There is an upcoming NAIS Town Meeting in Berks County, PA on Monday, July 17 at 7:00 pm at the Berks Agricultural Center. Dr. Mary Zanoni is scheduled to speak, as well as Ron Miller of the PA Dept. of Agriculture. The organizers of the event are also trying to schedule a USDA official to attend in addition to the already scheduled Mary Zanoni and Ron Miller. Neil Hammerschmidt and Dr. John Weimans of the USDA will also be there.
[Ask Mr. Hammerschmidt about his interview with NoNAIS.org… I submitted my questions months ago and keep getting put off with promises of soon… -WJ]
Berks County PA is located near Reading, PA and our Ag Center address is Leesport, PA. The Ag Center is located just north of the Reading Airport on County Welfare Road (off route 183). Directions are here.
I’m going to try to be at this meeting.
There is also another meeting to be held on July 13 at 7 PM at the Boots and Saddle Riding Club in Allentown sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Horse Council. Here’s the contact info:
> Boots & Saddles
> 2850 Fish Hatchery Rd.
> Allentown, PA 18104
> 610-797-2922
Comment Barbara — July 9, 2006 @ 6:59 am
Barbara, I put up a notice to post tomorrow on the front page with a map of how to get there. Take flyers. You can find some in the right sidebar of http://NoNAIS.org in Sample Flyers and at http://NoNAIS.org/handout if you need some ready made up. I can customize the address if you need it to show your own, just let me know asap.
Comment walterj — July 9, 2006 @ 10:25 am
Walter; the only problem (for me) with the new comment box is that there is now a lot of blank space before the comments appear. I have to scroll waaaay down to see the comments. Nut I’m sure that you will fix this soon. (Or maybe it’s just my rubber band driven computer which is causing this).
Thanks for the Berks announcement. When I first contacted you about our meeting, we did not have a USDA official scheduled to speak. But the addition of Hammerschmidt and Weimans (of the USDA) changed that.
All readers…these are some very heavy hitters who are coming to this meeting. If you can possibly attend, you should consider doing so.
Comment Neil W. — July 9, 2006 @ 1:39 pm
See this article about the meeting. (Thanks, Randi.)
Comment walterj — July 18, 2006 @ 6:59 pm
If you go to the Pa.against NAIS sidebar there is an article about Berks Co./Pa meeting in there.
Comment LEE — July 19, 2006 @ 4:59 pm
I can only shake my head at folks who think this is a food safety issue,”IT AIN’T SO” if you don’t believe it go and check out some of the USDA s own press releases,its a tracking/control progam period!I personally worked in a large slaughterhouse in Ohio when I was younger(26 years ago) and I keep in touch,even back then when a govt insp.was actually there and present,(we processed 1000’s of head a day with a couple inspectors in the plant) they were considered a joke ,things went on that shouldn’t have ,but they did,and we were all “informed” to do our “jobs” and keep one eye open for the inspector, most times things were ok,but if any of you folks think that the USDA stamp on meat products means a thing then I’m sorry to burst your bubble,but USDA DOES NOT inspect but a miniscule fraction of the meat sold in this country,and NOW they are planning even further cutbacks on any food safety testing/inspection. Any food safety in meat products is a wonderfull accident,not an intentional act that can be credited to the govt( I want to say also that there are some great people who work as inspectors,who try,but have their hands tied by higherups)I’ve seen some shocking stuff go into packages,thats the main reason I raise my own meat,look at all the e-coli(poop) tainted meat that USDA let Con-agra process into chili and sauces (its all on-line,look it up)NAIS is a money maker for NIAA and their like,and have you noticed how many personel Big Ag and USDA swap? Bottom line is: NAIS is not going to help anybodys food be safer!
Comment LEE — July 19, 2006 @ 5:32 pm
Walt, Theres an article today by Libby Quaid (AP)Washington Post about “The Great Leader” Mr, Johanns,dated 7/20/06 3:03PM pertaining to cutting back on BSE tests,infact,slashing them almost to nothing,also statements by him and a few others,and Johannes saying that BSE testing does’nt have a thing to to with safe food and that there is not ,nor has been any significant threat of BSE in the USA!the article can be found at factoryfarm.org after you open the story about the “well contamination” lawsuit in upper left column,I know he has said stuff like this before but here it is in one place,those out there who think this is about food safety ,like I said “IT AINT SO”
Comment LEE — July 20, 2006 @ 3:55 pm
Factoryfarm.org is a good website. It cheered me up a little. There is some good news out there, though nothing will be as good as when NAIS folds.
Johanns sounds like a total jerk! Does he think EVERYONE IS as STUPID AS HE SOUNDS!
WOW he’s got to be a little unstable, how does someone make comments like that and be in charge of our food supply. Only under the Bush administration!
I may be a bit of a neurotic person at times but Mr Johanns sounds really dangerous. REALLY DANGEROUS
Comment irene — July 20, 2006 @ 11:21 pm
SPAM DELETED
Comment Sibatore — February 21, 2007 @ 2:57 pm