I’ve just setup the WordPress 2.0 blogging software on this server so that we can have a chronological list of updates and alerts about the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). My goal is to pull together a concise list of resources and groups fighting NAIS so that we can do this effectively. A secondary goal with this blog is to keep the information volume down to a manageable level - This subject can get overwhelming.
What is NAIS? In a nutshell, which is where NAIS should be kept, the National Animal ID program was originally designed to give the big beef producers help in getting export markets which required disease controls. The idea is that every single livestock animal in the United States will be identified and tagged. All livestock animal movements will be tracked, logged and reported to the government. The benefit is to the big factory farms who probably do need this type of regulation. They get to do single ID’s for large groups of animals. Small farmers, pet owners and homesteaders will have to tag and track every single animal.
There are no exceptions - even small farms that sell direct to local consumers will be required to pay the fees and file all the paper work on all their animals. Even horse, llama and other pet owners will be required to participate in NAIS. Homesteaders who raise their own meat and grandma with her one egg hen will also have to register their homes as ‘farm premises’ and obtain a Premise ID, tag all their animals and submit all the paperwork and fees. Absurd? Yes - There are no exceptions under the current NAIS plan. The USDA has slipped this plan in the back door without any legislation. This is going to be very expensive and guess who is going to pay for it in higher food prices… You!
I wrote an article about how NAIS will affect small farmers and homesteaders on my blog in early January. I plan to put links to that, links to other articles about NAIS on other blogs and web sites. There will be links to groups fighting NAIS like StopAnimalID, Americans Against NAIS, etc. There will be resources for who to contact. There will also be links to the original NAIS regulations draft at the USDA as well as state by state links and alerts. Look to the sidebars in the near future for this type of information.
Cathy and other volunteers will be working to keep us all up-to-date about the national and state-by-state progress of NAIS so that we can all fight it more effectively. If you have ideas on what should be on this blog, please let me know. Any feedback is appreciated. Be sure to bookmark this site and subscribe to the RSS feed so you’ll be kept up to date.
-Walter Jeffries
Sugar Mountain Farm
in Vermont
29°F/12°F, 6″ Snow here in Vermont
“Don’t Panic!”-Douglas Adams
Tags: farm farming farmer homestead homesteading homesteader National animal id identification RFID NAIS
Oh lovely. Though I can understand concerns about madcow, flu variations and the like, this is NOT the way to deal with things. Our lovely Republican Administration is yet again creating MORE government regulation and the need for MORE government oversight and MORE Bureacracy which translates into MORE government employees and MORE taxes . . . while telling us repeatedly that THEY don’t do that, the Dems do.
Comment kickass — January 25, 2006 @ 5:05 pm
Thanks for taking the time to set this site up. I have passed the address on to others so they can inform themselves better as to what we are fighting.
Judy,
Comment Judy Schultz — January 25, 2006 @ 5:35 pm
Big Factory Farms = Big Greed
Comment HotRodder — January 27, 2006 @ 1:44 pm
…and to think, I was just going to email you this link Walter.
Comment Hexdek16 — January 27, 2006 @ 5:27 pm
hey everyone, almost finished my 1st month of my 2006 diet. XXX does control my appetite and I’ve lost 8lbs. On on the treadmill 5 days and walking the dog briskly at night.
[NOTE: Wow, our first 100% genuine comment spam. I’m saving this one for prosperity. XXX edits to remove spam nutrition value. -WJ]
Comment XXX — February 6, 2006 @ 5:40 pm
Hi, nice blog how long has it been up? I need to add a blog based on business continuity jobs.Did you hire someone to do your blog or build it yourself?. Thanks Amigo, PASQUALE
Comment Dissr — February 7, 2006 @ 4:25 pm
Hello and congratulations, I really like your blog. In fact, my wife and I are running a new project and I found your site while searching for information in this field. Your writing skills are good and we think that you would be perfect to work with us. If you are interested, you can contact us by email. Keep up your work, it’s excellent!
Comment Nada — February 9, 2006 @ 10:19 am
Hi my friend. I am trying to start my own blog on add disaster recovery url. Can you have multiple blogs on what domain? Is that feasible?. Thanks Amigo
Comment DRP — February 9, 2006 @ 11:29 am
Pasquale, I setup this blog using WordPress 2.0. It is not too difficult to do. Multiple blogs can be run on the same domain although each will have its own URL. Go to http://WordPress.org as it is a good source of info.
