Dr. Mark Schonbeck is a scientist and writer with expertise in organic vegetable production and in organic soil and weed management. He edits and produces the highly informative Virginia Biological Farmer, available at VABF.ORG Mark Schonbeck represents Virginia on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. I have invited him to clarify the debate over Senate Bill 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act. Part of the problem is ill-informed obstructionism. However, there are a number of substantive issues within the bill which are debatable. These issues have to do with how our food is handled from farm to table.
Mark Schonbeck, Patricia Stansbury, WRIR 97.3 Richmond Independent Radio, WRIR.ORG
On Lightly on the Ground Radio, Sunny Gardener leads an exploration of our food system, a large and flexible subject which reaches from a seed in a farmerâs hand to a bill in the hands of those making policy on the national and worldwide front. While weâre talking âlocalâ the ideas are pertinent to any food system. The Food and Nutrition Information Center of the USDA National Agricultural Library says âA food system includes everything from farm to table.â
Mark Schonbeck was our guest in the studio at Epic Gardens where we recorded (instead of at WRIR) because it is urgent that this information be broadcast soon. You may hear a dog bark or a rooster crow in the background.
Dr. Schonbeck is a scientist and writer with expertise in organic vegetable production and in organic soil and weed management. He edits and produces the highly informative Virginia Biological Farmer, available at VABF.ORG He represents Virginia on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Because of his work with NSAC, he has the knowledge and perspective to clarify the debate over Senate Bill 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act. He has studied this difficult and complex subject and understands the various controversies and what they mean to producers and consumers. Part of the problem is ill-informed obstructionism. However, there are a number of substantive issues within the bill which are debatable. These issues have to do with how our food is handled from farm to table.
The Act was heartily endorsed by the Senate in bipartisan vote of 73 - 25, and will be addressed by the House very soon⦠unless it is killed because of a parliamentary mistake. The United States Constitution says that taxes originate in the House of Representatives. This Bill originated in the Senate. You may want to visit the Coalition at SustainableAgriculture.net (all one word) to become informed about this subject.