The Food Connection: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help’

Published 4:00 am Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Rep. Derek Kilmer took time recently to meet with a small group of local agricultural producers to learn more about the challenges and opportunities they face operating food-production businesses on the North Olympic Peninsula.

Organized by Clea Rome at the WSU Extension office, the diverse group included among others, Ryan McCarthey from Dungeness Valley Creamery, Tom and Holly Clark of Clark Farms, Kia Armstrong and Sam McCullough representing Nash’s Organic Produce, and Ben Smith of Maple View Farm.

A handful of common themes arose during the conversation – but above all was the difficulty of complying with state and federal regulations. All producers, regardless of size, have to deal with complex rules, most written by and for large scale agribusiness interests.

Policies, which large corporations growing mono-crops of corn and soy find simple to comply with thanks to their Compliance Department back at the home office, are overwhelming obstacles for small or mid-size diversified farms such as Nash’s.

A great example is The Food Safety Modernization Act signed into law by President Obama in January 2011. In theory, it sounds like progress. The law gives the FDA increased authority to monitor and regulate every step of the food chain; the basic goal being traceability of each piece of produce and every cut of meat from the grocery store all the way back to the field.

Unfortunately, laws written to solve the problems of industrialized food production only add to the difficulties encountered by small and mid-size producers.

The standards for water and soil management, seemingly logical for a farm growing only corn and soy using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, are not at all in line with organic farming best practices. Training and documentation rules easily handled on a mechanized mono-farm are nearly impossible to implement with a staff of 40 people who do everything from pull weeds to work the cash register.

All the local small-scale producers in attendance pointed out their commitment – and vested interest – in food safety. Not only do these producers have their entire livelihoods riding on the safety of their product, they know many of their customers personally and no doubt care more about what they are feeding them than a corporate farm ever could.

Many of these farmers face different challenges once their product leaves the farm, beginning with a need for cooperative or community commercial kitchen facilities that meet the requirements of modern local food producers preparing dried, canned, fermented and other value-added products.

Then there is the lack of warehousing and transportation infrastructure, making it very difficult to access the broader market “across the water.” Finally, without the same federal subsidies received by large corporate agribusiness, the true cost of production makes these local farm products out of reach for many local residents.

How can Kilmer help?

Suggestions from those in attendance included assistance finding and/or accessing funding for collaborative infrastructure-building efforts which would help local producers scale-up their businesses, providing tax incentives and federally backed loans for small farms and small farmers to encourage investment in infrastructure and employees, and the expansion of existing programs that already directly support local farmers.

The best example of one such program is the Senior/WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program, funded by the USDA, providing low-income seniors and mothers with vouchers redeemable at farmers markets for local produce.

Expanding this program to include meat and dairy products would greatly benefit farmers like the Clarks and the McCartheys, not to mention low-income seniors and mothers. If the FMNP were to receive increased federal funding, perhaps additional at-risk groups such as veterans could qualify for vouchers.

We encouraged Kilmer to think of those in attendance and the tens of thousands like them across the country, not just as farmers but as the incredible American entrepreneurs, job-creators and business people they truly are – the kind of Americans so often hailed by our Congressman’s colleagues across the aisle.

Kilmer wants to hear from you and he can be contacted via his Clallam/Jefferson County field representative Judith Morris at 332 E. Fifth St., Port Angeles, WA 98362 or e-mail to judith.morris@mail.house.gov.

Let your local representative know you care about eating well and being well!

Lisa Boulware and Mark Ozias have been growing, processing, selling, purchasing, distributing, preparing and promoting locally produced food in Sequim since 2004. Reach them at columnists@sequimgazette.com.