June 5, 2006

New USDA Guide for the Small

News — walterj 1:39 pm

The USDA has released a new document “The National Animal Identification System: A Guide for Small-Scale or Non-Commercial Producers”. I have not yet had time to understand this fully but thought you might be interested in checking it out. Comments to follow…

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37 Comments »

  1. What make you think USDA intends for you to understand it? ;)

    Comment Ernie — June 5, 2006 @ 2:24 pm

  2. If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.
    Don’t let your gaurd down and fight this till the bitter end.
    This is so sugar coated it makes you choke.
    The next thing they will tell me is that they have some great farm land in the everglades for me.

    Comment Cindy Bice — June 5, 2006 @ 3:22 pm

  3. I read this new document, althought it would seem to address those things that most oppose to NAIS, it’s timing to me is suspicious. If this can be taken at it’s word, which I doubt, they should have said this from the beginning. I feel that the release of this document proves that NoNAIS and other simiarly goaled groups are making an impact. But now is no the time to be placated, rather if we are making an impact toward fulfilling our goals we must use this fuel to continue the fight until each and everyone is satisfied. We fight for today’s farmer and tomorrow’s as well. Keep up the good work everyone!

    Comment Elizabeth Vallot — June 5, 2006 @ 4:03 pm

  4. I have read all 11 pages. This does not sound like the same program that we have been talking about on this site!!! Has it been revised?? They keep saying it is voluntary, however, I have been told by our State Representative that in two years it will be forced on us. My feeling is that it will be voluntary until they have enough of us signed up and than the rules will change. The old thing of getting the foot in the door and than the whole body will enter. What do you think Walter?

    Comment Nancy in Montana — June 5, 2006 @ 4:53 pm

  5. They keep saying, “voluntary, voluntary, voluntary” but we all know it’s only for right now…..

    Comment Carolyn Sowden — June 5, 2006 @ 4:54 pm

  6. Oh yeah- & why are they still calling people & saying “This is just an agricultural survey” when they really want to know how many horses you have for NAIS!?

    Comment Carolyn Sowden — June 5, 2006 @ 4:57 pm

  7. Read between the lines! Double think every line. This thing is a disaster just like NoNAIS has exposed. Talk about a “fox in the henhouse”. Keep the pressure up folks, don’t drop your guard.

    Comment Greg Hinkle — June 5, 2006 @ 5:14 pm

  8. Unless this is just a ploy to throw us off guard, it looks to me like USDA has backed down at least for now. There’s a lot of effort that goes into getting a protest movement started, so I don’t want to declare victory too soon, but this document says over and over again that NAIS is voluntary and there are no penalties. I’d feel better if they explained the inconsistencies between this document and earlier documents on their web site, and clearly stated that the new document represented a shift in position instead of just pretending that voluntarism has been their position all along, but I guess straight-forward honesty is too much to ask for from USDA. Anyway, if I’m interpreting this correctly, then Walter deserves a lot of credit for helping to eliminate some of the most loathsome provisions of the program.

    - Greg Lilley

    Comment Greg Lilley — June 5, 2006 @ 6:18 pm

  9. I have just read the new document. Walter, thanks for posting it. It sounds somewhat owner-friendly, but it does not diminish my suspicions. What they say now can change in an instant, especially after a premise ID is requested. Sounds like they want to pacify a lot of folks so they will drop their objections.

    In our case, my husband and I had decided months ago, that if mandatory NAIS is implemented, we would not apply for a premise ID, and we would scale back to our most beloved goats, including a couple of bucks, to help keep our place eaten down, to continue to enjoy the privilege of being among them, and to experience those adorable kids every now and then. We know that under that plan, we would not be able to purchase feed, take them to the vet, or sell them. We should be happy with this new “non-commercial” plan. Right? No way! I don’t want anyone to have to apply for a premise ID ever, for any reason. Today the “reason” is animal identification, but tomorrow the “reason” for a premise ID could be about a permit for what we grow, what we build, what we tear down, and on and on. The premise ID is the foundation for any abuse Big Government envisions. Also, I don’t appreciate being more or less driven out of business because we don’t want to play their unconstitutional, deceptive, guilty-until-proven-innocent, Orwellian game. Let’s drive a stake through the heart of this whole NAIS scheme.

