The USDA’s proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS) 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 have contacted:
NFFC
Land Stewardship Project
Farm Aid
GRACE
To see if we can for a mutual alliance with R-Calf,
If we can make our “voice” loud enough. We will be heard.
Maybe the Organic Consumers Assoc. and the Farmers Union will help.
Let’s see if we can rally the troops!
Comment Linda Grant — February 14, 2006 @ 5:31 pm
More government never solves anything-rather the reserve,in fact. Can’t we just be left alone already? Any more regulation and none of us are going to have any time or money for our “real” lives! Let’s fight this now.
Comment Charla Gipson — February 20, 2006 @ 12:45 pm
Dear Mr. Jeffries,
I really enjoyed reading your web site, and I hope that you might lend me a hand. I’m a current law student who is interested in investigating the impact of the humane slaughter laws on small and large farmers for a paper in an Animal Law course. From what I’ve read, the law is not effectively enforced, particularly on large factory farms.
At this stage, I have no notion of where the paper is going to go — what I hope to do is to gain an understanding of the law from the perspective of small farmers and to get a sense of the degree to which these laws perhaps pose far more of a problem for small famrers, like yourself, than for larger farmers. Sorry — a rather long message, but let me know if you have any advice for my research.
Thanks so much for any help!
Sincerely,
Lauren S. Weldon
lweldon@law.harvard.edu
Comment Lauren Weldon — March 3, 2006 @ 7:33 am
Hi Lauren,
I would suggest googling “Temple Grandin” humane slaughter. She is the master. Study at her feet. :)
-Walter
Comment walterj — March 4, 2006 @ 9:30 am
It’s Grandin.
For the most on slaughter as it applies to horses the equineprotectionnetwork is the place to start.
http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/
[Oops! Thanks for catching the typo! -WJ]
Comment Sue Foster — March 4, 2006 @ 9:49 am
My husband and I are cow-horse folks and we live on a small acreage farm where we intend to raise our own beef, our own chickens for eggs and meat, our own organic produce and of course our well-bred cow-horses. We were appalled to hear about this from our cutting club. If enough of us stand together and refuse to do this (should it pass), don’t you think that the government will get the message? You can’t prosecute everyone! In the meantime we certainly intend to write to all congressmen, representatives, etc to oppose this INSANE law!! Keep up the good work. I am printing flyers and will do what I can to alert the small farmers/ranchers in our area!
Carolyn Kiesz - on the Palouse, in Eastern WA.
Comment Carolyn Kiesz — March 7, 2006 @ 5:04 pm
Dear USDA Persons,
The public is tired of paying high prices for things we have no control over. But, we can vote to stop this type of
action to be removed. We are tired
of you thinking that we do not pay attention to what is going on. We do, and wwe are
very much concerned about the daily action placed upon the average working people and retired people. We can not take anymore tax raises or
high prices on the food. You will keep on doing these ugly things to people and the peole of America will not purchase the meat.
Thank you for listening, Nan B. Rone
Comment Nan B. Rone — March 10, 2006 @ 7:33 am
Perhaps it is time for all of the politicians currently in office to take a hike.
Please remove yourselves from your current positions so that honest, caring, decent and respectable people can assume your jobs.
You are concerned with issues such as the National Animal ID program when are borders are open to illegal aliens and terrorists, corruption in government, deception in government, deceit in government, our hard-earned money going to foreign countries without are consent, when in fact, our economy is collapsing, jobs are being out-sourced, and companies are moving over seas for the cheap labor, favoritism of contracts to the criminals in government - and let me take a breath here - need I go on??
Quite frankly, I am thoroughly disgusted and very very disappointed with the current politics in this country and the people in public office, who could care less about us I might add. You morons work for us and it’s time we fired you and hired new people.
Wake up America, you are losing your country and your rights as provided for in the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.
TIME TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TAKE A STAND!
Comment Roberta E. Kish — March 10, 2006 @ 11:15 am
Dear Sirs and Madames,
I am very much apposed to the NAIS and it’s action to force every pet owner to register their Horse etc. It is an unecessary cost and goverment burden. Further more it is no one’s business how many animals I have as long as they are well cared for!
Vote no NAIS!
Lisa Palmer
Comment Lisa Palmer — March 11, 2006 @ 4:57 pm
I think keeping track of where the cattle comes from in order to keep our food supplies safe is a good thing. But as always the government is going about it all wrong. There’s no need to keep track of all the other animals or to charge anyone big or small for registering their livestock—isn’t the time involved enough of a cost?? Besides which our taxes are high enough to cover the expense of the program. Afterall Washington seems to have no problem paying for their agendas.
Comment Scott Chase — March 13, 2006 @ 11:15 pm
My first impression of this site is that it suffers from global conspiracy disorder. IE, the government has found a new way to screw me. Perhaps there could be references to documents from the USDA or laws and their exact code that support the obvious paranoia of the government using rfid tags. In advance, I am an individual and not someone to be subjected to global conspiracy disorder.
Comment Joe Jared — March 16, 2006 @ 1:58 am
What is the statute (U.S. Code) behind this? Likewise, where are the implementing regulations (CFR)?
This sounds unconstitutional as a violation of equal protection, or class legislation. Have you sought an injunction?
Comment Walter — March 16, 2006 @ 8:24 am
Hi Walter (who is not me!)
Ah, so who are the traitors, er, I mean legislators behind this ugly piece of legislation? Check out Democrat Senator Patrick Leahy who I am ashamed to say is from Vermont and I have voted for him in the past. No more.
The next sponsor is Republican Senator Arlen Spector from Pennsylvania.
Read this article for more details.
The Patriot Act which just got renewed is another part of the puzzle. For more info on the authorization on NAIS see this document.
Cheers,
-WalterJ
in Vermont
Comment walterj — March 16, 2006 @ 8:59 am
Joe, There are links to the USDA government documents for the draft NAIS regulations. Check out the right hand sidebar in the Technical Documents. This is not a conspiracy disorder. It is reality, coming soon to a state near you. -WalterJ
Comment walterj — March 16, 2006 @ 11:06 am
This is terrible. The goevernment needs to regulate beef and other foods coming into our country and leave us the hell alone!!!!
Comment Kent Guillory — March 18, 2006 @ 8:57 am
I will not cooperate with this. Period. End of discussion. If anyone else wants to do it, then have at it. I have dogs and I REFUSE to go along with this. I have (among other rights) THE RIGHT TO BE LEFT ALONE.
Comment charlene — March 20, 2006 @ 6:56 pm
IF fram anamils are being taged what will be next! will we have to tag our dogs,cats,fish, and other home pets as well. I call this messed up. I dont feel that this is a law to be passed our lifes will be forever changed. we already are controlled. If you do that you arent going to have many frammers nor people with pets. what will become of our lives a mans best friend will now be a mans preaproved with a bill in the mail.
Comment noland/Hassenzahl — March 25, 2006 @ 5:23 pm
I understand where this is coming from in regard to people who breed animals to sell. I do think that if you are distributing your animals or their products to other people they should be traceable. Especially purebred animals. However, if animals are not tattooed or tagged in an identifiable manner, chances are, unless you are sell a very large amount of animals or are at every single fair or show no one will even notice. People who don’t care to register their animals will not care much for this anyway, and will disobey. It’s true that they will not prosecute everyone. Because without farmers, no one eats. That includes government officials. They aren’t immortal even if they think so.
