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Senate

Agriculture
Chair: Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
- Max Baucus (D-MT)
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- Kent Conrad (D-ND)
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- Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
- Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
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- John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
- Mike Johanns (R-NE)
- Dick Lugar (R-IN)
- Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Pat Roberts (R-KS)
- John R. Thune (R-SD)

Appropriations
Chair: Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: Herb Kohl (D-WI)
- Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
- Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
- Tom Harkin (D-IA)
- Tim Johnson (D-SD)
- Ben Nelson (D-NE)
- Jack Reed (D-RI)
- Robert Bennett (R-UT)
- Christopher Bond (R-MO)
- Sam Brownback (R-KS)
- Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Arlen Specter (R-PA)

Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions
- Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Senate Hunger Caucus

House

Agriculture
Chair: B Collin Peterson (D-MN)
V. Chair: B Tim Holden (D-PA)
B Joe Baca (D-CA)
- John Boccieri (D-OH)
B* Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
- Bobby Bright (D-AL)
B* Dennis Cardoza (D-CA)
- Travis Childers (D-MS)
B Jim Costa (D-CA)
- Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
- Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA)
B Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)
- Debbie Halvorson (D-IL)
B Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD)
- Steve Kagen (D-WI)
- Larry Kissell (D-NC)
B Frank Kratovil (D-MD)
- Betsy Markey (D-CO)
B Jim Marshall (D-GA)
P Eric Massa (D-NY)
B Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
- Walt Minnick (D-ID)
B Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)
- Mark Schauer (D-MI)
- Kurt Schrader (D-OR)
B David Scott (D-GA)
B Zachary Space (D-OH)
- Timothy Walz (D-MN)
- Frank Lucas (R-OK)
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- K. Michael Conaway (R-TX)
- Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
- Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
- Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
- Sam Graves (R-MO)
- Timothy Johnson (R-IL)
- Steve King (R-IA)
- Robert Latta (R-OH)
- Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)
- Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
- Jerry Moran (R-KS)
- Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)
- Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Mike Rogers (R-AL)
- Jean Schmidt (R-OH)
- Adrian Smith (R-NE)
- Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
*=House Organic Caucus member
B=Blue Dog Democrat

Appropriations
Chair: Dave Obey (D-WI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: P Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
- Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
* Allen Boyd (D-FL)
- Lincoln Davis (D-TN)
*P Sam Farr (D-CA)
*P Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY)
P Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
P Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
- Jack Kingston (R-GA)
- Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
- Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)
* Tom Latham (R-IA)
*=House Organic Caucus member

P=Congressional Progressive Caucus

Education and Labor
P Chair: George Miller (D-CA)
- Jason Altmire (D-PA)
- Robert Andrews (D-NJ)
- Timothy Bishop (D-NY)
P Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
- Joe Courtney (D-CT)
- Susan Davis (D-CA)
P Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
P Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
P Phil Hare (D-IL)
- Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX)
P Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
- Rush Holt (D-NJ)
- Dale Kildee (D-MI)
P Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
P Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
- Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)
P Donald Payne (D-NJ)
- Jared Polis (D-CO)
- Robert Scott (D-VA)
- Joe Sestak (D-PA)
- Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)
P John Tierney (D-MA)
- Dina Titus (D-NV)
- Paul Tonko (D-NY)
P Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
- David Wu (D-OR)
- Buck McKeon (R-CA)
- Judy Biggert (R-IL)
- Rob Bishop (R-UT)
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- Michael Castle (R-DE)
- Vernon Ehlers (R-MI)
- Luis F Fortuno (R-PR)
- Brett Guthrie (R-KY)
- Peter Hoekstra (R-MI)
- Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA)
- John Kline (R-MN)
- Kenny Marchant (R-TX)
- Tom McClintock (R-CA)
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
- Thomas Petri (R-WI)
- Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Todd Russell Platts (R-PA)
- Tom Price (R-GA)
- Mark Souder (R-IN)
- GT Thompson (R-PA)
- Joe Wilson (R-SC)
P=Congressional Progressive Caucus

House Organic Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus

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Sad News for Almond Lovers

by: Jill Richardson

Fri Mar 13, 2009 at 06:00:00 AM PDT

The almond issue has been brewing for a while. Or, rather, steaming and getting sprayed with toxic gas. What am I talking about? A while back some genius decided that from now on all U.S. almonds can't be raw. Now, they might SAY "raw almonds" at the store, but they were actually treated either with steam or with a toxic gas (propylene oxide). And I hear that the steam treatment is prohibitively expensive.