    Comment Texas Goat Gal — June 5, 2006 @ 6:35 pm

  10. I also read through the document. It looks like a lot of double speak. Voluntary Premises ID in all states “at this time” Texas was about to impose fees and is still proposing to. You can take a trail ride with your neighbor with out reporting, because that’s low risk. But there are mitigating circumstances, including how many animals you mix with and where they are from. But it sounds very subjective and this is just a guide, not the real regulation. There are all kinds of loop holes when they say voluntary or trail rides don’t need to be recorded.

    I think this is a show me situation. This guide may sugest they have changed their stripes, but I’ll believe it when I see it written into the regulation. And the bottom line is, NAIS is a power grab. Even if they only get half of what they have asked for, we are the ones giving it up. Anything they get is ill gotten.

    Comment Afella in VT — June 5, 2006 @ 7:11 pm

  11. Perhaps with THIS document they hope the “controversy” will die down. I think NOT!

    Comment Goatster — June 5, 2006 @ 8:09 pm

  12. I read through it…and I don’t believe it. It’s as ambiguous as the main “plan” is, and a new tactic to try to stop the groundswell of angry Americans. Just as they easily switched and spouted new rhetoric in this particular document, they can switch back (or to something even worse) just as easily. There is nothing written in stone, and they know it! Beware, folks! Keep up the pressure until it *is* written in stone and we KNOW our freedoms and liberties are no longer in danger.

    Comment Anita — June 5, 2006 @ 8:23 pm

  13. This is an appropriate retreat by the USDA considering the volume of our “nays”. Though these unelected bureaucrats don’t fear the voters, they are terrified of having their funding reduced or cut off by congress. Any parasite, at some point if it has any intelligence, has to acknowledge some degree of dependence to its host.

    I firmly agree with the folks that have already commented re not giving any quarter. This document is probably meant to placate us, make us believe that everything is OK now, separate us out from the commercial producers. Then they can work on us separately, or even pit us against each other as a divide and conquer strategy. Wouldn’t it be great for the NAISies to watch the commercial producers and homesteaders squabble over regulatory language?

    I am certain that the goal of NAIS has not changed - just the implementation strategy. The goal is to force the registration, identification, tracking, and surveillance of our real property and private possessions by the state and federal governments. Control of our private property - control of the food supply- control of congress by the largest corporations.

    The implementation strategy will be more covert from now on. They will try to slowly, carefully, implement premises registration. A reversal from the old ” bull in the china shop” approach. We will see more of the ” Drink the koolaid - it’s nice and sweet and good for you ” approach from now on.

    These folks have been working on this program for almost a decade. They badly want our tax dollars to promote their animal id program to the global market. They want all of us to be dependant upon them for our food. The government empire builders want to grow their departments, hire more workers, earn bigger salaries, insure their futures should they have to ever again enter the dreaded privete sector.

    It is up to us to stop them. We must continue to talk about NAIS, educate people about it. Our goal must be to stop any part of any animal id program run by any level of government.

    Comment Paul Horton — June 5, 2006 @ 8:30 pm

  14. I have been making copies of the NoNAIS handout and passing them out everywhere I go. This will not stop that endeavdor.

    Comment Greg Hinkle — June 5, 2006 @ 8:48 pm

  15. I don’t understand something. They said that we wouldn’t need to report our animals when we take them to 4-H, yet later on it said that whenever there is comingling with other animals, it needs to be reported. Isn’t 4-H comingling with animals? They are contradicting themselves. Also, they said that those who raise their own animals from birth to slaughter don’t need to be tracked, yet, most people don’t raise animals from birth to slaughter, they buy the feeder calf and raise it themselves. So, does that mean those animals will need to be tracked? Too many loopholes.