I see the purpose of the law, but I don’t think it needs to apply to anyone besides purebred breeders and large-scale commercial farms.
Comment Ryou-Sama — April 3, 2006 @ 12:54 pm
this is the most useful and well done blog i have ever seen. you must spend an increadible amount of time on it. when do you find time to live life?
Comment clara — April 12, 2006 @ 7:26 am
Another meeting at the capital….
On Tuesday, there was a public hearing on the subject of Premise ID at the state capital. Anyone who wanted to could sign up for a time slot of two minutes, during which they would have the opportunity to speak in front of the R……
Trackback Sugar Mountain Kid — April 13, 2006 @ 6:10 pm
I live in Idaho, have no farm animals (livestock), but did check out our state ag site. It was pretty much non-voluntary here as they registered premises without owners even knowing. They seem to be planning RFID’s for each premise in the future. Farmers who raise livestock which will leave the premises are mainly the target in this state. Not dogs, not backyard chickens, not pleasure horses. But I can tell you that current info is hard to come by. Everything I could find out was dated before Sept. 05. Idaho is a brand state and it was easy for them to register premises by that info. I think they have about 13,500 premises registered in Idaho. There are a lot more premises in this state that have farm animals. My neighbors have chickens, I have a few guineas that wandered on my place six years ago, eveyone here raises a few hens for eggs. They aren’t being bothered by this law….yet.
Comment IdaNut — April 13, 2006 @ 7:45 pm
Kudo’s on your site. Really cool!
Comment shower curtains — April 15, 2006 @ 10:37 am
You have a very inspiring site out here.
Comment bad breath — April 16, 2006 @ 4:46 am
I am opposed to an animal id system, as it will not prevent any disease only hinder the efforts os small farmers. Only good and relilable information can help prevent disease, not this proposed system that would only hurt small farmers.
Comment Geraldine R. Coleman — April 18, 2006 @ 7:40 am
Everyone in the USA; It would appear that the Iowa Congressional Body, has “BLOCKED” my email address, as I can “No LONGER” send emails to “ANY” Iowa Member of the Congressional Body..
I have tried 3 times tonight, all came back “refused.”
Isn’t it wonderful to know how much Our State “Congressional Body members” Love and Care for “We the People, and what we have to say to them?”
God Bless America!
Dean Ayers
Glenwood, Iowa
DeanAFOSI@aol.com
Comment DeanAFOSI (IOWA) — April 18, 2006 @ 5:47 pm
I’ve heard all the fuss about the problems with the “undocumented” in this country and I had NO idea I was guilty of employing one. I guess I better go get Bessie, my Mule, a legal status and papers post haste. To hear them on the news, its a real problem the government has lost all control over!!! What will they think up next. . . Obviously, nothing to deal with REAL issues!!!
Comment Carole A. Bryan — April 20, 2006 @ 7:42 pm
This is more sinister than people imagine. Registration carries the possibility of confiscation. In an emergency, say bird flu, that causes a breakdown in the food supply, where are people in Seattle, LA, Dallas etc going to get their food? From you. Our government is heading down the road of fascism. Confiscation and criminalization of farmers has happened before and can happen again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulak
Comment jeff kline — April 23, 2006 @ 9:44 am
Jeff, you are absolutely right! And people refuse to see this as any more than getting a license for their dog! When in the past has that ever led to surprise gov’t inspections, confiscation and culling, seizing of private property, etc? NEVER. Maybe it’s coming for dogs and cats as well. Our heritage is being killed off one cut at a time and the blood is flowing faster. Wish everyone could see it. To use a partial Bible phrase, “… when they cry peace and safety…” then it hits. I suppose heritage just doesn’t mean what it used to anymore to most people.
Comment Cynthia B. — April 23, 2006 @ 4:11 pm
In Revelation 13:16-18, the Bible says that there would come a time when a powerful leader would force people to receive a “mark” on or in their right hand or forehead, and that no one would be able to buy or sell unless they had that mark.
How close is are we as humans to receiving the mark? Its happening to animals. When we will be forced to take an implant micro chip under our skin?
Luke 21:29-31
He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
Comment Sandy Brewster — April 24, 2006 @ 7:59 am
Great Site!!!! I just read about the NAIS bill in this month’s issue of Hobby Farms. My wife and I had no idea this was even in the works. We live on a small 5 acre farm, with horses, chickens, dogs, cats, etc. We are outraged about this. We are going to do everything we can to voice our opinion.
Comment Edward Anderson — April 25, 2006 @ 2:10 pm
I would like to think we could actually stop this. But, we are no longer “One Nation Under God”, our government has seen to that already, NO prayer in schools- no crosses on federal properties- This just brings us one step closer to losing the freedom we have known and enjoyed! Unless we WAKE UP- America and STOP our government NOW… instead of animals it WILL be us and everything is geared to happen all between 2009-2012! This is within OUR life time! We must UNITE!
Comment Gail Roland — May 12, 2006 @ 4:22 pm
Some of the comments on this site are much too paranoid, but I agree, NAIS won’t solve anything and who’s going to pay for it? Us!
Comment Bob — May 15, 2006 @ 12:49 pm
Just cause some people are paranoid doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem or a threat.
Comment Jolly Sapper — May 17, 2006 @ 8:26 pm
better to be paranoid
than duped
Comment sid sargent — May 18, 2006 @ 7:04 am
This is outrageous, we live in the United States of America.
We are not a communist country. We are entitled to our privacy and our way of life without reporting our every move to the “U.S.of A.” government. This country came to be because of the need of freedom of choice. It needs to stay that way. I for one want my privacy! Thank you,
Tammy DeLaire
Comment Tammy DeLaire — June 4, 2006 @ 9:33 am
I also have a small farm with cows, Horse and chickens, which we get our eggs. This will not only effect us but the family feed stores and all suppliers of farm equipment. If this comes thru we are all selling out and go fishing for out meat caus we aint buying beef, chicken or pork
Comment Ray Taylor — June 4, 2006 @ 8:11 pm
Time to kick these supposed leaders out of office!
Comment Yonda — June 12, 2006 @ 2:48 pm
The last thign we need is more regulations. Stop this bs now.
Comment Nikolas — June 12, 2006 @ 2:49 pm
Nais is an abomination. It is a trashing of our cherished rights and privacy. It is government gone made and big business greed run amuk.
Comment paul — June 22, 2006 @ 9:57 am
I was under the impression that Arlen Spector didn’t really care about the constitution, afterall it seems he’s all for stripping americans of thier rights to privacy (ie. NAIS), property rights, right to grow thier own food, etc etc.
A statement from the
Transcript: Sen. Specter, Rep. King on ‘FNS’ Foxnews.com
link
WALLACE: I don’t want to get too much into the weeds, and I want to bring Congressman King into this, but you did say something there that I thought was — several things I thought were interesting. One was that you indicate that the White House may be willing to submit the NSA warrantless wiretap program to the FISA court?
SPECTER: Well, we’re having a lot of conversations about that. After the vice president and I exchanged some letters, he said he was serious about discussions. We’ve had discussions. And I’ve talked to ranking officials in the White House, and we’re close.
I’m not making any predictions until you have it all nailed down, but I think there is an inclination to have it submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and that would be a big step forward for protection of constitutional rights and civil liberties.
What the Hell is wrong with our government!
