This week was a rollercoaster ride in the statehouse with regard to the Farmer Protection Act, as the House Agriculture Committee heard testimony from industry bigwigs and the Secretary of Agriculture, who was basically giving the industry's presentation (at one point, the industry lobbyist from Washington, DC, who was giving a powerpoint presentation said he was going to skip several of his slides because Secretary Kerr had already presented the information!). On the day of this testimony (Tuesday), several scarecrows visited the statehouse lawn to let the legislators know that the Farmer Protection Act must pass to protect Vermont's family farmers! These scarecrows were friends of "Elmer" who participated in our march last week, and who was featured in our ad on April 22nd, which you can view here: http://www.ruralvermont.org/archives/001126.html.

These scarecrows added a bit of fun to the issue, and also were a visual reminder that farmers need the Farmer Protection Act to keep those corporate lawyers out of their fields! On Thursday, we had our day in the House Agriculture Committee...THANK YOU to the folks who turned out to support those of us who testified. The committee heard from VPIRG, NOFA, the Farmer to Farmer Campaign on GE, and Rural Vermont, with three hours of testimony and questions and answers. It went well, and those who attended felt like the legislators asked some good questions, and especially NOFA (through John Cleary) gave some really good answers! Afterward, we did some lobbying and meeting with legislators, and the day went well. The committee was not able to vote because some of the committee members were absent due to illness and farm emergencies. Today we were told that the VOTE in the HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE will be on THURSDAY, MAY 5TH. We do not yet know what time, but please plan to attend if you can. We will post more details as soon as we have them on our website (www.ruralvermont.org) and also on our outgoing voicemail message (802-223-7222). ESPECIALLY if you are from the districts of the House Agriculture Committee Members, please plan to attend! (see list below)

David Zuckerman - Burlington Bill Johnson - Averill, Avery's Gore, Brighton (Island Pond), Canaan, East Haven, Ferdinand, Lemington, Lewis, Newark, Norton, Warner's Grant, Warren's Gore, Westmore Mitzi Johnson - Alburg, Grand Isle, Isle La Motte, Milton, North Hero, South Hero Phil Bartlett - Dover, Readsboro, Searsburg, Somerset, Stamford, Wardsboro Bill Botzow - Pownal, Woodford Sara Copeland-Hanzas - Bradford, Fairlee, West Fairlee Brian Dunsmore - Fairfax, Georgia Dick Lawrence - Burke, Lyndon, Sutton John Malcolm - Middletown Springs, Pawlet, Rupert, Wells Scott Orr - Hinesburg, Charlotte Harvey Smith - Bridport, New Haven, Weybridge

MAKE A SCARECROW! SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE FARMER PROTECTION ACT! Meanwhile, PLEASE HELP US THIS WEEKEND by making a scarecrow for your front lawn! The story of Elmer and his friends is being well received by legislators, and we want to make it a bigger story for the media! Please make a scarecrow, put it on your front lawn, and let us know you did it! Call 802-223-7222 and tell us the location of your scarecrow, or email a photo to amybeth@together.net. Let us know by MONDAY morning where your scarecrow is! Our goal is to have 500 scarecrows up on lawns by Monday! Get creative! Get your neighbors involved! Go to the Co-op and tell others to make scarecrows, too! This is something YOU can do to HELP US get the Farmer Protection Act passed without even leaving your house! If you don't have straw, stuff your scarecrow with newspapers or other stuff - just get it out on your lawn! To see photos of the scarecrows who visited the statehouse on Tuesday, check out www.ruralvermont.org.

TAKE ACTION - WRITE A LETTER AND MAKE A PHONE CALL.

Sample letter: To write a letter to the editor this weekend and get it to the papers! A sample letter is below. You can find lists of newspaper contact informationon this site.

To  the Editor: The Farmer Protection Act will protect all of Vermont's family farmers from lawsuits if any damage occurs because of genetically engineered seeds. I hope damage will never happen - if it doesn't, there is no harm in having this law on the books. If it does happen, however, don't we want our farmers to have as much support and protection as we can offer? I do. The bill is in the House Agriculture Committee, with a vote expected this week. I do hope that the members of this committee will allow the democratic process to occur on this bill, and will vote to send the bill to the Judiciary Committee, so that they can consider the bill there. Our farmers deserve the full democratic process on this issue! Sincerely, [your name, town, phone number]

