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Tues Jan 12th: InFARMation (and Beer!)

Next Tuesday, January 12: Farmers Anthony and Carol Boutard and the Future of Family Farming in Oregon Join Friends of Family Farmers and Slow Food Portland as they present the first InFARMation (and Beer!) of 2010. 

On the year anniversary of the first InFARMation (and Beer!), Anthony and Carol Boutard from Ayers Creek Organic Farm return to give us a bird’s eye view of  the policy issues family farmers are facing in Oregon. With the 2011 legislative session less than a year away, farmers and consumers have the opportunity to change and improve the laws affecting how food is regulated in Oregon to better reflect changes in consumer desires and farming. Anthony will explain the legislative and rule-making processes in Oregon, and the existing state of regulations.  The current statutes were written decades ago, and many family farmers feel that they do not reflect changes in the ways food is now grown and sold in Oregon.  These changes include an increasing number of farms that are selling food directly to the public at Farmers’ Markets and through CSAs, and other direct sales structures that did not exist when the statues and rules were drafted.  The result is a lot of confusion and what some farmers see as unnecessarily restrictive interpretations of the law.

Every person who cares about how food is produced in our state needs to help keep family farming viable for the folks who want to do that work.  This is crucial if we want to continue to buy our food from socially responsible farmers now and in future years.  Family farms and ranches harvest and sell in a different way than larger industrial operations and a one-size-fits-all regulatory approach doesn't necessarily work. 

Come next Tuesday to hear directly from a farmer with experience in food and agriculture policy, and join the discussion of how we can shape the future of food in Oregon through a smarter, more sensible approach to regulation. InFARMation (and Beer!) is held every month on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at Roots Organic Brewery’s Event Space just south of Hawthorne Ave. on SE 7th Ave. - the event space is the next door down from the brewery.  The event starts at 5:30 with networking and socializing. The speakers start at 6:30; presentations and Q&A last until 8pm, with additional networking and discussion afterwords. To order from the full Roots’ menu you must sit next door at the brewpub, however Roots has created an event menu available to be ordered from the bar in the event space.  Find more information about InFARMation (and Beer!) here. We hope to see you there!  Please help us promote InFARMation by passing this on to anyone you think might be interested!  Michele KnausFriends of Family [email protected] http://www.friendsoffamilyfarmers.org