Food Rules

Like every farmer Courtney Hammond, who grows blueberries and cranberries in Washington County, Maine, has a lot of worries . He frets about weather, invasive species, failed crops and global prices. To abide by federal food-safety laws, he has had to do training, maintain meticulous records, have insect- and rodent-control plans and document daily the sanitation of his processing equipment. It is a tremendous amount of work, but it means, he says, "I don't have to worry about anybody getting sick from eating anything that leaves my farm." Now he is worried that a new law may put his hard work in jeopardy. Earlier this month 61% of voters opted to change the state constitution to ensure that all Mainers had a "right to food", the first law of its kind in America.