Comment walterj — February 9, 2006 @ 12:13 pm
Has anyone thought that the USDA forcing private citizens to do the USDA’s job of tracking aninmal disease (reporting to USAD the movements of the National Herd) is working for them w/o pay and is a violation of the 13th amendment? (Abolition of slavery- read the part after nor…)
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Comment susan barackman — February 10, 2006 @ 2:56 pm
I was searching the web and found your entry. I really like your site and found it worth while reading through the posts.
Comment rca — February 10, 2006 @ 2:59 pm
Hi, I thought I’d just leave this message on your blog. I want to say thank you before I go off to find some more info about it.
Comment Seim — February 13, 2006 @ 12:43 pm
Congratulations for your blog, it is very nice to read. Do you have a feed?, Namble
[Yes, look in the sidebar under Meta RSS and Comments RSS. -WJ]
Comment Namble — February 14, 2006 @ 2:30 pm
I would love to see a guide to voting based on candidates stances on this topoic. Maybe that is somethin you can do in the future.
Comment Sandy Imesi — February 14, 2006 @ 4:43 pm
I think it is aweful how the government is stealing our rights.
Why can’t they focus on real issues and leave us alone.
Also, can I subscribe to your blogs feed?
Ron in Texas
Comment RonTX — February 15, 2006 @ 7:58 am
Hi there, I thought I would stop by and say hello. it is hectic but worthwhile last few days for me to be reading your blog. In searching for more aniamal ID and related info on the Internet, I came across your site. I find your content really important. Keep up the good work. Keep saying No To NAIS!
Comment S. Webbi — February 15, 2006 @ 9:46 am
This is rally nasty stuff. Our government should not be able to get away with this BS.
Comment TSS — February 15, 2006 @ 12:56 pm
This is your president here and I just want to say I suck eggs. But I rule as my daddy did and my son will after me. Of course first I got to have a sun but that is besides the point. I make the rules. I am the govornment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment GWBush — February 15, 2006 @ 1:55 pm
Man, I hate the way the government keeps jerking us around every time I turn around they are pasing some dumb new laws that make my life harder. I moved out the country so I could raise my own food and live more healthly and now they are going to take that away from me. I wish someone would dump the usda in the harbor. We need a revolt because the current government is very revolting or worse.
Comment Hanna Hampletons — February 15, 2006 @ 3:26 pm
I am feeling really depressed about all of this. We sell directly to our customers so they know exactly where their beef is coming from. There are already too many government regulations and we do not noed another set under a new program like nais that is just going to kill the last few indepenedent farmers.
Comment Ed Termin — February 15, 2006 @ 4:23 pm
I really like what your doing here. You obviously have put a lot of work into it. I appreciate it. I am going to write my congress critters as you call em!
Comment Auntie Fleasie — February 16, 2006 @ 1:30 pm
Time for a change of administration and burocrats.
Comment Kim H — February 16, 2006 @ 1:50 pm
Our government is turning into a bunch of fascist pigs. No, I take that back. Pigs are better behaved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment Philip M — February 20, 2006 @ 10:08 am
More government is the last theing I need i nmy life. As you say just say no to nais!!!!! I’m behind you all the way. Thanks for leading!
Comment Bro. Calden — February 21, 2006 @ 1:50 pm
I was trying to find information about this stuff. My sister told me about it and I told her she was nuts. It is just an urban myth. No way our governmet is going to take away the freedoms I faught for. Then I come here and see what you wrote. Crazyness. So I go to the government web side you point to and man o man o it is freeky for real! I can not believe it. The government is going to hand over the keys to the citty to the big corporations who will then control our lives. That is not the America I fought to protect. That is ****** facism! They should have naimed the program NAZIs instaed of NAIS! No way I’ll go along with this ****!
[Please keep the language clean. This is a family discussion. -WJ]
Comment MK — February 21, 2006 @ 3:33 pm
MK lots of folks don’t think it is true. You can tell them and they look at you like what’s the punch line? Yes it is very true, and most folks don’t have any idea this freight train is arriving.