    Comment Susie Shock — June 5, 2006 @ 9:09 pm

  16. Walter,I think that the folks comments above are along the right thought lines,I have been studying the original USDA “draft” all day to know what it says and this new paper is sideways to all that the draft and the NIAA site say is the way that they are going.I think it is meant to throw us off and maybe to sow some misimformation to confuse the issue in the minds of folks we are trying to educate to the facts,lets just keep doing as we have been and not get off track.

    Comment LEE — June 5, 2006 @ 9:40 pm

  17. Double speak big time. I like the part where it says if you take an animal to a fair or a parade you won’t have to report, but then on another page it says if large numbers of animals come together and comingle, that will be a reportable movement. So, that sounds like a fair and most parades to me.
    I do think that the release of this new document indicates some concern on USDA’s part as to how much influence we as small holders can have on industry segments and the general public.

    Comment Joanne Rigutto — June 5, 2006 @ 11:05 pm

  18. I think we have more than enough government control. I believe it is time we start sticking together and marching on Washington till we get recognized and our rights. It worked for other minorities

    Comment Gene Gatts — June 5, 2006 @ 11:29 pm

  19. I just read it seems like they did a lot of backtracking and revisionism from what they had on the web originally. I dont understand the two parts one on page 9 #9 where they write of it NAIS being voluntary and no penalties e.c.t. I thought that a few states already had large fines daily for non compliance. This is all very shady I am certain that it is going to become mandatory and put us all out of buissness in a few years though at this point, I will just go ahead and work hard as I make the best of a small farm when i get home from this deployment at least until my worst fears come to pass, at which point my family will be refugees to a forieghn country.

    Comment jesse napolitano — June 6, 2006 @ 3:00 am

  20. I READ THIS “NEW” DOCUMENT………..KEEP PASSING OUT THOSE FLYERS FOLKS!!

    Comment Lin Gendron — June 6, 2006 @ 5:17 am

  21. SAME, SAME, SAME…….Voluntary IF you don’t want to buy or sell.
    I think USDA is the disease that needs to be tracked.

    Comment David Hannes — June 6, 2006 @ 7:21 am

  22. Just got back from Fiesta Florida Andalusian show in Jacksonville. Handed out a gazillion NoNAIS flyers and put some up on the bulletin boards. People were shocked. People had never heard of NAIS. And these are “informed” animal breeders, not just Jane and Joe Sixpack. Given the sugar-coated swill USDA has just put out to the small producer, I wish I’d handed out even more flyers!!! Get enough people angry about the government pulling the wool over their eyes, and you’ll see a change–big time. Nobody likes to be taken for a fool.

    Comment Eridu Andalusians — June 6, 2006 @ 10:49 am

  23. This was just sent to me by Dr. Mary Zanoni to pass on:

    OUR ANSWER TO THE USDA’s NEW NAIS “GUIDE for SMALL-SCALE or NON-COMMERCIAL PRODUCERS” – WE WILL NOT BE FOOLED!

    By Mary Zanoni, P.O. Box 501, Canton, New York 13617
    315-386-3199 mlz@slic.com

    On June 2, 2006, the USDA released a new document entitled “The National Animal Identification System: A Guide for Small-Scale or Non-Commercial Producers”.

    Now that the concerns of farmers, ranchers and animal owners are finally getting some attention from the USDA, the USDA is trying to undercut opposition by releasing this feel-good, double-talking, misleading document. Here are major points about the Guide that animal owners and farmers must be wary of.

    1. Do not rely on NAIS “Working Groups” to represent your concerns. The USDA is desperately trying to get citizens opposed to NAIS to talk to these working groups. Why? BECAUSE CONGRESS IS THREATENING TO COMPLETELY DE-FUND NAIS AND USDA DESPERATELY WANTS TO STOP CITIZENS FROM CONTACTING CONGRESS – SEE CONTACT YOUR U.S. SENATOR BELOW. Do not bother with these Species Working Groups – They are the same people who sold you out by agreeing to NAIS all along.