I think the war in the middle east, which seems to be based on nothing but lies, is a distraction to strip this country of its’ constitution. Not only that, Dubai got our ports, they just brought the middle eastern executive into the american company and made them executive president or something. Have to find the article but thats’ pretty much what i gathered.
NO SECURITY, NO MONEY, NO CONSTITUTION, We are ripe and ready for ……….
Comment irene — June 26, 2006 @ 10:19 am
I’D LIKE TO ADD….WHERE THE HELL DOES OUR GOVERNMENT GET OFF GIVING THE NSA, USA WIRETAPPING INFO FOR REVIEW? TALK ABOUT HAVING NO PRIVACY, HE’S LITERALLY SELLING THE PERSONAL INFORMATION OF THE US CITIZENS TO A FORGEIN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY! NEXT THEY WILL PLACE THE TALIBAN IN CHARGE OF IT. THIS PRESIDENT IS DOING SOME REALLY DANGEROUS, TREASON-LIKE THINGS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT NAIS IS UNAMERICAN AND I ACCUSE MR. BUSH AND THE WHITE HOUSE OF TREASON ALONG WITH MONSANTO, USDA, FDA AND CARGILL. THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIGH CRIMES AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND IT’S CONSITUTION!
Comment irene — June 27, 2006 @ 3:20 pm
I’M MAD AS HELL AND I DON’T WANT TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!
Comment irene — June 27, 2006 @ 3:22 pm
NAIS is the government’s way of making all of us dependent on it. They fear independent people. So they want to strip away our privacy so that they can always see what we are doing and they want to strip away our rights so they can always control what we are doing and they want to strip away our ability to raise our own food so they can control us by starving us. This is what the Russians did. History repeats.
Comment Sylvester Alino — June 28, 2006 @ 4:08 am
I suppose that I am very ‘trusting’, but I would appreciate it much if any one could explain why the gov’t…and WHOM in the gov’t…. would want to gain so much control over us here in the ‘good old USA’? To whose benefit would it ultimately be….I know someone is ‘laughing’ right now at me…that’s OK…but just let me know, OK? Thank you!!! I’m eager to learn whatever you have out there!!!
Comment Lynn Maust — June 28, 2006 @ 10:29 am
I would start with all our “treaties” with UN. Then there is the Federal Reserve Banking system and the Tri-lateral commission. You will begin to see a pattern of names. This isn’t just “our” government, but global. A New World Order…
Comment LuAnn — June 28, 2006 @ 12:12 pm
Dear LuAnn,
Thanks for the insight…am aware of the NWO orgs and goals to some extent…
Comment lynn from Bedford, Pa — June 29, 2006 @ 9:14 am
NAIS is the last thing we need in this country.
It won’t help with security. It will just punish the good.
It won’t help with food quality. It will just reward the big mediocra producers at factory farms.
It won’t help with sustainability. It will just destroy small farms and reward big polluters.
It won’t help with animal disease. NAIS does not prevent disease. It is after the fact tracking.
What NAIS will do is destroy small livexstock producers and make the big ones richer.
H.W.
Comment Hank W. — June 29, 2006 @ 3:12 pm
Lynn, here is a link to a good explanation of the history of the NWO. You could use examples here to do research forever. Fourteen years ago, I actually went to the library and documented many, many of these quotes. The best source is right from the horse’s mouth. I never wanted to base my information on heresay. I have heard a lot of dynamite quotations bandied about, but I don’t feel comfortable quoting something I can’t verify. The government document section of a good library is the best place to get what verification you can.
It’s all about control of us by the international elite (international includes people in our own country), whether it is just a game with them, or their insecurities. I guess they fear being passed by on the ladder to the top of the heap, by others who are more ambitious. It crosses both political parties, and, in my opinion, the profane (the “inner circle’s” word for us) will never understand as long as they cling to what either party says. Demos do tell the truth about Repubs, just not about their party. Repubs do tell the truth about Demos, just not about their party. If it wasn’t true, one or the other party would be screaming from the rooftops things such as NAIS, the blending of North America, the REAL reasons we go to war, and on and on. They appear to be on opposite sides, but every time something important is proposed toward the shredding of our constitution or the furtherance of the loss of our sovereignty, they somehow manage to put aside their differences and approve it. Many, including Ron Paul, already believe we have, in effect, a national ID legislation that has passed, but if they felt the need to pass a straight-out national ID law, after a respectable amount of arguing, it would pass by both parties. Whether they are aware of the destructive legislation they vote for before it is voted on, whether they don’t read the legislation before the vote, whether they knuckle under to pressure or intimidation, or whether they vote where the money is — they are guilty. The only reason those 535 folks are in D.C. is to defend the constitution.
This started out to be a short comment, but I guess you’ll know me better than that by now. I have used this website to voice my opinions on Big Government, but I was so excited when I first saw other people commenting on our out-of-control Big Government, that I just couldn’t help myself. I hope I have provided a few links to good info, and that I won’t be blackballed.
www.constitution.org/col/cuddy_nwo.htm
I hope that when we stop the NAIS, Walter will still continue to be our hero and let us use this website to roll up our sleeves and work on other issues.
Comment Texas Goat Gal — June 29, 2006 @ 4:51 pm
The sooner the better to do library research. I have a library of my own of books that are being tossed out by libraries, on varied topics, written 30-70 years ago. This has been going on for at least 14 years, that I know of. It would seem they want the evidence that proves where we DON’T want our country to go, out of the libraries.
Comment Texas Goat Gal — June 29, 2006 @ 5:11 pm
America’s “human resources” are now molded, measured and monitored according to global standards for educational outcomes, “mental health,” “service learning,” and training for a global workforce.
“Our objective will require a change in the prevailing culture—the attitudes, values, norms, and accepted ways of doing things.”2 (Mark Tucker, the mastermind behind school-to-work)
A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced because they love their servitude….[2] Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
Comment LuAnn — June 30, 2006 @ 8:42 am
Thank you for the well written explinations of things. The USDA docs are too inpenerable to read.
Comment annacoranna — July 2, 2006 @ 2:37 am
NAIS is the worst idea I have ever heard of from our government. All it does is profit big farms at the expens of small ones and regular people. Or is that business as usual?????
Comment Andy — July 11, 2006 @ 4:17 pm
NAIS is an abomination.
I will not comply.
Comment Agatha — July 13, 2006 @ 4:29 am
USDA claims it will have and that it needs 100 percent compliance for NAIS. There is no way in this universe that they will ever be able to come close to possibly achieving that goal. They are setting themselves up for failure. That is bad policy. Stupid policy. Programs should be designed to succeed, not to fail.
Fact is they do not need 100 percent compliance. All they need for export is compliance within the people who export. Since the exporters want it because their buyers demand it they will do it. No big deal. No need to make NAIS mandatory for the exporters.
If domestic buyers want animal trace back then they’ll ask for and and producers will provide it. That is the way markets work. The USDA needs to study basic economics.
Small farmers selling directly to their customers do not need to have trace back or animal id because they already have this. They are also not a threat to spreading disease to people or even realistically to other animals. We have programs already that work and it is a waste of money to force NAIS on them.
Homesteaders and pet owners certainly don’t need animal id and trace back. It is a absurd waste of time and money to force it on these people.
NAIS is really for one group - wholesale big producers and their buyers. Let them pay for it. Let them have it. Keep the government out of it.
