Dear Friend,
We alerted you a few weeks ago to the importance of the PRIME Act, which if passed, could dramatically change consumers’ access to healthy, sustainably produced meat from their local farmers. We wanted to raise this again so soon because momentum has been building that has created a real opportunity to pass this important law, and we need your support!
The PRIME Act may have a better chance of passing into law as part of the 2023 Farm Bill rather than as stand-alone legislation. Congress is currently in the process of writing up the 2023 Farm Bill and legislators need to hear from their constituents to keep the pressure on.
In addition, the PRIME Act was discussed at a recent congressional hearing (click HERE to access the hearing) as a key solution to the difficulties small farmers and ranchers have in meeting demand for local meat with the current laws in place that favor the big meatpackers. This is the only time there has been such a hearing since the Act first introduced the measure in 2015.
Legislators are home this month in their district offices while Congress is on its summer break, and they need to hear from us all! They attend town halls and local events, which are a great time to ask them in person to support the PRIME Act. Call their offices and ask what events they will be hosting or attending in your area. And then make plans to go! You can also try to arrange a direct meeting with the congressperson or a staffer. If you can’t meet with them, call and email them in the weeks ahead to make your voice heard. The Senate will return September 5, and the House of Representatives will be back September 11 so the time is now!
Take Action
Call your U.S Representative as well as BOTH of your U.S. Senators and urge them to sign on to H.R. 2814/S.907
Getting new co-sponsors this month gives us a better chance to get this important bill included in the Farm Bill. By giving just 5 minutes of your time, you are taking significant steps to ensure small family farmers are able to sell their meat to the consumers who want it!
You can look up your U.S. Representative and Senators’ contact information here:
Find Your Legislators
These links will allow you to see who has co-sponsored the bills to date so you can better target your outreach to those who have not yet signed on:
H.R.2418 - www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2814/cosponsors
S.907 - www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/907/cosponsors
Calls or in-person meetings are the most effective options, followed by personalized emails.
Below is a sample message to use for your call or email but please, to make the most impact, create a personalized message that shares your story about why this matters to you!
As a constituent, I urge Senator (or Representative) _____ to co-sponsor H.R. 2814/S.907, the PRIME Act and to work to get it included in the Farm Bill. I care about a resilient local food system and hope you do as well.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the vulnerability that has existed in the U.S consolidated meat industry for quite some time. We need more small-scale farmers and independent processors to increase access to meat raised locally by independent producers.
Custom slaughterhouses represent a smarter, scale-sensitive approach to regulation. They must meet federal and state standards, but without some of the aspects that are unduly expensive and burdensome for small-scale operations. A typical custom slaughterhouse processes fewer animals in an entire year than a typical large plant does in a single day. Custom slaughterhouses have shown that scale-sensitive regulations work well—the USDA has no records of any foodborne illness traced to any custom slaughterhouse since 2012.
This would provide immediate relief for many farmers who must wait up to two years to get their animals processed at inspected plants. And in the long-term, it creates greater opportunities for new small-scale custom slaughterhouses to open, building the infrastructure we need for a more resilient, robust food system—without spending more tax dollars.
Please support your constituents, vital consumers and small farmers by signing on to H.R. 2814/S.907 now and supporting its inclusion in the Farm Bill.
Thank you for taking action! Just a few minutes of your time truly makes a difference as we work to change the food system to support small farmers.
In good health,
Alexia Kulwiec
Executive Director
