Dear Friend,

You have the chance to help three great bills for small farmers and local food consumers to become law in Texas! 

These bills would: 

1)      Provide greater access to locally raised eggs from small farmers;

2)      Protect produce farmers from overreaching government inspections; and

3)      Ensure that small farmers get fair property tax treatment.

Read more about the bills below.

These bills have all passed the Texas House. But they still have to get through the Senate, and if they don’t get committee hearings by next week, they will die. 

If you act now, these bills still have a chance!

Can you make two phone calls to help save these bills?

1)      Call The Lieutenant Governor at 512-463-5342.  Leave a message: 

“My name is ___ and my zip code is ___.  I urge Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick to support small farmers and consumers’ access to locally raised food. Please move HB 2945, HB 3373, and HB 3857 through the Senate promptly.

[SHARE A FEW SENTENCES ABOUT WHY YOU CARE: Are you a farmer who is directly impacted? A consumer who wants more access to affordable local foods?]. 

Thank you.”

2)      Call your State Senator. You can look up who represents you at Who is My Texas Legislator?

Talk to whichever staffer answers the phone.

Sample script: “Hi, my name is ___ and I live in [town]. I’m calling to ask my Senator to support three great bills for small farmers: HB 2945, HB 3373, and HB 3857. 

[SHARE A FEW SENTENCES ABOUT WHY YOU CARE: Are you a farmer who is directly impacted? A consumer who wants more access to affordable local foods?]. 

I ask that my Senator co-author all of these bills and help them get hearings.”

Those two short calls can really make a difference in these bills’ chances of becoming law!

More Information on each bill:

1.       Get better access to locally raised eggs: HB 2945

HB 2945 provides new opportunities for farmers, and better access to locally raised eggs for consumers, by allowing small farmers to sell ungraded eggs to restaurants and retailers without the burdens of grading (which is a marketing program and provides no health or safety benefits).

2.       Protect small produce farms from government overreach: HB 3373

FTCLDF was part of the national coalition that successfully fought to get small produce farms exempted from new regulations at the federal level back in 2010. But the Texas Department of Agriculture is ignoring those exemptions, and requiring every small produce farmer to allow government officials to come onto their farm. HB 3373 clarifies that TDA’s authority does not extend to imposing this intrusive requirement on small Texas farmers.

3.       Provide fair taxes for small farmers: HB 3857

Counties across the state are unfairly denying “agricultural valuation” on small farmers – and they flatly deny that raising fruits and vegetables is an agricultural activity! HB 3857 says that raising “fruits and vegetables” counts as agriculture and sets up a process to develop clear, fair guidelines for all small farmers to get the same tax benefits as large ones.

Read more about these and other bills to help small farmers and local food producers on the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance’s website at Legislative Updates - Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance

In good health,

Alexia Kulwiec

Executive Director