Comment Margot — July 13, 2006 @ 8:44 am
This is just more big brother that is going to drive up our taxes increase our prices make for more wars and turn our country over to the rich corporations. If this goes through there will be blood in the streets.
Comment Dan — July 17, 2006 @ 1:36 pm
I am a student. I want to go into animal husbandry. But this N.A.I.S. program is making me change my mind. It looks to me like I would have to work for a big corporation in a factory farm or I would have to do a pet practice. I wanted to do big livestock for small farms. We are already losing our small farms in our state. We are now under 1000 small farms. N.A.I.S. will just make this wors. It makes me sad.
Comment Jaime — July 17, 2006 @ 5:00 pm
this just plain sucks!!! one more way for big brother to keep an eye on law abiding citizens backed up by city people who don’t know any thing and there is more of them than us
Comment mike — July 17, 2006 @ 9:08 pm
Hi Walter…….I read that our local (Brattleboro, VT) NAIS public hearing is Aug. 15th. Now our paper is saying Aug. 10th. I can’t seem to find a listing at the VT USDA site. Do you know for sure? Pardon my paranoia, but it wouldn’t surprise me that multiple dates are being spread around to reduce the numbers of people showing up! Yikes! Does that make me certifiable??!!
[Here is the NoNAIS.org article on the topic of the hearings and within that there is a link to the VTAoA site with the schedule. Do go and do spread the word. Cheers, -WJ]
Comment treah — July 23, 2006 @ 7:23 am
I just wanted to thank you for all the great stuff you do on this site!
Comment Ellie — July 25, 2006 @ 1:27 pm
If the USDA shows up at my ranch they are the ones wholl be getting tagged. There is an aweful lot of fertilizer out there.
Comment Tyrell — July 28, 2006 @ 9:31 pm
NAIS is more wasted tax dollars. Both the rebubbacans and dumacrats are ruining our country with this sort of garbage. Europe has already been destroyed by this sort of lame lawmaking and regulations that stifle creativity and destroy people’s independent thinking. We are headed down that same path. Vote the idiots out of office!
Comment Walker — July 30, 2006 @ 2:37 pm
Stop this no nesense before it goes too far. They will take away all of your rights, your privacy, your property. You will end up as slaves of the governemtn. Everthing falls to the lowest level. There will be no incentive for people to work. Your childrens future is at stake.
Comment Anders — July 31, 2006 @ 10:46 am
NAIS is just one more big government program. It will waste our money and take away our freedoms one little bit more. America, land of the lost.
Comment Brian — August 8, 2006 @ 2:57 pm
What people need to do is stop paying money into the system. Starve the government. Starve the big businesses. If you stop buying stuff then you aren’t paying either of these aweful groups - no sales and no sales tax. They will shrivel up and die. The econimists will claim that the economy is tanking but the reality is we’ll be fine raising our own food.
Comment Greg Hammerdt — August 8, 2006 @ 7:21 pm
What is NAIS? It is a waste of time and money. It is a distraction from the real fight against disease. It is a way that politicians and the big marketers can put off responsibility while shafting the small producers and making the public think they have protected them from the big bad diseases. None of it is real. We have the National Livestock Id System here in Australia and it is maddening for those of us who must deal with it. It is extra work and costs with no return for us. Some of us are trying to overturn it but I don’t think we will succeed. Once they have their fingers around our throats and hands in our pockets they’ll never let go.
Comment Elly — August 9, 2006 @ 3:34 pm
Don’t let them put this through in your country. We have this sort of thing here in Europe and it is destroying the lives of small faremers. You can’t keep your own livestock now without huge amounts of paper work and government permission and rigggermarol.
Comment Anna — August 12, 2006 @ 11:40 am
This is the last thing we need.
More government is trouble.
Comment David — August 12, 2006 @ 12:18 pm
This country is going down the tubes fast with over governmnent at every turn.
Comment Thomas — August 12, 2006 @ 5:22 pm
This is all garbage. There is noway they can do this to us. Our rights are protected by the constitution of the united states of america. The corts would throw this out in a blink of an eye.
Comment Sherry — August 22, 2006 @ 5:53 pm
NAIS is a funndimental violation of our rights and liberties to be people. The president should be assamed!
Comment Kenny — August 22, 2006 @ 6:53 pm
Well, if you guys hadn’t picked on us Canadians so much about BSD, I bet NAIS would never have even crossed anyone’s mind before. ;) If you guys are so serious about not wanting things like BSD running rampant, you do need to be able to track your animals in some way. Or are you afraid of having something like BSD being tracked back to YOUR farm? What are you really protesting here? Hmmm?
Comment Canadian, eh — August 23, 2006 @ 4:35 pm
Wow, you don’t get it do you. NAIS does nothing for BSE. BSE is created when you feed cows to your cows. If you stopped doing that which you are not supposed to under law in both the USA and in Canada then you would not have problems with BSE. Get a clue.
Comment Dale — August 23, 2006 @ 5:13 pm
Please be sure to use correct spelling when you type your comments. Let’s not reinforce the “dumb farmer” stereotype. Thanks.
Comment Steve — August 24, 2006 @ 7:57 am
What we have here in America is a basic misunderstanding of history,of who we are and what this nation is.We are constantly told that we live in a democracy,and that it is the people who rule;Not true,as you know ,we the people generally have very little imput into the political process,(although we should make our voices heard)the only democracy that exists is in congress where they get together and support whoever has the deepest pockets and the loudest voice,we are supposed to be in a constitutional republic under the rule of law(The Constitution)that protected the individual from the tyranny of the masses(democracy)under this system the weakest members of society were protected even if all the majority “voted” that said weakling should be persecuted,did it always work,no. but it was by far better than the alternatives,now our so called leaders spout about democracy and then ignore the will of the people,so we do not even have a democracy, much less a constitutional republic,this nation is not supposed to be like all the others,we are supposed to be different,we are supposed to be a beacon of hope and of liberty,personal liberty,for our people and anyone else that wants to join us in liberty,perfect? no,but respecting the libertys of all folks is a great ideal,we as Americans,a union of states that were each to retain their sovereignty but to work together for the benefit of all have been asleep for many years ,we independent types were overtaken by a new way of thinking that is not in harmony with the independent spirit that we all know,the new attitude is not for personal liberty,but instead expects others namely the govt to solve all of the problems that they face,to provide food, clothing,housing,entertainment,and most of all in this day,”security”(this is why our govt acts like a nanny)we have gone from a can-do nation to a gimme,gimmie people,and we can’t blame the young people,they had us to teach them,we must begin to teach the young and not so young that to possess liberty one must first understand liberty and what form this nation was intended to have,we have strayed from the ideal,and have been lied to by our so-called leaders,liberty implies responsibility and minding ones own business,as individuals we must practice these traits and we must require our leaders(Public servants) to do the same,I know that most of the folks who read this forum understand this,and will forgive me for preaching to the choir,but it had to be said,we have to know where we should be, before we can go there,and I believe”liberty’ is that direction,so we must each start in that direction in our own lives,then we will all be able to arrive there together,we sure can’t depend on the govt or others to help us get there,its up to us!
Comment LEE — August 24, 2006 @ 5:06 pm
Amen and Amen, LEE! Those were inspired words! We do need to occasionally be reminded that our great country was founded as a constitutional republic under law, not a democracy uunder mob rule. The system worked quite well, until we began to stray from our roots. Time for us to stop encouraging the government to be our “nanny.” Time to take back our freedoms AND our responsibilities. For liberty must not be used as “a covering for sin,” but as a means of doing right.