SEND A THANK YOU TO SPEAKER SYMINGTON! Your calls to Speaker Symington this past week made a HUGE difference! THANK YOU to all who made those calls! The Speaker and democratic leadership are now ON BOARD and actively working on this bill, thanks to your calls! If you can, send the Speaker a SHORT thank you note and tell her you appreciate her commitment to Vermont's family farmers! (NO MORE PHONE CALLS ARE NEEDED TO THE SPEAKER): House Speaker Gaye Symington Vermont Statehouse Montpelier, VT 05633 We need SOME PEOPLE to make calls

IF YOU LIVE IN MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS, PAWLET, RUPERT, OR WELLS OR IF YOU ARE A FARMER, AND YOU FARM IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE Call John Malcolm - he is a key vote on the House Agriculture Committee, he needs encouragement to send the Farmer Protection Act to the Judiciary Committee for consideration. Call him at home this weekend or Monday at 802-325-3424, or at the statehouse on Tuesday at 802-828-2228. If you leave a message, please say, "Allow the Farmer Protection Act to go to the Judiciary Committee" and leave your name, town, and telephone number. If you call the statehouse, please be sure to ask for a "call back" from Mr. Malcolm.

IF YOU LIVE IN BURKE, LYNDON, OR SUTTON OR IF YOU ARE FARMER, AND YOU FARM IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE Call Dick Lawrence - he is a key vote on the House Agriculture Committee, and may be the one who is the deciding vote on whether to send the bill to the Judiciary Committee. Mr. Lawrence has been very open and interested in the issue, and is weighing the testimony carefully. Encourage him to send the Farmer Protection Act to the Judiciary Comittee for consideration, so the legislative process can happen on the bill. Call him at home this weekend or Monday at 802-626-5917 or at the statehouse on Tuesday at 802-828-2228. If you leave a message, please say, "Allow the Farmer Protection Act to go to the Judiciary Committee" and leave your name, town, and telephone number. If you call the statehouse, please be sure to ask for a "call back" from Mr. Lawrence.

IF YOU LIVE IN CHITTENDEN COUNTY--GET GOING ON THOSE CALLS! We need YOU!!! Please CALL YOUR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE and ask them if they will Support the Farmer Protection Act when it comes to the House Floor for a vote. THANK YOU to those who have made calls and reported in! WE REALLY NEED YOU TO CALL these representatives. It will help us to push the democratic leadership if we can say for certain that we have the votes to pass the bill on the house floor, and WE ARE VERY CLOSE to having this count, but we need to hear from all the representatives, and WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please call your representative, ask the question, and then let us know what they say at amybeth@together.net or 223-7222. Every representative has received a packet of information about the bill, and a copy of the bill. Listed below are the Chittenden County reps by district.Please do NOT assume that we know how a rep will vote. This issue is NON PARTISAN and many folks have very personal reasons for supporting or opposing this bill. If you haven't already called your rep and reported back as to where they stand, please make this call THIS WEEKEND or MONDAY. The reps who are signed onto the bill are noted...they don't need calls, but all the others do!

WILLISTON Jim McCullough SIGNED ON Mary Peterson 878-8241 BURLINGTON William Aswad 862-2067 Kurt Wright 658-1410 Mark Larson SIGNED ON Jason Lorber 863-9429 John Patrick Tracy 863-4135 Robert Kiss SIGNED ON David Zuckerman SIGNED ON Johannah Leddy Donovan 863-4634 Bill Keogh 862-5270 BURLINGTON, WINOOSKI Kenneth Atkins 655-1280 George Cross 655-4611 SOUTH BURLINGTON Michele Kupersmith 863-1814 Ann Pugh 863-6705 Albert Audette 862-4236 Helen Head 862-2267 RICHMOND Denise Barnard SIGNED ON SHELBURNE Joyce Errecart 985-2329 SHELBURNE, ST. GEORGE George Schiavone 985-2886 ESSEX Debbie Evans 878-4317 Linda Myers 878-3514 ESSEX JUNCTION Peter Hunt 878-8406 Tim Jerman 878-2972 ESSEX, WESTFORD Martha Heath SIGNED ON COLCHESTER Jim Condon 655-5764 Malcolm Severance 878-2067 Patrick Brennan 863-3773 Katherine Niquette 865-2180 BOLTON, JERICHO, UNDERHILL William Frank 899-3136 MILTON Kevin Endres 893-0765 Doran Metzger 893-1645

CHITTENDEN COUNTY UPCOMING EVENT! Free GMO Documentary Showing There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America -- a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. Please come to a showing of THE FUTURE OF FOOD Wednesday, May 18th from 7pm until 8:30pm at Contois Auditorium, Burlington City Hall and find out more. THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. For more info email vtgean@sover.net/ call 802-272-9536