Comment Sharon — February 21, 2006 @ 5:37 pm
I am so glad I found your blog. This NAIS stuff is so aweful. I am writing my state regulators and legislaters right now to protest it. I don’t have animals cuz I live in the city but I don’t want the govenrment taking away our rights like this and handing it all over to the big corporations.
Comment Imelda — February 22, 2006 @ 10:02 am
How do I get an RSS feed for this blog? I am not at all tech savy and would really like to stay updated info on this issue.
[In the Meta section of the bottom of the right hand sidebar click on RSS or Comment RSS (or both) and then bookmark the pages that come up to be able to get them easily. -WJ]
Comment Henny — February 22, 2006 @ 10:53 am
It is insane that the government is trying to tell me how to run my life. They cant even balance their own budget. ANd too top it all of they want to track my animals but they can’t even keep track of their high security lap tops and hard drives at los alimose national nuclear laboratories or millions of people crossing our borders every day looking for work. This is rubbish. the big bisunesses are just making a power grab for more money with the help of the USDA who is firmly in their back pocket! I will not vote for any officials who support NAIS or PAWS or the patriot act or any thing lese like that!!!!!
Comment Heather — February 22, 2006 @ 1:35 pm
You are so right about this NAIS stuff all being bad for our country. Youve gotten me all worked up. I’m going to write my newspaper because they have not written anything about this at all. People need to know the facts!
Comment Harry M. Bisnolli — February 22, 2006 @ 2:15 pm
Great blog. It is wonderful to finally somone talking about this. I have been trying to get peple to know about this for months and I just get blank staisrs or people telling me Im crazy that the government is good and would never do this sort of thing. But lok at what Bush and his croniys are doing with spying on people! Next they want to chip my pets and then my kids and then me????? No F**** Way!
Comment Ida Henly — February 22, 2006 @ 2:52 pm
You need to get the word out. I like what you are doing here on your web page but it is going to take more. How are we going to reach everyone? I will right letters but that is not going to be good enough.
Comment Amanda Johnson — February 22, 2006 @ 3:31 pm
Keep up the great work on your fight!
Comment Bruce — February 23, 2006 @ 1:29 pm
I really REALLY like this site. I 100% agree. Keep the information flowing.
Comment Terry — February 23, 2006 @ 1:49 pm
Hi,
I really like your site and I love the idea of the bumper stickers. Howerver, I live in a metropolitan area and non of my neighbors are very concerned with “traditional farming” (sad isn’t it) is there some other solgan that we can use for us city dwellers - something that will hit the animal lovers where they live?
Keep up the good work!
Comment Janet — February 23, 2006 @ 3:00 pm
Janet, Help me understand metropolitan folk. What is it that would upset them about NAIS? -WJ
Comment walterj — February 23, 2006 @ 3:41 pm
So, the government is going to take away our independentce so that we all have to become drones working in their factories. Except they ahve shippd all the factory jobs to lower paying offshore sites so if we can’t get work and we can’t raise our own food what are we supposed to do????? LIve of of the government welfare program? And who’s going to pay for that. They’ll have to raise taxes on the few remaining people with jbos to pay for that and to pay for this nais system to. Sounds like a disaster coming down on our heads like a huge piano in the cartoons.
Comment Mark — February 23, 2006 @ 10:41 pm
Awesome site you got here! Thanks for spreading the message!
Comment Harland — February 23, 2006 @ 11:25 pm
I couldn’t agree more with this stuff against NAIS! I am going to write my newspapers and state legislaters.
Comment Tarah — February 24, 2006 @ 11:11 am
The NAIS must die! (wild laughter)
Really. I mean it. No More NAIS Please!
I am not hurting anyone by raising my own food.
I sell eggs. People buy them from me. It is their choice.
They know where my eggs came from.
We do not need any stinking government telling us how to live our lives.
The government should be doing important things like protecting our borders.
Not telling me how to live and taxing me at every turn. That is what it is.
The fees for registering premise and every little chick and lamb are really another hidden tax.
I am disgusted with our government. I am going ot vote against every person in office who supports NAIS!
Comment Heather — February 25, 2006 @ 7:00 pm
Thank you for putting so much work into fighting for our rights.
Comment Al Ringoson — February 25, 2006 @ 8:47 pm
This is some of the most irrritating stuf the goveernment can do. They are invading our basic privacy and right to pursue happyness. It seems like something is happening like this every year. Why can’t the government just leave us alone. Less government would be the best government in my not so humble opinion of things!