As you can imagine, raw almond lovers said, "No deal." I was among them. But I'm lucky - the new rule allowed an exemption for anyone selling almonds direct to consumers and I buy my almonds straight from the farmer at my market. Of course, I don't think it's OK for everyone else to get screwed over while I sit back and munch on my raw almonds.

This week brought news of a defeat in court by the almond farmers who sued over this. Details below...

(Also, you can take action on this issue here.)

Jill Richardson :: Sad News for Almond Lovers

The Cornucopia Institute put out a press release on this. They describe the suit - 18 California almond farmers and wholesale nut handlers filed the suit against the USDA last September to overturn this "pasteurization" rule nonsense. The judge dismissed the case on technical grounds this Monday.

However, the fight is NOT OVER, says the Cornucopia Institute.

"The court's decision sidestepped the merits and substance of the lawsuit," said Will Fantle of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based family farm research group and organizer of the almond lawsuit.
The USDA's lack of legal authority to enact the controversial raw almond regulation and its fumbling of the rule's implementation were among major substantive claims detailed in the lawsuit-none of which the court has yet to rule on.
"Instead," said Fantle, "the judge decided on procedural grounds that almond farmers, just like consumers and retailers, have no right to have their concerns about the illegal nature of the almond treatment scheme heard in court."

Why are the almond-growing families so pissed off? The rule, which was put in place in September 2007, requires "pasteurization" on all domestic almonds sold to consumers in the U.S. (except for those sold directly from the farmer to the consumer). This exempts exports - and imports. So what will an American do if they want raw almonds and can't buy directly from the farmer? Buy imported almonds that undercut domestic farmers' businesses. Cornucopia says:

These imported nuts, generally of lesser quality, are now destroying the livelihood of organic, family-scale almond farmers in California.

Now, someone might read that and think the answer might be to impose "pasteurization" rules on imported nuts too, but that ignores the question of whether it's a good idea to spray our nuts with toxic gas. I say no.

What happens now?

"Cornucopia and our attorneys are carefully exploring legal options, including appeals and other strategies," Fantle said. "We are not abandoning the fight to return to grocer's shelves an American-grown, highly nutritional raw food that has been eaten with confidence and enjoyment for decades. We believe the fundamental points of our lawsuit are valid and need to be tested."
"This issue clearly illustrates how the Bush administration, at the USDA, sold out the interests of organic consumers and farmers in deference to those of corporate agribusiness, said Mark A. Kastel, who is Cornucopia's Senior Farm Policy Analyst.

Unfortunately, Bill Marler, who is often on the right side of the issues and may be a top candidate for a food safety post at the USDA, stands on the pro-toxic gas side of this debate. I'm disappointed but not surprised.

Tags: Almonds, USDA, Cornucopia Institute, Food Safety, (All Tags)

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Sad News for Almond Lovers | 10 comments

you are so lucky (4.00 / 4)

to live in CA and have farmers markets all year round.Here in PA we do have Farmers Markets but they only run early May through Oct. I live right outside of Philadelphia so we get Amish farmers who have been organic farmers for a long time.

I eat a lot of nuts. And I use them a lot in cooking.Actually right now on my counter are almonds for my vegan daughters birthday cake. It's actually from Alizas cookbook. Her recipe is a Greek tahina cake that has no eggs in it. The cake calls for walnuts and since I don't have, I am using almonds

here's her cookbook
http://tinyurl.com/dkjaqq

by: LeeN @ Fri Mar 13, 2009 at 08:27:17 AM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Sorry... (4.00 / 2)

Here in PA we do have Farmers Markets but they only run early May through Oct.