    2. USDA’s claim in the GUIDE that NAIS is “voluntary” is just as untruthful as the same claim in the Implementation Plan. Remember, the NAIS Implementation Plan released on April 6, 2006 says that USDA will make NAIS mandatory if they do not get “FULL COMPLIANCE” in the “voluntary” program. It is truly sad to see a government agency proceeding on the assumption that Americans can be fooled by such an obvious ploy. Even now, the USDA is building a giant, federal database with premises information submitted by the states, and states have taken much of that information without informing the animal owners.

    3. USDA for the first time admits that all animal owners will be charged a fee every time they have to report to the Animal Tracking Databases. The Guide states: “Because the animal tracking database infrastructure is still being developed, and it is to be privately held, it is difficult to discuss costs for this part of NAIS with any accuracy. But, because these will be privately held databases, we anticipate that producers will have various options and that competition among databases will help keep costs down.” (Guide, p. 9; emphasis added.) There it is, folks – you can expect that those “private” members of the “public/private partnership” who will have a chokehold on the Animal Tracking Databases will be charging you whatever the traffic will bear, every time you buy, sell, tag, retag, slaughter, etc. etc. every single animal. Oh, and that “competition among databases” that the USDA vaguely hopes might “keep costs down”? Well, one of the first private databases is being constructed by Microsoft, to whom we owe the wonderfully competitive market for computer operating systems and applications software.

    IF THE USDA IS ALLOWED TO CREATE NAIS, IT WILL BE A BOTTOMLESS PIT DOWN WHICH THE FEDS, THE STATES, AND EVERY FARMER AND ANIMAL OWNER IN AMERICA WILL BE FOREVER THROWING CASH

    Here’s how to really send a message to the USDA:

    The U.S. Senate is presently considering funding for the USDA for next year.

    CONTACT YOUR U.S. SENATOR

    with a simple and clear message:

    “TOTALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY DE-FUND USDA’s NAIS (the NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM) NOW”

    Find your senator at www.senate.gov

    Comment walterj — June 6, 2006 @ 2:44 pm

  24. How many people have free minutes and free long distance after 9pm and weekends? In the past, I have always called DC during normal business hours. But Sunday night I tested this and I was able to leave a message for my representatives after hours. Everything that I have read says that phone calls are the best way to get attention. So, lets all storm DC’s switchboards with simple but very clear messages as per Mary Zanoni’s request…CONTACT YOUR U.S. SENATOR with a simple and clear message: “TOTALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY DE-FUND USDA’s NAIS (the NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM) NOW”
    Find your senator at www.senate.gov
    Note: if calling after hours, recorder will prompt you to leave your full name and mailing address prior to your message.

    Comment Mary — June 7, 2006 @ 7:45 am

  25. Sugar coated b***** still has the same aroma and flavor. If you sell at auction you need a premise id? How many horses are raised and stay at birth location? Nice try, USDA, but I’m not believing you.

    Comment george — June 7, 2006 @ 3:27 pm

  26. As easily as the USDA came out with this modified version to quite the storm,and it will be even easier when they reverse this version.

    Comment sharon mehler — June 7, 2006 @ 8:19 pm

  27. Yep, same old stuff, different day. The only people who get any NAIS “protection” according to this are the hardcore homesteader who consumes all livestock on premises. Any sales make you “commercial” and shove you back into the same area as Tyson, without the benefit of the mass quantity discount.

    Comment Kamatu — June 8, 2006 @ 5:48 am

  28. I think we need to vote out any congressmen who are not actively fighting NAIS. Would it be possible to start a list of replies that people have received? In Kentucky, Jim Bunning is in favor of NAIS so he has lost my vote. Mitch McConnell has expressed “interest” but has not made his postition known.

    Remember the USDA is the same organization that declared one teaspoon of ketchup constitutes a serving of vegetables with regard to school lunches

    Comment George — June 8, 2006 @ 3:32 pm

  29. They’re saying “the information concerning animal movement and location data will be held in multiple, secure databases managed by private organizations and state animal health authorities.” Did any of you hear about the huge database of veterans’ information that was just compromised on a stolen laptop computer? Hello? How can they guarantee that the database will be secure?

