Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and I just re-introduced legislation to make it easier for small farms and ranches to serve consumers. The#PRIME (Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption) Act would give individual states freedom to permit intrastate distribution of custom-slaughtered meat such as beef, pork, or lamb, to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores.
As a producer of grass-fed beef, I am familiar with the difficulties small producers face when marketing directly to consumers. Despite consumers’ desire to know where their food comes from, federal inspection requirements make it difficult for them to purchase food from local farmers they know and trust. These onerous federal rules also make it more difficult for small farms and ranches to succeed financially. It is time to open our markets to small farms and producers and give consumers the freedom to choose.
Original co-sponsors of #HR2657 include Reps Walter Jones (R-NC), Mark Meadows (NC-11), Justin Amash (R-MI), Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA), Rep. Raúl R. Labrador (R-ID),Tom McClintock (R-CA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Congressman Mark Sanford (R-SC), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO),Congressman Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA),John Garamendii (D-CA) and Dave Brat (R-VA).
Also, thank you to Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME) and Senator Rand Paul(R-KY) for introducing companion legislation in the Senate! #FoodFreedom
Reprinted from author’s Facebook page.
