This is the third and final post in our series on the Food Safety Modernization Act. If you’re not caught up, we encourage you to check out Part I on the history of the FDA’s role in regulating food safety and Part II on how the proposed Produce Rule will affect small farmers.

If you’ve stuck with us so far, you might be wondering why we’re making such a pitch for the public to weigh in on these esoteric federal food safety regulations. Aren’t there experts better qualified to assess the efficacy and provide feedback on the proposed rules? The answer to that question is a fascinating study in our democracy.

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A few weeks ago, our post The Joy of Regulation: Part I offered a general primer on regulation in the United States. It focused on how an agency like the FDA gained so much power to write, enforce, and adjudicate food safety regulations. With the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules about to be finalized, we’re bringing you two more pieces, today and tomorrow, on the topic.

Today’s post is a deep dive into how one of the FSMA rules (the so-called Produce Rule) will affect vegetable and berry farms, their markets, and the future of many small farms. Please consider sharing your input with the FDA–the public comment period is only open one more week, until December 15. Additional resources and submission instructions are at the bottom of this post.

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