Action Alert- Urge legislators to fund WSU's BIOAg program!
(Please take action especially if you live in the 12th, 18th, 23rd and
49th legislative districts in WA State)
Urge your legislators to fund WSU's Biologically Intensive and Organic
Agriculture (BIOAg) Progam!
In the next few weeks, the Washington Legislature will make a decision
that will strongly influence the future of Washington's agriculture.
Washington State University (WSU) is our state's main public
agriculturalresearch and education institution. Therefore, the direction of WSU's
programs has a large impact on the future of agriculture in Washington.
Right now, we have an excellent opportunity to ensure that this future
depends on organic and sustainable farming rather than genetic
engineering of food crops.
We need the BIOAg Program....Not Biopharming! A new, innovative program
has been created by WSU's Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Natural
Resources to conduct the research, education and outreach that current and
future growers need to use organic and sustainable techniques. BIOAg will
also help producers retain more of the food dollar, through development of "value-added" products. The Biologically Intensive and Organic Agriculture
Program, or BIOAg Program, addresses the need for economically viable,
environmentally sound, and socially responsible solutions that work for
Washington producers and farm workers, and that meet the ever-growing
public demand for healthy, local food. BIOAg will establish WSU as a
visionary, forward-thinking national leader in support of sustainable
and organic agriculture.
However, rather than make BIOAg the centerpiece of its funding request for 2005, WSU leaders are working to increase the University's capacity for
promoting biotechnology. This includes biopharming, which is the use of genetically-modified plants and animals, including food crops, to "grow" pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals in the field.
We need your help! Stand up for healthy foods, family farms and a cleaner environment by writing your legislators today!Urge them to include
$2.6 million for the BIOAg program in the 2005-7 state budget, and express your concern about using food crops to produce drugs and industrial
chemicals. You can find out what legislative district you are in, who your legislators are, and their contact information by calling the
Washington State Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000 or visiting
http://www.leg.wa.gov.
If you are in the 12th, 18th, 23rd or 49th legislative districts, your
calls and letters are especially important!
49th district - Senator Craig Pridemore: 360-786-7696
pridemor_cr@leg.wa.gov
12th district - Senator Linda Parlette: 360-786-7622
parlette_li@leg.wa.gov
18th district - Senator Joe Zarelli: 360-786-7634;
zarelli_jo@leg.wa.gov
23rd district - Representative Phil Rockefeller: 360-786-7934;
rockefel_ph@leg.wa.gov
Senate mailing address: P.O. Box 40482, Olympia WA 98504
House mailing address: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504
Partial list of organizations supporting BIOAg Program funding:
Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network, Washington Farmers Union, Tilth
Producers of Washington, Cattle Producers of Washington, Pacific NW Direct
Seed Association, PCC Natural Markets, Washington State Grange, Physicians
for Social Responsibility (Washington State chapter), Neighborhood Farmers
Market Alliance (Seattle), Small Planet Foods, Lutheran Public Policy
Office of Washington State, Cascade Harvest Coalition, Seattle Tilth,
Washington Toxics Coalition, Earth Ministry, Anti-Hunger and Nutrition
Coalition
Specific components of the BIOAg Program:
Research: $500,000/year competitive grants program for organic and
biologically-based research; New faculty research position to investigate
links between higher nutritional food value and organic/sustainablepractices
Teaching: First academic major in organic farming at a 4-year institution in the country; Organic teaching and demonstration farm and organic
research land at each WSU research station Outreach & value-added product development: 3 value-added extension
educators to assist growers in developing higher-value products; statewide BIOAg coordinator in Cooperative Extension to get research results out
to growersThank you for your support of sustainable and organic agriculture!
Bonnie Rice, Director
Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network
P.O. Box 6054
Bellingham, WA 98227-6054
phone: (360) 527-9426
fax: (360) 527-2615
email: brice@wsffn.org
web: http://www.wsffn.org
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To respond to this message contact:
Tilth Producers of Washington
P.O. Box 85056
Seattle WA 98145
206-442-7620
Nancy Allen, Administrative Director
Email:<mailto:nancy@tilthproducers.org
Visit the Tilth Producers website: http://www.tilthproducers.org