I remember those days myself, not too long ago when I lived back in North Jersey. Most of ours back there were actually early June through late September / early October.

We have year-round markets here in Portland (Oregon), as well - and this should be the case everywhere. Of course the products would be different, but there's still ways to eat at least somewhat locally year-round pretty much everywhere (artisan breads and cheeses, meats, dairy, eggs, local prepared foods, sauces, winter veggies and fruit...).

This is a goal we're definitely going to have to work towards as we eventually accept, and move into, the realities of a 21st century no-longer-fossil-fueled food system.

by: JayinPortland @ Fri Mar 13, 2009 at 09:37:43 AM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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On top of drought... (4.00 / 3)

I believe that this would be on top of the problem they are having with drought. I read about this someplace (here...?) or saw it on TV. But the drought is causing a lot of almond trees to be cut down. The industry is diminishing in CA if I understood it correctly. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong - I'm operating off a Teflon memory.

by: DennisP @ Fri Mar 13, 2009 at 09:04:03 AM CDT

by: you @ soon

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I haven't heard about almonds specifically (4.00 / 1)

but in general I'm hearing that the drought is devastating CA ag.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Sat Mar 14, 2009 at 05:02:07 AM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Ughh... (4.00 / 2)

Looks like I'm sticking to local hazelnuts exclusively from now on.

Like you, I don't understand the point of this at all. Especially the exemptions for imported almonds?

What is the point, for that matter? Have they even tried to make one? More phantom 'safety' measures put in place by agribiz lackeys and revolving-door operatives?

by: JayinPortland @ Fri Mar 13, 2009 at 09:30:07 AM CDT

by: you @ soon

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note: (4.00 / 1)

roasted almonds are the same as ever - no need to avoid 'em.

If you like raw almonds I can get 'em and mail 'em. $10/lb though.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Sat Mar 14, 2009 at 05:01:15 AM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Not a fan of roasted... (0.00 / 0)

Most nuts, yeah (roasted hazelnuts, mmmm) - but almonds? Raw.

If you like raw almonds I can get 'em and mail 'em. $10/lb though.

Thanks, I may take you up on that!

Of course it shouldn't ever be the case that we'd have to do that...

by: JayinPortland @ Sat Mar 14, 2009 at 12:51:57 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Virtues of raw vs roasted almonds (4.00 / 2)

Question: can anyone tell me what the virtues/benefits of raw almonds are compared to ones that aren't raw?

I usually buy dry roasted, or tamari roasted almonds, and I really enjoy them that way -- but I'm curious what benefits I'm missing out on by not eating raw.

(Or maybe it should be asked the other way around -- i.e., what negative qualities or problems do roasted ones have?)

Anyway, I'm open to being enlightened on this ...

Big fan of this blog, by the way. Just registered my account to ask this question, but have been reading it for weeks and really appreciate the info you guys provide.

by: Ocelopotamus @ Fri Mar 13, 2009 at 15:02:55 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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This is an idea by raw foodies (4.00 / 1)

they say raw food has enzymes in it that are very healthy but don't survive cooking about something like 115F. I don't know if it's right or wrong but raw food restaurants make some pretty tasty stuff so I'll eat it. But I also think that if raw foodies want their raw food, it's pretty shitty of the govt to deny them their raw almonds. After all, once you steam treat almonds they aren't raw anymore... and the toxic gas is, well, toxic.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Sat Mar 14, 2009 at 05:00:44 AM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Thanks, Jill! (0.00 / 0)

And I agree 100% that people should be able to buy raw almonds if they want to.

by: Ocelopotamus @ Sat Mar 14, 2009 at 15:57:29 PM CDT

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