Fwd: NEED HELP PLEASE PASS ON

sal (sals@rain.org)
Sun, 25 Jan 1998 17:03:27 -0800

>Date: Sat, 24 Jan 1998 23:12:03 -0600
>From: dmfett@fmctc.com (Fett, Dennis M)
>Reply-To: dmfett@fmctc.com
>Organization: Peacock Information Center
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0-C-AICK1-2 (Macintosh; U; PPC)
>To: sals@rain.org
>Subject: NEED HELP PLEASE PASS ON
>
>NEWS RELEASE
>DATED MATERIAL
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>ORGANIC PEACOCK FARMER FROM MINDEN, IOWA FIGHTS FOR NEW & TOUGHER
>PESTICIDE LAWS IN THE 1998 IOWA STATE LEGISLATION HEARING JANUARY 28,
>1998
>
>Dennis Fett of  Minden, Iowa, Co-founder/Director of the Peacock
>Information Center will testify  before the Seventy Eight General
>Assemblies Agriculture and Natural Resources Joint  Appropriations
>Subcommittee special hearing on organic farming and pesticides misuse
>laws
>
>The January 28,1998 9:30 am hearing in room 118 will center around
>Fett’s proposal for the law makers to stiffen and put more teeth into
>current laws and add new laws  to be put into effect to protect organic
>or chemical free farmers like Fett.
>
>Fett’s 10 year battle with unwanted pesticides drifting onto his 4 acre
>organic/chemical free  fruit, vegetables  and peacock/peafowl farm
>forced Fett to file official complaints  in 1991, 1995  and  1997 with
>the Iowa Dept. of Agriculture & Land Stewardship (they are charged with
>law enforcement of pesticide laws in Iowa).
>
>Vegetation samples were collected and tested by the state of Iowa in
>1991 and 1995 and pesticides were found on Fett’s property, the
>non-targeted area.  Warning letters were issued in both cases to no
>avail. They were forced to ligate their 1995 case.  Litigation is
>pending on the 1995 complaint and they are waiting for the courts
>decision.  In 1997 Fett’s land was violated again by pesticides and they
>filed another complaint against the same litigant.  The 1997 case is
>still under investigation at this time by the State of Iowa.
>
>The Pesticide Act of Iowa does not provide any relief to complainants
>such as Fett.  Fett and others are forced to litigate in order to recoup
>damages.  The loss to fruits, vegetables  and peacocks have caused Fett
>tens of thousands of dollars. 
>
>Among other requests, Fett is asking law makers to create a law that
>says a warning letter for pesticides violation would be admissible in a
>civil case and  it would create a presumption that damages were caused
>by the activities represented in said warning letter.
>
>Fett is looking for some relief with laws and fines which will encourage
>applicators to care about another's property.  This new help will allow
>him the freedom to grow and raise anything he likes without  the killing
>effect of unwanted pesticides.  Without help, Fett will never be able to
>be certified as an organic farmer on his land.  
>MEDIA CONTACT:  DENNIS FETT, PEACOCK INFORMATION CENTER, MINDEN, IOWA.
>51553 712-483-2473         FAX 712-483-2155          E-Mail
>dmfett@fmctc.com 
><http://www.peafowl.com/>http://www.peafowl.com
>
An organic growers homepage check out

http://www.rain.org/~sals/my.html

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