Comment Beth Newers — February 26, 2006 @ 12:28 am
It is getting so we can’t live our lives without the government telling us what to do and when to do it. I voted republican in the last three elections because I was told by them they would be the party of small government and get government out of our lives. Instead things are getting worse and worse and worse. They need to leave little people alone and put a stop to the abuses by big corporations. Instead they are favoring big corporatinos. Next election I am not voting for any candidiate that is for nais.
Comment Meridith — February 26, 2006 @ 9:45 am
I don’t have animals but I hate the idea of the governor becomeing more involved with my life. This is just going to raise food prices for me and there is no real good. We already have disease control programs. We don’t need a socialist government like they have in England coming into our homes and telling us how we have to leaves our lives. Please keep fighting againt theis type of big governement!
Comment Antonni — February 26, 2006 @ 2:51 pm
I raise chickens and pigs for my own family as well as selling a few to friends. There is no need for the government to being tagging and tracking my animals. This is a violation of my rights. I will not comply. They had better stay of of my land.
Comment Massa — February 26, 2006 @ 4:14 pm
Thanks for the information. It is very helpful. Everyone needs to know about NAIS and how it will hurt us all. You should have handouts and stuff. We need bumperstickers for our cars. I liked that person who put the sign on her car.
Comment Elda — February 26, 2006 @ 6:13 pm
I grew up on a farm that had been in my family for four generations and the government took it away to build a road. Now they are taking away all the small farms in american so that the big coroporations can sell their hormone laced beef to japan while consumers at thome have to eat meat that has not been properly inspected because the USDA is too busy making up illegal regulations instead of doing their job of inspecting food like they should be doing. This is so wrong.
Comment Leonard M. — February 27, 2006 @ 10:08 pm
Keep up the good work. I wanted to email you a note of thanks but saw your message about what a high volume of e-mail you are getting so I just am leaving you a message here. Fight NAIS to the end. I’ll do what I can and thanks for the samples.
Comment Brad Pittman — February 28, 2006 @ 9:41 am
It seems that every few years the Government makes some powerplay like this to steal away our cherished rights and liberties - the few we have left. Before you know it we’ll just be livestock of the state.
Comment Val — February 28, 2006 @ 7:26 pm
This reminds me of the old joke “We’re from the government and we’re here to help you.” Right……
Comment Duncan — March 1, 2006 @ 8:26 am
I am not going to register for any dam makring of the beasts.
Comment Anonemouse — March 1, 2006 @ 8:40 am
The thing that gets me the most about this whole thing is I thought the republican were going to end big government and cut taxes and all that good stuff. Patriotic bs. Instead they are foisting stuff like N.A.I>S. on us. That is the last time I’ll vote republican.
Comment Kim — March 2, 2006 @ 10:14 am
Thank you for doing all this hard work. I just though animal id was something we needed for food but now I realize it is just a marketing ploy by big companies to make more bucks on the backs of small farmers. I am off to write to all of my state and national reps. Keeep fighting!!!!
Comment Irene H. — March 2, 2006 @ 4:34 pm
I have read through this stuff and gone to the USDAs sight and it is obvious that this is all just a ploy by the governemnt and big businesses to take more of our money and imprison us in our own country. They are trying to make slaves of us all. I will never submit to NAIS Nazies.
Comment Ursula — March 2, 2006 @ 8:00 pm
I am so glad to have someone like you who is direct and honest taking on this isssue so that people find out about it. My husband found out. He saw a poster at the feed store and told me. That is how we found your sight. It is unbelievable that the government is doing this sort of thing to people. They need to back off and leave us all alown.
Comment Anna — March 2, 2006 @ 8:10 pm
The NAIS is for your own protection. You will be assimilated. It is futile to resist the Borg. Oh, sorry, I mean the USDA. :-}
Comment Anonymous — March 3, 2006 @ 12:01 pm
I dont’ see how adding one mroe layer of government is going to make my food any safer. The goernment is already not doing their job of inspections and forcing the big companies to do the right thing. The only thing that will be accomlished by the nais is to hurt small family famrs.
