NoNAIS.org

Vermont’s Secretary of Agriculture Steve Kerr has declared that there is no need for Animal ID, the second component of the USDA’s National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

Kerr denied that the state would require mandatory tagging and numbering of individual animals. “For animal disease … all you need is premise identification. We don’t need individual [animal] ID,” he said. -Boston Globe

It should be noted that this statement from Kerr is in sharp contrast to the 1 February 2006 Vermont Agency of Agriculture memo that declared Vermont would be fully implementing NAIS. Without the expensive and time consuming Animal ID, the state and federal government will not be able to implement trace-back, the third component of NAIS leaving the USDA castrated as a barrow pig.

Progress.

Please contact National Public Radio (NPR) to let them know about the government’s intrusive, tax wasting, unconstitutional program that will destroy small farms and hurt homesteaders. The USDA’s proposed National Animal Identification System will increase food prices and limit choice as our national food supply becomes concentrated into the hands of fewer and fewer large corporations. NAIS will actually make our country more susceptible to terrorist attack by destroying the diverse network of regional small farms. This hurts our individual independence and makes our country more susceptible to disasters. People need to know about this. We need to protect our traditional rights to farm.

Ask Mr. Beck to please report on the damage that the USDA’s proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS) will do to small farmers and homesteaders. The system is unconstitutional, trampling on our 1st, 4th, 5th, 14th and possibly 13th amendment rights. The USDA has the power to do warrant-less search and seizure without any form of legal appeal. They can depopulate 8 mile radius circles without even testing for disease as stated in GAO document 05-214.

NAIS should be a 100% voluntary, market driven solution, not a heavy handed government mandate. If he needs a quick overview, ask him to read the handout http://NoNAIS.org/handout. In addition to an executive summary of the harm of NAIS to small farmers and homesteaders the handout also contains links to the USDA documents. Additional government documents can be found in the Technical Documents section of the right sidebar.

1. Email to Glenn Beck at: me@glennbeck.com
2. Email also to Stu, Glenn Beck’s head writer at: stu@glennbeck.com
3. Extra Credit: Phone Mr. Beck at: 1-888-727-2325 9 am-noon on the air

Based on reading the USDA’s draft proposal for the National Animal Identification System some people are wondering how the USDA is going to tag all the wild animals that fall within the working species groups that must be tracked. The USDA says we don’t have to tag the wild animals. That is good to know…

It is the year 2009, February 22nd, the birthday of General George Washington. Today it is a bit windy and the cold is biting here on the eastern slope of Sugar Mountain in northern Vermont. The USDA shows up at my doorstep demanding to know why I have not voluntarily enrolled in their National Animal Identification System…

USDA Agent dressed all in black: Why haven’t you registered your farm and livestock for NAIS yet?

Me: What farm? I’m just a humble wood cutter.

Agent: Don’t give me that. I see all those pigs and sheep in the field!

Me: Oh, those are just wild animals. Aren’t they pretty!

Agent: You mean you don’t feed them?

Me: Sure I do. Just like feeding the song birds. Such fun!

Agent: But don’t you sell them?

Me: Sure, want to buy a pig? I can probably catch you one if you like. Wild pastured pigs are the best. High in Omega-3 fatty acids, low in those artery clogging Omega-6’s. Frankly, you look like you could cut back on those bad acids a bit. You’re getting red in the face. Or is it the wind? Better check your blood pressure, mister.

Agent: There, you admit it, you feed them, you sell them, you’re farming them!

Me: What?!? No way. They are just running around wild out there in the field. Just because I happen to be able to catch you a pig doesn’t mean anything. I could pick you a dandelion next summer but that does not mean I farm dandelions. I could catch you a chickadee but that is still just a wild bird.

Agent: Oh, so I can just take one?

Me: Nope, they’re on my land and you would be trespassing. See those No Hunting - No Trespassing signs?

Agent: So.

Me: See those very big dogs?

Agent: Oh, my… Do they bite?

Kita: grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…

Me: They haven’t bitten anyone today. But I would not move suddenly if I were you.

Agent: Ah. Yes. I see… Well you have fences to keep the animals in.

Me: Yes… and your point?

Agent: So that proves you are farming. You’ve got fences.

Me: I thought we were talking about pigs and sheep. Now you say I am farming fences? Are you really asking if I grow fences? I didn’t realize the government wanted to start tracking fences. Mine pretty much stay right where they are…

Agent: No! No! You have fences to keep your livestock confined!

Me: I have fences but so does my neighbor and they have no animals at all. Are they farming too? Frankly, fences do not a farmer make. In fact, some places I don’t even have fences. Also, there are deer, mice, moose, bear and other wild animals out there besides the wild pigs and wild sheep. Are you going to accuse me of farming bears and coyotes just because there are bears out there shitting in the woods and I have fences? That is royally funny!

Agent: You have to ID your animals!

Me: Really? You see that 900 lb boar over there…

Agent: Which one is the boar?

Me: The one with the balls. The one with the really big tusks who is pawing the ground. The one that is eyeing you…

Agent: Yes…

Me: You go stick a tag in him. But, I suggest you first check that your life insurance premiums are paid up… Health insurance too because he might not kill you. He might just rip off your arm.

Agent: Is he really wild?!?

Me: Yep. Those are wild pastured Yorkshire pigs. Beautiful animals.

Agent: Hmm… He doesn’t look too friendly… Maybe these really are just wild animals… Tell you what - I’ll just mark you down as a vegetable farm.

Me: Do I have to tag my carrots?

Agent: No, not yet.

Me: Okay.

Note: I made that all up. The USDA has not yet said we don’t have to tag wild animals. -WJ
PS. This ones for you, Steve!