So you are correct, LEE. It is partly our fault that we are where we are now. For too long we shirked our duties, and the government assumed those duties. Sometimes they really wanted to, yet other times they were compelled to because the people had lost the ability to regulate themselves.
Let’s show that if the government leaves us alone, our farms will prosper and never fall prey to an epidemic, so help us God!
Comment Goatman — August 24, 2006 @ 6:19 pm
The title of this article sums it all up for me:
DREAMS of FARM FREEDOM STYMIED.
http://www.freedomsolutionsnw.org/NAIS.htm
Steve you are right on with this one: “Please be sure to use correct spelling when you type your comments. Let’s not reinforce the “dumb farmer” stereotype. Thanks.”
And Lee, please use paragraph indentations next time.
Greg Hammerdt said, “What people need to do is stop paying money into the system…”
Yeah, like income tax. That’ll bring this totalitarian state to a screeching halt. As Carolyn Kiesz said, “You can’t prosecute everyone!” Income tax is why “Washington seems to have no problem paying for THEIR agendas” to quote Scott Chase.
Now for the meat of my comment. Who are we? Children to be structured and told what to do as if we don’t know what’s best for U.S.? Or as if we don’t know how to make decisions? We’re the ones who manage to eke by without millions at our disposal.
Most people who deal with customers are sanitary individuals. People know by now that if they do not keep their animals (or restaurants) under sanitary conditions, they won’t have any customers. That’s what controls the market and disease. No need for yet another intrusive, controlling law.
Next, we’ll be forced to buy “special” feed to feed our animals as they will be members of the “national herd”, so home-grown feed won’t be suitable or satisfactory. With this and “terminator technology”, Monsanto and Novartis will have a ball and we won’t be invited.
As Bob Marley said, “Stand up, stand up for your rights.”
Comment Justina — August 24, 2006 @ 6:57 pm
Lee, well said. As Vladimir Lenin is quoted as saying: “Democracy is indispensable to socialism.” When Big Government says “democracy in Russia”, “democracy in Iraq”, “democracy in Afghanistan”, and on and on, does anyone really think that our form of government is supposed to be just like those “democracies”? As Benjamin Franklin said at the close of the consitutional convention in response to a question posed to him about what they had given the people, he said, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Americans have done a lousy job of keeping it.
Comment Texas Goat Gal — August 24, 2006 @ 7:05 pm
Do you know if there is any way of ‘un-volunteering’ oneself? Like getting out of the NAIS database if we somehow got in there? It would be helpful info for some I am sure. Also, is there any way of checking if we are already in there without our knowledge or consent?
Thank you,
Randi
[Some states, Vermont in particular, offer this ability to unvolunteer. All you have to do is call or write the state department of agriculture with your request. Other states, Washington in particular and possibly Massechusettes, refuse. They tell people that once you’re in the system they’ve got you. Nasty, nasty… Three possible solutions: move to another state, kick the bums out in the next election or work to get the laws and regulations changed. As to checking, you can do a Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA) or just call up and ask. I did both of these at both the state and federal levels. The state responded quickly. The USDA is still out to lunch. I will soon publish an article about how to do a FOIA. Cheers, -WJ]
Comment Randi Peters — September 5, 2006 @ 5:56 pm
My question is if this goes through, can I claim all my animals as dependents on my income tax? I think they better rethink their plan.
Comment Dan Thomas — September 15, 2006 @ 5:41 am
NAIS IS A FREAKING JOKE. THIS IS SUCH BULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment LES — September 22, 2006 @ 8:10 pm
“This is more sinister than people imagine. Registration carries the possibility of confiscation.”
Yes, Jeff…exactly the rationale that’s behind gun-registration. If the Goverment PTBs know who has guns (or cows, or horses, or chickens), their seizure is a piece of cake.
I ran off a census-taker after his questions went past what’s needed. And if the statists think I’m registering my fowl, dogs, cats, or goldfish, they’d better think again.
Comment jan — October 1, 2006 @ 7:04 pm
Whoops: Need to edit here:
“If the Goverment PTBs know who has guns (or cows, or horses, or chickens), their seizure is a piece of cake.”
That ought to read “…the seizure thereof is a piece of cake.”
:D
Comment jan — October 1, 2006 @ 7:06 pm
The problem is that there are too few of you who realize this as a problem. Compared to approximately three hundred million in population who are called the “quiet majority”, you are hardly anything for government to worry about.
The people as a whole in the U.S. have become their own worst enemy. They will lay down their swords for fear of getting themselves killed and will enter the gates of peaceful servitude without as much as a blink of the eye.
NAIS will most certainly go through, just as easily as GATT, NAFTA, Patriot Act I and II and the mandatory “Real ID” act which goes into effect in 2008. The people are impotent in stopping their elitist government from enrolling them into these globalist programs.
Some have said “they cannot prosecute everyone”. And they are so right. They will prosecute the noisy few which are just a small band of malcontents, while the other 280 million are enjoying their passive lifestyles at the behest of their ipods, gaming systems, sports, luxury lifestyles and a general care-free “government will take care of it all - that’s what we pay for them to do”.
Until the minority (that’s all who have posted on this board) literally start printing materials and spending vast sums of money in getting word out in an alarming enough way to stir the majority to move - this breakaway, elite-minded, corporate owne governing system will eventually (and very soon) have you locked into a cage from whence you will never, EVER, escape.
The majority are as a frog in a pot of water on a stove. If you slowly increase the temperature of the water, allowing the frog to adjust to the temperature each time, eventually the frog will be hard-broiled meat without even feeling a thing or making any attempts to escape. SLOW “climatic” adjustment leads to an eventual death of something, whether it is a living creature or a social system.
Soon and very soon, they will be taking the society of the U.S. out of the boiling water and consume each and every one of you and you will have not felt a thing.
Frog legs, anyone (elitists especially!)
Comment RogueWitness — October 3, 2006 @ 7:52 am
Beg your pardin, but doubting Thomas’, but I Say:
Some of the world’s greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.
And I am going to be getting to the HENSHAW’s in Virginia, come Hell or High Water, to Testify, if I got anything to say about it. And I got plenty!
So remember ALL, you minority;
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
Dean A. Ayers
Glenwood, Iowa
IOWANS AGAINST NAIS
Comment DeanAFOSI (IOWA) — October 3, 2006 @ 2:56 pm
nais is the only way 2 stop diesease
[NAIS does not stop disease. You missunderstand the functionality and purpose of NAIS. -WJ]
why are you soo against it???
[Because NAIS is a violation of our basic rights. Go read the Just the Facts in the upper left of http://NoNAIS.org as well as the http://NoNAIS.org/handout to start with. Then read the articles in the Most Commented list. -WJ]
Comment lorp — October 29, 2006 @ 6:17 pm
I hate to say this, but is anyone really surprised? The American government, and all others aspiring to follow in the footsteps, will always find a way to prove they have taken power from the people.
You can write comments on pageslike this as much as you like, but consider how many things you do in your everyday life that you really would rather not. How many day to day activities do you participate in that are part of the problem, i.e. non organic food, non environmentally friendly car, cell phone stuck to your head half the day, microwave dinners, cigarettes etc, etc
We give our power to them everyday in so many ways and then act surprised when we find out that they are planning something that will compromise our freedom of choice, or what meager amount of it is remaining.