    Comment Ginny in TN — June 8, 2006 @ 4:12 pm

  30. Ginny, they can’t guarantee that any information in the databases is secure. You’re right about the veterans’ information, and just last night (June 9) on the news, there was another story about even more personal information stolen from yet another D.C. database! Folks, do we want to have our private, personal information out there for the same thing to happen yet again - as it surely will??!! As soon as the “Gov’t” or the “tech world” comes up with a new and improved “SECURE” system, the hackers are already busy figuring out ways to crack it. DATABASES ARE NOT SECURE!!!

    Comment FarmerSid — June 10, 2006 @ 10:33 am

  31. Dont forget in the race to cut costs and increase profitability the “private” contractors might very well have really poor secruity to begin with. Nowhere in any of the government NAIS documentation are there any referrences to any act or legislation meant to enforce proper security of information or what would happen to the “private” contractors if their security were to be breached or they were to have a leak of this collected information.

    As far as security goes, anything connected to the internet no matter how techologically advanced or diligently guarded is open for attack. Having a requirement to have wireless readers to send information to the databases is also an even bigger security weakness. Anybody with a wireless internet connection who lives next to a heard of cattle could use a RF scanner to pick up information being sent back and forth between the reader and the RFID chips. Then its just a matter of time and inclination before something happens.

    Comment Jolly Sapper — June 10, 2006 @ 6:16 pm

  32. “Will you walk into my parlor, said the spider to the fly….” Don’t take the bait, folks. This says you won’t have to report movements if you show animals at the local fairs & 4-H. Funny, I seem to recall being told by a Univesity of MN edu person at a meeting in Milaca, MN last month that, since 4H is under USDA, it will be mandatory to register. And what happens if you win and go on to State or National level? Then you have to register and report? Better not raise a champion anymore.

    And if, as this says, private swaps of birds are not reported, does that mean I can swap a bird at a fair? Or is that commercial? What if I met the owner at the fair but we swapped our chickens at the side of the road outside the fairgrounds? Is that private?

    Also, this whole was VERY repetitious — almost as if they were trying to fill it out to make it seem longer and more impressive. How many times do they have to say, over and over, that this is for disease control, yada yada, yada. Once is enough… And NOWHERE in this brochure does it even MENTION the goal of having 100% mandatory participation by 2008 (or is it 2009? I keep seeing both dates…) I will not believe it is voluntary until I see that stated as a PERMANENT part of the program — not of this “at this time” crap.

    Comment rooster-lover — June 11, 2006 @ 11:52 am

  33. The following link from the Weston A. Price Foundation contains the best critique of the USDA “NAIS Guidance for Small-Scale Farmers and Ranchers” document that I’ve seen to date.

    link

    - Greg Lilley

    Comment Greg Lilley — June 12, 2006 @ 7:55 am

  34. It is obviously sugar coating for the pill - and the reason that they keep saying ‘disease control’ over and over and over again is that if you repeat a lie often enough and loudly enough, you will eventually prevail. It is obvious to anyone who thinks about this even a little bit that RFID can have no impact on disease control whatever.

    Going to a meeting to fight this stuff? Do you really want your questions answered, and make your points?

    LinkText gives you some insight into the way this stuff is crammed down people’s throats, and some info which will help you fight.

    Forewarned is forearmed …

    Comment Lynn — July 22, 2006 @ 1:07 pm

  35. Hmmm … didn’t get that link quite right, but here’s the way it should be - Delphi

    Check it out. We need all the help we can get.

    Comment Lynn — July 22, 2006 @ 1:08 pm

  36. Here i have a messege for you folks from the land down under and by that i mean Australia where we have something like your NAIS for our cattle. Dont! Dont let them do this to you. It is a disaster here. We are having major problems with our system. Ranchers are getting ****ed over by the government and put out of busness and the system has filled up with nonexistant animal records and the buyers are using the sysstem to cheet the ranchers. It is bad bad bad! Dont let them do this to you in your country.

    Comment Maurice — September 16, 2006 @ 4:01 am

  37. Dont get suckered in by the government guides. They just want to placate and pascify. Sheeple everywhere.

    Comment Edward Joanason — June 4, 2008 @ 3:30 am

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