** Update from the desk of Sue Shellenberger, resident of Bow, Skagit County Washington **

Thank you for signing the GMO Free Skagit County petition.

http://signon.org/sign/skagit-county-free-gmo?mailing_id=8170&source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=5695991  to WA state governor and legislature

(http://signon.org/sign/skagit-county-free-gmo?mailing_id=8170&source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=5695991  to Skagit County Commissioners


I-522 (GMO labeling initiative) intends to join the ranks of same sex marriage rights and marijuana legalization in our state by jazzing up our momentum. Want to learn more or sign? Check this url:
        http://www.labelitwa.org/recruiting?recruiter_id=5597

Between the two petitions that you have signed, we have almost reached 1000 signatures. This petition shall inevitably meet with considerable resistance until more of the general population, and particulary our farm community, become educated.

Please take the time to share with folks...tell them what you have learned. Give them the link to a very well done film that points to genetically engineered foods as a major contributor to rising disease rates in the US population, especially among children. Gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, inflammatory diseases, and infertility are just some of the problems implicated in humans, pets, livestock, and lab animals that eat genetically modified soybeans and corn.
Monsanto’s strong arm tactics, the FDA’s fraudulent policies, and how the USDA ignores a growing health emergency are also laid bare. This sometimes shocking film may change your diet, help you protect your family, and accelerate the consumer tipping point against genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Don’t miss this film!  http://permaculture.tv/genetic-roulette-prop-37/

Now that the holidays are over, we can all get on with some of the challenges we face as individuals and community participants. We can change the future...ony if we act in the present!

Thank you for making your voices heard on this important issue!
Sue

From Sound Food:

http://soundfood.org/sfcommunity/sflocalfood-/366-washington-cottage-food-.html


Washington's Cottage Food Act provides a launchpath for small
food producers

by Carolyn Goodwin



Myra Zocher is the first Cottage Food Operator to be licensed in Kitsap County

In July of this year, a woman living near Olympia, Washington sold a cake baked in her home kitchen.

So what's the big deal, you ask? Until just a few months ago that baker would have been breaking the law. So this seemingly unexciting event marked a significant change in food law in Washington State. The Cottage Food Act, which passed last year, allows people to make low risk foods in their own kitchens and sell them. The first Cottage Food Operation licensed under the new law was permitted on July 3, 2012. 

On Bainbridge Island, the first business to be licensed under the new law was A Woman Sconed (see related article above). Owner Myra Zocher said that the process of gaining approval for her new business went quite smoothly. "The people from the Department of Agriculture were helpful, informative, and they genuinely seemed to care about my business," she continued. "The gal who came out to inspect my kitchen was fabulous."

That gal would be Kim Hoffman, the inspector for Kitsap, Clallam and Jefferson Counties. She receives each application after it has received initial State approval in terms of items and recipes. It is Hoffman's job to make sure that the kitchen itself meets the requirements of the law.

"I had to submit a sketch of my kitchen," Zocher explained, "You need to have a designated storage area for the ingredients, a designated shelf in your refrigerator. You must have appropriate non-porous surfaces to work on, and be able to show them your packaging procedures."

Even though she's thrilled to be able to sell her home-baked goods, Zocher does have some quibbles with the new law. "It limits your creativity, because you have to get all of your recipes approved in advance," she explained. Zocher submitted 44 different recipes for approval, and received the OK 

Read more . . . 

 

Step-by-step guide to getting started as a Cottage Food Operator

1. Download the complete Cottage Food Operation Application Packet   http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/CottageFoodOperation for a complete list of the requirements and all of the necessary forms.

2. Review the Frequently Asked Questions section on the Department of Ag's site:  http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/CottageFoodOperation/FrequentlyAsked.aspx    

3. Visit the Cottage Food Facebook page to see the tips and discussions happening there:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-State-Cottage-Food/212823708752853  

4. Begin preparing your kitchen, your recipes, and your labeling and packaging.

5. Complete the application, and submit it to the Department of Agriculture. They will review it and come back to you with any concerns or questions. Once your application is approved, you will be put on the schedule for a kitchen inspection.

6. Once your kitchen has been approved, you're in business! You can begin processing your approved product, and selling it directly to consumers over the internet or at sales venues like Farmers' Markets.

7. Questions? Contact Lucy Severs, Program Manager at the Department of Agriculture. 360-902-1876.