Comment Matthew — October 29, 2006 @ 11:39 pm
It totally amazes and boggles the mind that folks believe an electronic ear tag will STOP diseases. Vaccines, bio-security and a LOT of common sense can help control it, but an ear tag no way. That is your false sense of security at work.
Comment Goatster — October 30, 2006 @ 11:00 am
It also amazes ME and boggles the mind that folks don’t get concerned about NAIS “toe tags” rather than ear tags, RFID “chip” tags, or any other ID tag, by the UDSA, as the Henshaw Massacre has proven, WHY the governments, federal and States together, want NAIS for!
But because so many don’t like “Dean” they disregard the reality in their faces!
Isn’t “Prejudice” wonderful! FOR Pro-NAIS!
Goodbye Freedom - hello; TOE TAGS!
DeanAFOSI
IOWANS AGAINST NAIS
Comment Dean A. Ayers — October 30, 2006 @ 10:04 pm
There is a political economist that I learned of through the Foundation for Economic Education website who specializes in studying the political cost of resisting increasing social and economic control of individual lives. The system is designed, she says, to make it easy for the corporatist/fascist government to increase control, but difficult to resist or overthrow the control. The plan, really, is not an animal ID system, but a human ID system. Yes, to microchip all humans so they can be tracked just like animals. Already, some say, there are executive orders giving the president the power to commandeer all food production. If you resist complying with what they say, right now you can be declared an enemy combatant with no habeas corpus rights. If we allow men to possess the power of God without his having Her righteousness, we will become slaves–if indeed, we are not half slaves already.
Comment Paul — November 3, 2006 @ 11:53 am
“A Permit, is but permission to break a law(for a fee).”
- Derry Brownfield, modified a bit
Comment Mr Dirty Nails — November 3, 2006 @ 9:10 pm
After having view both your site and USDA’s on NAIS i have come to the conclusion that you are just paranoid. NAIS is voluntary, look it up. Uraguay picked up the USA beef market to Japan for a little over 12 months because they had a national ID system and we didn’t.
[Am I? Interestingly, this commenter hails from “Wyoming Higher Education Computer Network WHECN-CC” with NameServer: ANARCHY.STATE.WY.US. Gotta love a sense of humor, paranoid or not. Why are pro-NAIS people from the government and big industry? Oh, right, they’re here to help us. -WJ]
Comment Concerned Citizen — December 4, 2006 @ 11:45 am
Concerned citizen #91…everybody’s entitled to an opinion, yours just happens to be wrong…”they” haven’t taken the right of free speech away just yet. Didn’t know the USA owned the Japanese beef market, maybe we should attack Uruguay for stealing that market huh? I’m wondering how your parents came to name you “concerned citizen”…what were they concerned about? Which country are you a concerned citizen of? Let me guess, China?, North Korea? Maybe The “non paranoid asleep on the couch United States Of America?” Sorry, but I wouldn’t want to get the bill you’re going to get from your proctologist when he performs the head extraction. Have a nice day!
Comment Bob Constantine — December 4, 2006 @ 7:24 pm
“NAIS is voluntary, look it up”
Maybe this month, but what about next month when they send out another update? Kind of like building a bridge and having to change direction mid stream because you found a rock that wasn’t on the blueprint. Much more likely that they would prefer to remove the rock.
Comment Barbara — December 4, 2006 @ 9:02 pm
Wow!!!!! Concerned Citizen you are dumb and nieve!!!!!!!!! I bet you thing the govnmient is your best friend and only looking out for yor best interests to!!!
Comment PV — December 5, 2006 @ 8:20 am
I believe people are getting carried away with their protest against animal identification. Animals only have to be taged when they leave the farm to be sold. This has nothing to do with people raising animals for their own consumption. I raise goats and the cost this year would have been less than $8. I tag all my goats to keep track and improve my herd. Where does the $500 come from?
Farmers worried about privacy probably have already given out the same information. I have registered my premise with the state. I give the same information at the store when I claim Ag exempt on sales tax. I have a pesticide applicators license from the state. They already had all the same information. The horse has already left the barn and it is too late to close the door.
The only people that will have a problem with the Animal Identification are the ones who are knowingly dumping sick animals at the local auctions and don’t want to be connected with those animals.
[Well, I can easily disprove your theory since I am against Animal ID and I never send animals to auction. I sell all animals direct. People come to our farm. We already have full traceability. We don’t need some government micro-management and waste of money duplicating what we already do. -WalterJ]
Comment Ray — December 16, 2006 @ 9:42 pm
Ray #95, it’s not just animals that leave the farm. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you don’t practice excessive inbreeding of , uh, animals. So at some some point new animals must be introduced. $500 is too low a figure in some cases, the cost is much higher when you consider that the health of the, uh “NATIONAL HERD” will suffer, monopolies will grow larger and ALL Americans will have less nutritious food (unless you like cow shit on your steak from the mega slaughterhouses) not mention the few rights we have left will be dissolving.
“The horse has already left the barn” Where did it go ? Off to Washington so the elected whores can make deals with the software companies and roll in the tainted $$$ while we eat tainted meat?
Maybe you been pointing that pesticide sprayer in the wrong direction, those fumes can induce euphoria, nausea or brain damage.
Comment Bob Constantine — December 17, 2006 @ 9:19 am
ray ,if nais ever becomes mandatory and you are in the fed or state system(you seem to have no problem with giving your personal information out),maybe just maybe,your I.D.may get into the wrong hands,thus causing you much WOE!!!.hackers are every where just looking for lives to wreck.think about it for just a moment befor you let to much info out.
Comment nick lecompte — December 17, 2006 @ 4:54 pm
Wow! Ray……I’m sorry fella. I’m sorry for all sorts of things for you- mostly your profound lack of investigation into what you have enslaved yourself to. By the way,….. I’ve got the most HANDSOME bridge for sale right now…..perfect for goats to climb all over, you’d just love it….you could likely even register it with a prem. id number. I’d sell it for a decent price too, only about $10,000 per square foot- aw heck, I’ll give you a better price than that, how about$7,500 per sq.ft. if you buy it right away? :() You must feel like a leader in your area to jump from the cliff before everybody else… Have you ever heard of Lemmings, I wonder?
Comment Sabrina — December 17, 2006 @ 6:58 pm
“Animals only have to be taged when they leave the farm to be sold.”
You need to do more reading. Horses (or any show animal)are expected to be microchipped even if they are never sold, but are taken to any event that has other horses. This can be a weekly occurrence for some horse owners. It is also redundant to track horses at large events like they would like us to do. Those animals and their owners are already registered by the event coordinator. It would be no problem to contact any exhibitor after the event if necessary - all without violating the Constitution or at extra time and expense.
Comment Barbara — December 17, 2006 @ 8:07 pm
Hello Walter,
this is more a question than comment, maybe you can clarify this point for me.
it is my understanding that ALL livestock producers must individually ID their animals not just the elusive ‘large’ producers. Whether i have 10 cows or 10,000 cows is no different. the group ID is reserved for the animal concentration camps known as feedlots, etc. I have read comments in this forum and in others which seem to indicate that ‘large’ producers (ie: cow/calf producers) will not have to participate at the same intensity as ’smaller’ producers.
Thanks for any help you can give on this issue.
