When the spinach contamination epidemic was happening in the fall of 2006, and supermarkets were pulling spinach from their shelves under order from the FDA, many local produce growers experienced a sharp increase in sales. Customers didn't stop eating spinach and other leafy greens-instead, many went to their farmers' market to buy local.

"I was guessing it was going to really hurt us, but it was the complete opposite," said Pete Johnson of Pete's Greens in Craftsbury, Vermont, one of many growers who reported their sales went up or held steady during the E. coli scare. "People used it as a reason to not buy the California stuff. We sold double the usual amount of spinach for a couple of weeks there."

As the local food trend has gained momentum in recent years, it has become apparent that consumers want local food not just because it's fresher and tastes better, but because they believe it's safer and more wholesome than industrial food.

And so it is ironic and disturbing to know that the federal government's current push to improve food safety could threaten the viability of America's small farms. Farmers are in danger of being overwhelmed by recordkeeping, fees, inspections, and infrastructure requirements-unless Congress, the USDA, and the FDA pay attention to the least powerful (though most popular) members of our agriculture community: local farmers. What's pending

Right now, food safety legislation and regulation are whirling around Washington. Here are the big three initiatives that are occurring simultaneously:

1.  In Congress, the House passed HR 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. This legislation gives the FDA much broader powers to inspect and regulate food facilities, including farms. The Senate is expected to take up its version of the bill this fall.

2.  The Food and Drug Administration has released draft "guidances" for growing and handling tomatoes, leafy greens, and melons to prevent microbial contamination. The FDA says its documents represent the agency's current thinking on a topic, and are not binding.  However, FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg said the guidances "will be followed within two years by enforceable standards for fresh produce."

3.  The USDA has scheduled hearings on a national Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, which would establish strict national standards for growing and handling about 20 vegetables and herbs, including arugula, cabbage, chard, cilantro, endive, escarole, kale, lettuce, parsley, raddichio, salad mix, and spinach. Although the standards are technically "voluntary," any grower who wants to sell wholesale is likely to have to comply with them.

All of this activity has occurred during the current growing season, when farmers are busy harvesting and selling. Many have no idea what is coming at them, and won't have time to assess the proposals until winter. But small-farm advocacy groups are alarmed about the direction of these food safety initiatives.

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