving farms, and healthy communities.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Salvation Farms Spring Celebration & Fundraising Event
at Morrisville VFW on Sunday, May 6th from 5 - 9 pm.
Local foods dinner and dessert with music by the Brambles and the Mud City Ramblers. Raffles, Silent Auction, family-friendly and open to the public. $10 door fee, free for Veterans and children under 5. Call Salvation Farms at 888-5055 or visit www.salvationfarms.org for more info.

St. Johnsbury Works and Union Bank are sponsoring a free workshop on
"Using the Internet to Grow Your Business."
o Expand Your Markets
o Sell More Products and Services
o Improve Customer Service
This informative workshop will focus on the latest trends in website marketing including search engine listings, news feeds and e-commerce programs. Using non-technical language, you will learn more about the latest web marketing strategies and new ideas for using the power of the Internet to increase your profits. No Web experience necessary - businesses with or without websites are welcome!
When: Wednesday, May 2, 2007 7:30AM-9:00AM
Where: NVDA Conference Room, 36 Eastern Avenue, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
Who: Presented by Veronica Francis, President of Notchnet, Inc. a web design and marketing firm in Littleton, NH (www.notchnet.com), and co-creator of popular web portals such as GoLittleton.com.

Friday, May 4, 2007 in Contois Auditorium, City Hall, from 6-8 pm, community organizations ranging from Localvore pods to social justice groups, as well as community members, will be gathering to engage in a discussion surrounding the above topics. We would like to invite you to participate, and help contribute to the success of this event and the community-building endeavors of Burlington. The title of the evening is the Local Foods Cafi, a modification of the meeting structure called the World Cafi, by Juanita Brown and David Isaacs. This format involves both small and large group dialogue and is designed to encourage broader and more balanced participation. It is based on a theory of change that develops out of relationships and leads to innovation.
more info: Ethan (efjoseph@uvm.edu) Hayden (hboska@uvm.edu)

10th Annual YES! 2007
An Event Planned By Teens, ForTeens
May 25 - 27,2007
Hulbert Outdoor Center-Fairlee, VT
DON'TMISS OUT! Apply now for this life-changing experience!
Paperless applications now available online at www.vtrecyclers.com
The theme of this year's summit is Becoming the Change and the goal is to explore ways in which individuals can LIVE MORE SUSTAINABLY AND REDUCE THEIR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT. Speakers will discuss global climate change, permaculture, working landscapes, local foods, recycling and composting, youth activism, civic engagement, toxics, environmental justice, wilderness survival, plant and animal identification, hand crafts, environmental communications, alternative energy, campus sustainability, and much more. Workshops will emphasize hands-on, practical how-to learning, community building, and provide the attendees with usable, applied skills, and lively discussion topics. Representatives from each participating high school will have the opportunity to share their successes and challenges and to create action plans and apply for grants.

2nd Annual
Upper Valley
TRAILS FAIR
Sunday, May 6, 5 - 6:30 p.m.
Presented by Upper Valley Trails Alliance
Sponsored by Hanover Outdoors
Dothan Brook School, Rte. 5, Wilder
( I-91 Norwich exit, 3/4 mi. south on Rte. 5)
Learn about trails located throughout our region.
Showcasing: Trail Groups, Maps, Guides & Gear
DOOR PRIZES & SILENT AUCTION
Workshops 4 - 5 p.m.
by EMS & The Prouty
. Saving Your Sole(s): Footwear & Foot care, &
. Preparing for a 100 Mile Bike Ride.
Space limited, pre-registration suggested
(802)649-9075 for information

Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) Announces
Producer Workshop and Veterinarian Roundtable on "Quality Milk and Udder Health on Organic Dairy Farms"
Organic and non-organic dairy farmers interested in learning how to improve milk quality and udder health on organic farms are invited to attend a special workshop on Friday, June 8 in Waterbury, VT presented by Dr. Linda Tikofsky, Senior Extension Veterinarian, Quality Milk Production Services, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University. Dr. Tikofsky has extensive on-farm experience concerning milk quality and udder health on organic dairy farms and is an active researcher in this field. She is an experienced and effective workshop presenter and facilitator for producer and professional groups.
A morning session will consider strategies and methods for improving milk quality, udder health, disease management, improving milking and milking systems, approaches to disease treatment and effective treatments with organically approved products. Lunch will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A's with Dr. Tikofsky and several experienced organic dairy farmers and veterinarians with experience on organic farms.
A special Roundtable Discussion for Dairy Veterinarians with Dr. Tikofsky will take place from 4-6pm.
For more information contact NOFA-VT: 802-434-4122; info@nofavt.org.

SAVE THE DATE:
BOSTON'S 2ND ANNUAL Tour de Farm BIKE TOUR
SATURDAY, AUG. 11, 2007
Please join Farm Aid and Boston-area cycling and farming organizations for the 2nd annual Tour de Farm bike tour.
The Tour de Farm will showcase innovative urban farms and food projects that are strengthening Boston's local and sustainable food system. Riders will visit an urban farm in Roxbury, a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm and greenhouse in Dorchester, a new community farm in the Blue Hills Reservation and Boston's oldest commercial farm. Riders will sample fresh, locally grown food, learn of the benefits of local agriculture and how they can actively support these efforts. The ride will go through the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Brookline, Mattapan, Milton and the beautiful Blue Hills Reservation. The Tour de Farm is a free event and all are welcome. New this year, the tour will offer a shorter option for less experienced or younger riders of approximately 15 miles of mainly flat terrain. The longer of the two loops, approximately 25 miles, includes some moderate hills. The ride will start and finish at Boston's Franklin Park, beginning at 9:00am and concluding by 1:00pm.
Pre-registration is required. For more information about the Tour de Farm and to pre-register, contact Mark Smith at Farm Aid, 617-354-2922, or via email to

Rural Vermont - Giving Voice to Vermont's Family Farm Heritage