Regards,
tauna
[Group Animal ID’s (GID) are allowed for animals that are moved through the whole process as one unit. You buy 1,000 chicks and they all get one Group ID. All of them must then be slaughtered at the same time. If you do otherwise you must then move to individual animal ID’s. Those animals must have contact with no other animals. Small farms and homesteaders rarely operate this way. This is how the factory farms operate and only they will benefit from the cost savings of the GID. GID’s give large producers an unfair advantage over small producers. -WJ]
Comment Tauna — January 13, 2007 @ 10:24 pm
thank you for that info. i guess my concern is that the words ‘large’ and ’small’ are used without definition. there are what some would consider ‘large’ cattle ranches with calves being born over a period of weeks or months which would be sold as weaners or yearlings. The buyer of those calves could then lump them into a group ID in the feedlot, however, the rancher must individually ID his cows and the calves born to those cows. There is no advantage to him to be ‘large.’ I agree that GID’s give an advantage over producers, but producers of any size, not just ’small’ (whatever that means) producers. to clarify can your statement “GID’s give large producers an unfair advantage over small producers” be changed so that the word ’small’ is dropped? It is important to not let size of operation divide persons on the same side of this issue. Bearing in mind that some people are totally against ‘corporate’ farms, although there are some ’small’ family farms which are incorporated. Likewise, to infer that ‘large’ producers are factory farms is not helpful nor true in many cases. well, i’m not trying to be contentious, just concerned with the use of undefined terms being bandied about. it will be interesting to see how this all plays out and what decisions many of us will make when push comes to shove.
regards,
tauna
Comment Tauna — January 14, 2007 @ 5:50 pm
I was just at the USDA web page and the average person who looks at it will think it is a good thing. the word VOLUNTARY use everywhere. We need a better way to let ppl know the long term effects of this policy and what it realy meanns. read the myths and facts page and u will want to register right then.
Comment clinton — January 28, 2007 @ 9:11 pm
You know, this whole thing would not be an issue if you all became vegetarians!
[Heather, how do you think you’re going to grow your veggies without animal manures? Are you unaware that the USDA wants to track plants too? They do. Besides, don’t you hear the screams of the poor innocent little baby carrots as you eat them alive!!! Recent scientific research has shown that plants communicate and have feelings too. Maybe you can become a solarian and vegge out in the sun. -WJ]
Comment Heather — February 13, 2007 @ 9:09 am
…actually Heather the point of the protest against NAIS involves not only the right to raise and eat animals if we choose unfettered by overbearing regulations. It involves something precious, the very RIGHT itself to be outside a big brother government, freedom of choice if you will. So whether you are a vegetarian, carnivore or omnivore if you don’t protect your rights it all becomes moot. For instance while you may disagree with my dietary practices, I will defend your right to state your disagreement and to live the life style you choose, that’s the point of this fight.
Concerning meat eating…your ancestors (and mine) couldn’t have survived without eating meat…probably meat they killed themselves! Horrible ain’t it that we came from such savage beasts!
Comment Bob Constantine — February 13, 2007 @ 10:58 pm
How is the US plan different from the one in Europe. THere are MANY, MANY more small faminly farms in Europe and what impact has the European plan had on them???
[The plan in Europe has hurt small farmers there. There have been a number of comments over the last year here on NoNAIS.org from people in other countries explaining how badly the system has gone in their country and how it is wiping out small farmers and hobby farmers. One example is that in Australia they were told the tags would cost $3 each. The real cost turned out to be $37 each and they are losing thousands of dollars at slaughter due to problems with tags. They also have 11,000,000 phantom cattle in their system and can’t get them out. It isn’t working and it isn’t worth it. Lastly, I would like to see evidence of your assertion that there are “MANY, MANY more small farms in Eurpoe”. I’ve been there. There aren’t. The USA is much larger and more rural with an enormous number of small farms. So many that the USDA has no clue as to how many there are. But the point is moot - just because Europe does something dumb does not mean we should. Our forefathers fled Europe to escape the tyranny there and setup a nation here based on individual rights. Perhaps you need to reread the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. See the links in the Tech Docs section of the right hand sidebar and take the time to get to know your freedoms before you give mine away. -WJ]
Comment Jim — February 20, 2007 @ 8:19 am
NAIS is another affront to independence, it will affect us much the same way that oil dependence has. Take the example of the “Banana Republics” whose lands are devoted to export crops, while they import high cost foods from abroad. Large international distributors get in the middle of all transactions, similar to shopping at the company store. Everyone knows the middle man makes the money. In an effort to legitimize and sugar coat an ineffective, un-democratic, inhumane, unhealthy, inefficient food production/distribution system, the american public is being forced to carry the burden? WHO WINS AND WHO LOSES?
Comment Ben — April 16, 2007 @ 10:46 pm
One more comment. I live in WI.. here we have a wonderful organization that supports the USDA NAIS program.. it’s called the WI Livestock Identification Consortium.. it’s mandatory..
[read fines, quarantine, confiscation.. ect. who knows..]. Just to reiterate…if meat processing was done locally, or for that matter egg production, or dairy.. this wouldn’t even be an issue…
Comment Ben — April 16, 2007 @ 10:57 pm
hi. here is my speech thatnks for all of the help. the info you gave me was great.
The Finish Line For Major Animal Disease Epidemics
I feel for the thousands of herds and flocks that were euthanized and for the hundreds of farmers who watched as their kids show animals were slaughtered and many generations of genetics were destroyed right before their eyes. And for the thousands who have lost their entire herd or flock and watched their whole lives thrown right out of the window. This all due to major animal disease epidemics that broke out around them, and took weeks to find and months to contain. These epidemics all could’ve been prevented or even caught earlier if we would’ve had the National Animal Identification System that we have today.
N.A.I.S. or the National Animal Identification System was introduced in the year of 1993. Allflex introduced the first electronic identification or EID products to track any animal that would leave the premises of any person; jump starting the National Animal Identification System.
The voluntary system will reduce the time it takes for animal health officials to respond to major animal disease out brakes and to trace the affected animal. But to make sure NAIS becomes an effective system we all must take that first step and register our premises with the USDA. If we all do this we can speed responding time and protect our animals, as well as our neighbors.
Today there are approximately 400,000 premises registered with the USDA. But that is only a handful out of the approximately 1.4 million premises with animals in the US. But it is more than double the 170,000 premises registered in Australia. And more than the premises registered in Canada. This is a good start but to be effective we must register our premises and spread the word for others to register their premises. One of the ways the USDA is spreading the word is through their partners; and FFA is one of those partners.
Today, FFA is once again in the vanguard for U.S. agriculture. One of Secretary Johanns’ top priorities is to implement a voluntary national animal identification program to speed response time when there are outbreaks of highly contagious animal diseases; where the goal is a 48 hour trace back capability because sadly for the first time in American history we have to be prepared for agro-terrorism which is a fact we cannot afford to ignore. But even without the fear of agro-terrorism we still come face to face with the problem of major animal disease epidemics that are costly to our country as well as thousands of farmers who lose their breeding and showing animals when these epidemics break out.
For example, in 2003, there was an outbreak of Exotic Newcastle Disease in California that began in two backyard poultry flocks. It took 7 months to eradicate END at a cost of nearly $130 million in federal funds alone. There were 22 commercial premises affected along with 2,400 backyard flocks. Nearly 3.2 million birds had to be euthanized, and more than 1,600 federal and state personnel were involved in the disease-fighting task force. In addition, sanctions from other countries prohibiting imports of U.S. poultry cost up to nearly $1 million per week during the outbreak.