Comment Flo — March 3, 2006 @ 1:44 pm
It is always a pleasure to read your posts. you have a really helpful site here about NAIS. I had heard about it first on a radio show. Thanks for providing such useful information on how I can do something about it. Well I am of to write my senators..
Comment Tod — March 3, 2006 @ 3:23 pm
I heard that in other countries after the governments put throu animal tracking systems like this that all the food prices went up about 10% and sometimes more. The newspaper article also talked about a loss of farms. That people were no longer doing livestock and the know how was getting lost. This article was focused on the fact that the big farms are not susstainable in a event of a disaster like the world wide panademic from bird flue or a terrest attack there wood be a lot of starving people because it could take years for the agriculture to recover.
Comment Andy — March 3, 2006 @ 6:43 pm
I just hope that people are doing more than just discussing this or nothing will come of it. Write your legislators. Get moving. Phone calls are even better. Dont just use email.
Comment Mark — March 3, 2006 @ 11:14 pm
I couldn’t agree more!
This is going to be a pivital issue.
Do we become a bunch of neo-serfs working for the man?
Or do we stand up for our freedomes and have another revolution?
Comment Art — March 4, 2006 @ 2:27 am
I am almost in tears reading about this stuff. It makes me so angry. I do not want this to happen. What is becoming of our nation?
Comment sara — March 4, 2006 @ 2:53 am
We need to have a march. A big march. We need to march down on Washington with our goats and sheep and cows and other animals. With horses and everything. Drive tractors too. Right up to the capital steps and tell them to stop this nonsence.
Comment Sue — March 4, 2006 @ 11:19 am
This stuff is all so wild so far out I can’t believe it. At first I thought you were just a crank. That whole numbering of the beast. But then I found out it was for real when I visited the goobermints own web site at the usda and they have pages and pages talking about this. Why am I not hearing any outrage in the media about this? It is horrible. It is totally crazy.
Comment Norra — March 5, 2006 @ 10:43 pm
I heard about this on the radio and thought it was a joke show or something. This is unreal. They mentioned your web site. How did you did this all up. I hadn’t heard anything about it until that show. Then I followed that realid link in your page. My God! The government is trying to take away all of our rights. How can they ever do this sort of thing? It is against the constitution!
Comment Masha — March 6, 2006 @ 10:26 am
I know where this is all going to lead to in the end. They want us to be slaves. The government and big buziness want total control over our lives. They want to determine everything we do and make sure they profit at every turn.
Comment Irene H. — March 6, 2006 @ 12:42 pm
This is bogos.
The government can’t do this.
It would violate our constitutional rights.
If they tried this the courts would throw it out.
This is against the law.
I won’t participate.
No way.
Comment Sid — March 6, 2006 @ 12:57 pm
The last thing we need is more fed controls. I served in the gulf war. I am a vet. I fought for liberty or that was what they told me. I don’t need no stinking government telling me how to manage my life back home. I had enough of that in the army.
Comment Katrina Kichemme — March 6, 2006 @ 2:14 pm
I just want to thank you for everything you are doing on this web site. It is really really really important that we stop this sort of abuse of our rights. NAIS is a bad thing. Well Im of to write my senators.
Comment Ilene Henderson — March 6, 2006 @ 5:58 pm
I jsut found out about this going through in our state. They are not even asking us what we watn. I don’t want this type of garbage. I have four chickens. There is no way I should have to spend $200 a year extra to the government and tag makers to do what I have always done. It is none of their business. When is government going to back off and leave us leetle guys alone?
Comment Leon — March 6, 2006 @ 10:21 pm
Tilting at windmills was never your style. You need to poke the orgre in the eye. I’m being suggestive here……
Comment Sydney — March 7, 2006 @ 2:29 am
So what happens if your pigs get the wrong chips and turn into cell phones? Can you buy ring tones for them? Okay I am just being silly. Yes. But seriously, who ever heard of the government doing something right? Even NASA the most excellent government agency in existance has tripple redundancy and they still get the occassional oops! The biggest problem is when the government goes “OOPS!” it is a really big oops and it kills thousands of people, destroys hundreds of square miles of land, ruins levies, destroys crops, kills off traditions and all what not. So if you want something done really wrong, have the government do it. NAIS is going to be a doozy!
Trackback Ringo — March 21, 2006 @ 3:06 pm