Thanks, Amanda Holmes Tarasow
atarasow@aol.com
Subject: SALLY FOX UPDATE 11/4/97
SALLY FOX UPDATE
NOVEMBER 3, 1997
Results of the Colored Cotton Advisory Committee Meeting
Fourteen members from the Mountain Spinners and Weavers Guild of Prescott,
Arizona attended the meeting in support of Sally. Even though much
information was distributed throughout the state of Arizona, we were the
only guild represented. Sally was very grateful for the support given to
her. She was able to speak more openly at this meeting knowing that we
were there. An attempt was made by the Prescott people to video tape the
proceedings of a public meeting for public access TV and it was denied by
the representative from the agriculture department.
The general purpose of the meeting was for a discussion and possible
changes in the rules pertaining to the Article 4 Quarantine. Some minor
changes were made in these rules, however it was strongly indicated that
this would be the end to rule changes.
Two members of the committee, Chuck Youngker (President of the Arizona
Cotton Growers Association) and Ted Pierce (ACGA Board Member), reported
that the Arizona Cotton Growers Association Board had met a week before and
voted to push for the complete banning of colored cotton if the discussion
of the rules continued. They inferred that the Arizona Agriculture
Department would shut Sally down, if the rules were opened up for
consideration again.
Wally Hofmann, who is on this board and works with Sally, made a motion to
increase the Colored Cotton Advisory Board by two additional members, ones
who were economically impacted by these rules. There was no second and the
motion died.
The members of The Colored Cotton Advisory Board who were in attendance were:
1. The Cotton Research and Protection Council
Chuck Youngker (The President of the Arizona Cotton Growers
Association)
2. The Arizona Crop Improvement Association
Al Simons
3. The Arizona Department of Agriculture
Glen Thaxton
4. The Arizona Cotton Growers Association
Ted Pierce (Who also chaired the meeting) and is a Board Member of the
Arizona Cotton Growers Association
5. A colored cotton producer
Mike Moore
6. A ginner ginning colored cotton
Jeff Ballentine
7. A contractor for the production of colored cotton
Wallace Hofmann
Those of you who wish to read the rules that the Colored Cotton Board has
drawn up for colored cotton growers to follow may write to:
The Arizona Department of Agriculture
1688 West Adams Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
ATTEN: MS Shirley Conard, Rules Specialist
room 124
602-542-0962
602-542-5420 fax
The formulation of these rules has cost the taxpayers of Arizona a
considerable amount of money. Information given us states that according
to the ADA, "Actual time administering the program in 1996 was 222.5 hours
of manager time and 685.2 of inspector time." That's a total of 907.7
hours or 113.5 DAYS. Then consider that ONLY 35 ACRES of colored cotton
were grown in 1996 !!!!!
One wonders, since they are of no benefit to the colored cotton grower, and
are designed only to appease the white cotton producers, that they are not
more equitably applied. Sally requested some protection for her genetic
breeding stock and was denied that protection.
In contacting Wally Hofmann who works with Sally he communicated
these thoughts to us that "After having had time to mull this all over, one
thing is sticking in my craw. In Ted Pierce's opening remarks he outlined
how cotton production in Arizona had dropped from over a million acres to
about 350,000. He discussed how the reputation and value of Arizona cotton
had been seriously affected by PLASTIC CONTAMINATION. This is absolutely
true. Plastic contamination is a much more serious problem than colored
cotton. Yet white farmers continue to cover their newly harvested modules
with PLASTIC TARPS and wrap their newly ginned bales in PLASTIC bags. I
know one member of the committee said that being FAIR was unrealistic, but
why has the Arizona Cotton Growers Association (ACGA)insisted on burying
the comparatively miniscule threat of colored cotton contamination under
repressive restrictions. Why don't they regulate themselves with such
fervor? "
In addition he told us that "The recent Karnal Bunt (a fungus) problems
experienced by Arizona Wheat farmers (most of whom also grow cotton) offer
more interesting parallels. Wheat farmers outside of Arizona were
legitimately concerned that the Arizona infestation could CONTAMINATE their
crops. With the help of the USDA, restrictions were placed on Arizona
wheat growers to protect the much larger US Wheat Industry. A suit was
filed in federal court Nov. 12 by the AZ Wheat Growers Association and the
ARIZONA COTTON GROWERS ASSOCIATION for an injunction to halt imposition of
the regulations. The suit was initiated with $10,000 from the ACGA. Not
only do they want the restrictions lifted, they are demanding "... adequate
federal compensation to offset industry losses." It's interesting to see
their attitude when the shoe is on the other foot! Have a look at
http://www.homefarm.com/stories/961201.htm this is an article that was
published in the California-Arizona Farm Press.
I guess we can't expect FAIR." He concluded.
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Ways in which you can support SALLY FOX/FOX FIBRE
1. By buying her products and requesting them everywhere. That
would include fiber, sliver, material, and clothing.
Sally has suggested that you can still continue to help her by writing
letters to major companies who have handled Fox Fibre products and ask why
they no longer carry her products. Also say that you would like to be able
to buy USA grown cotton products. (Much of the natural colored cotton is
being imported now from other countries.)
Please write to: (if you have written once write often again)
Ecosport
Attention Daniel Sanders
92 Kansas Street
Hackensack, New Jersey 07601
(201) 489-0389
Jockey Inc.
P.O. Box 1417
Kenosha, WI 53141-1417
(414) 658-8111
Lands End Inc.
2 Lands End Way
Dodgeville, WI 53533
(608) 935-9053
E-Mail leproduct@landsend.com
Levi Strauss & Company
P.O. Box 7215
San Francisco, CA 94120
(415) 544-6000
L. L. Bean
Attention Leon Goreman CEO
Casco Street
Freeport, Maine 04033
(207) 865-4761
E-Mail llbean@llbean.com
Patagonia
Attention Jill Vlahos Fabric Development
259 West Santa Clara Street
Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 643-8616
2. Write SPIN OFF magazine and request that they publish the letter sent
by the Arizona Department of Agriculture in rebuttal to the article in the
Fall l997 issue of SPIN OFF about Natural Cotton Colours by Deborah
Pulliam. And also Sally's response to that letter. Write to:
INTERWEAVE PRESS, INC.
201 E. FOURTH STREET
LOVELAND, CO 89537-5655
3. Contact 60 MINUTES and request them to do a report on SALLY FOX/FOX
FIBRE. (We are sorry but we could not get an e-mail address)
60 MINUTES
524 W. 57TH ST.
NEW YORK, N. Y. 10019
ATTEN: STORY EDITOR
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