There’s been a lot of online buzz about HR 875, or the Food Safety Modernization Act. Some folks are very worried about the limits that this act might impose - everything from home gardening to the organic food program have been named as potential victims of this act. The available information is definitely confusing, but as we muddle our way through actually reading the contents of HR 875 to try to understand it, it’s interesting to note that[1] President Obama used his weekly address to talk about it.

I’m not sure I agree with Obama’s premise that food safety is an area that government alone should be responsible for - I think we need to be responsible and educated consumers, too, and the only way we can do that with our food is to have the sort of connection with the producer that is possible when you are buying local foods.

[2] Read up on HR 875 by searching for that bill number on Thomas >