MOFGA Action Alert
December 15, 2009
If you raise poultry and slaughter birds on-farm, you need to read and comment on the Maine Department of Agriculture’s proposed poultry slaughtering regulations. Download rules (word document). It’s particularly important for farmers to talk about safety measures that they are taking now to produce high quality birds. It’s also important to describe the changes that would have to be made to comply with the regulations, along with estimated costs. Letters of support for farmers who safely supply birds would be helpful as well. Written testimony and comments are particularly helpful and effective.
The rulemaking hearing is scheduled for Monday, December 21, 10 a.m., in Room 208 of the Cross Office Building of the Legislature in Augusta. The hearing had been scheduled to take place in the Department but due to the anticipated large volume of interested parties, the organizers moved it across the river! Written comments will be accepted until December 30. Send written testimony to: Hal Prince, Director, Division of Quality Assurance and Regulations, SHS 28, Augusta, ME 04333-0028.
Other resources for helping to assess options include:
ATTRA’s small-scale poultry processing guide: https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/poultryprocess.html
Food and Agriculture Organization (for some sample systems): https://www.fao.org/docrep/003/t0561e/t0561e00.htm
University of Minnesota’s poultry processing publications: https://www.ansci.umn.edu/poultry/resources/processing.htm
