No, it's not a joke. This has been in the pipeline for a while. It was introduced by Rosa de Lauro, whose husband has some kind of connection to Monsanto, and stands to make a lot of money if the small producers are put out of business. This bill would make those little roadside stands impossible to operate, and make it illegal for anyone with a kitchen garden or fruit trees to grow their own food. It also affects anyone that keeps chickens for the eggs or cows for milk, even if they don't sell it. The fines are enormous, and some of the penalties include jail time.
It's a massive power grab by government (the agency that would enforce it will have a lot of incentive to fine people for "violations" since they get to keep the lion's share of the money.)
The owners of small organic farms are furious about this. I hope other people are, too.
Nan
