(Great to see connections like this happening at a Green-Rainbow convention. That’s what it’s all about! – promoted by eli_beckerman)
The Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) recently sent my campaign a candidate questionnaire. There were nine questions on the subjects of raw milk, GMO labeling, and poultry processing.
Here is the cover letter that I enclosed with the questionnaire. For more information on NOFA in Massachusetts, please visit:
http://www.nofamass.org
NOFA first educated me about raw milk when it tabled at the Green-Rainbow Party convention in Leominster in November, 2008… It was the NOFA brochure on raw milk that pointed me to a farm in Alford, Berkshire County where I was able to obtain it. I am now a regular customer of that farm and a healthy consumer of raw milk, along with the yogurt and cheese that I make from it.
I am a friend to many local farmers, a customer of farmers markets, and will be a staunch advocate for NOFA’s mission when I am elected as the first Green-Rainbow legislator in the commonwealth, representing the 4th Berkshire District. I have worked with the Lenox farmers market and the Lenox Environment Committee – helping to launch community-sponsored free bus service within Lenox on farmers’ market days – and I will continue such active promotion, particularly in markets that specifically position themselves to serving broader segments of the population, including schools and hospitals, by affording more people the healthy choice of eating local foods.
I also take a firm stand on GMO labeling–regulations that prevent labeling the presence or absence of Genetically Modified Organisms in foods need to be repealed. This issue is an example of agriculture policies serving corporate needs above consumer health, an example that repeats itself too frequently in public policies. While I encourage fair federal regulations around GMO labeling, I also strongly support legislation that was introduced in Massachusetts during the last session regarding labeling genetically modified produce, pharmaceutical crops, and seed.
Thank you for the opportunity you have given me to share my position on raw milk, GMO food labeling, and other issues that are important to the health of local farms, local economies, communities and people. I look forward to learning more about NOFA during my campaign and as a legislator after November 2.
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In re connections having been made at GRP convention [Eli]–they were also extended at last week’s NOFA conference.