We could look at any other example, just like the 80% loss in beef trade in 2004 following the discovery of BSE in one U.S. cow in December 2003. That cost us more than $2 billion, just in the year 2004.
What about bovine tuberculosis? Since 2002, USDA has spent about $90 million on indemnities alone for diseased or suspect cattle. More than 28,000 cows have been destroyed over the past five years to prevent the spread of bovine TB. My compassion goes toward the 30 plus herds that have been forced to depopulate due to bovine TB - they basically had no choice. I ache for the purebred breeder who watched as his genetics were slaughtered and his kids’ show animals were sent to slaughter because his herd was infected with bovine TB; and for the generations of dairy farmers who are cow less because of the disease. And also for the countless others who lost their entire herd because of bovine TB. The social, emotional, financial, psychological and yes political ramifications of this issue are enormous - the cattle industry and all the ancillary components are struggling to survive - these people were stuck in a vortex over which they had no control.
But with just these few examples, it becomes very clear how costly highly contagious diseases can be and how important it is to quickly identify the animals affected so we can cut losses, reduce delays and retain markets; the traceability of these diseases is critical.
And with the agreement, that the National FFA Association has signed, we have pledged to help encourage farmers and ranchers to take that first step and register their premises. The National FFA Organization will be developing instructional materials, conducting outreach and signing producers up. Us children involved in the National FFA Organization are the future of agriculture in the United States. As this Nation’s next farmers, it’s fitting that we are at the forefront of NAIS, and everybody is excited about our involvement in the program. Our goal is to obtain 50,000 registrations over the one-year agreement. We are filled with energy and enthusiasm for this program, and there are nearly 500,000 FFA members on the NAIS team.
There also been a cooperative agreement with the National Pork Board. Their objective is to bring 100 percent of the commercial producers into NAIS—that’s 36,000 pork producers. And there will soon be other signings, and additional agreements with other organizations. In fact, because there are so many partnerships, efforts will be effective in reaching producers and encouraging them to participate in NAIS, the government set aside up to $6 million to fund similar agreements.
All partners understand that the goal for NAIS first and foremost is to protect animal health. It’s designed to help producers safeguard their flocks and herds, to protect their neighbors and to preserve their profits. NAIS also builds confidence in the health and wholesomeness of U.S. livestock. The extensive animal ID program enables us to meet the international obligations we face in the world market. Having the system in place will smooth the way for livestock exports.
“The federal voluntary level of NAIS provides a modern, streamlined information system that helps producers and animal health officials respond quickly and effectively to animal health events in the United States,” said Bruce Knight, undersecretary for USDA’s marketing and regulatory programs. “Rapid disease response limits the impact of an outbreak on a producer’s operation–or can stop disease spread before it reaches the animals. Choosing to be a part of voluntary NAIS ensures a producer of needed information, when they need it most–to protect their animals and their investment.”
But, why participate in NAIS? Your voluntary participation means that you will be notified quickly when a disease outbreak or other animal health event might put your animals at risk. Choosing to participate ensures you will receive the information you need - when you need it most - to protect your animals and your investment. With timely, accurate information, we can contain a disease outbreak or other animal health event more quickly and more effectively. Rapid disease response limits the impact of the outbreak on your operation - and could even stop disease spread before it reaches your animals.
But still not everybody agrees with the security of NAIS.
“Organic, Local Food Consumers, Livestock, Bird and Horse Owners: do you know that the USDA Plans to make every owner of even one horse, cow, pig, goat, sheep, chicken or pigeon register in a Government database and subject their property and animals to constant Federal and State Government surveillance?
’Under the present USDA plan - National Animal Identification System - as of January 1, 2008:
EVERY HOMEOWNER with any animals (whether for food, profit or pleasure) must obtain a 7-digit USDA ID number keyed to Global Positioning System satellite surveillance coordinates, with all the property and owner’s information permanently stored in a USDA database.
EVERY ANIMAL must be tagged with a Radio Frequency tag or chip, readable at a distance, with a 15-digit USDA ID number.
THE OWNER MUST REPORT, within 24 hours, every sale or purchase of an animal, every death or slaughter, every missing animal, every placement or loss of an ID tag, and every time an animal leaves or returns to the owner’s property.’-USDA
This plan will drive small farmers out of business and will prevent citizens from raising animals for food or pleasure. If you are currently buying locally grown meat or eggs, this will impact you,” said Hen Whisper, NAIS Opposer.
Eldridge Cleever once said, “You are either part of the solution or part of the problem, while this is America and we all can rant - sometimes ranting without action borders on whining.”
Eldridge Cleever was right we can be part of the solution, or part of the problem. I would rather be part of the solution and together we all can be. We can rant and rave all we want but then we are only part of the problem. The problem being major animal disease that spreads quickly, kill thousands of animals and sometimes humans, and cost millions for farmers, the government, and everyone in the nation alike. NAIS is only the first step on the long road to the prevention and the finish line for major animal disease epidemics.
Comment crystal — December 12, 2007 @ 9:22 pm
For Crystal: I appreciate your efforts put into your report; As you know, there are opposing views. I do not know how much “nonais” material you reviewed, but I recommend that you go to: www.r-calfusa.com and hit on Animal ID and that will take you to the letter that Dr. Thornsberry, DVM and President of R-calf wrote to Senator Tom Harkin on Oct 23rd requesting a moratorium to be placed on any further Premise Registrations until there can be a full review of this Nais and an audit. Go to www.libertyark.net and hit on Federal Activities and you will find the letter, dated Oct. 24th to Senators Kohl and Bennett, etc. specifically requesting that they focus on one aspect of Nais: “the fraudulent manner in which USDA and the states have received funding from Congress for this program. Go to www.alternet.org/rights/62858/ and read Jim Hightowers summary of this program and the people’s comments on it. He was Com of Ag of Texas for 8 years. Libertyark has two lawyers. All this info comes from people with high credibility and perspective. I also suggest you look at www.naissucks.com and www.freetofarm.com and www.libertyark.net and then it would be interesting to hear what you would say. It takes a lot of reading to get the whole picture; I just encourage you to be broadminded.
Comment The Phantom — December 13, 2007 @ 10:26 am
Crystal must be with FFA. Oops, she ate the pudding. Crystal, what did they give you to be on board? Did you get a prize for your speech?
Comment Henwhisperer — December 13, 2007 @ 3:03 pm
Crystal,
If you are an example of today’s students, I fear that the freedom, that our soldiers are fighting for, has already been lost. Diseases have been around since forever. On rare occasions they have had deadly wide spread effects - usually as a result of overcrowding. USDA is fighting disease by closing the barn door after it has escaped. It ignores simpler solutions such as vaccination or preventing it from crossing our borders. The reason for that is politics, not public health. Perhaps in your “brave, new world” you are willing to subvert the individual for a “greater good”. In theory that doesn’t sound too awful. In practice, it doesn’t work. History is replete with examples, but I suppose that type of history isn’t being taught any more. A very wise quote is, “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Crystal, if there are many more people like you out there, we are doomed.
Comment Barbara — December 13, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
“Oops, she ate the pudding”
Either that, or drank the Koolaid.
Comment Barbara — December 13, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
Crystal…You skipped civics class huh?
Comment Bob Constantine — December 14, 2007 @ 7:16 am
Civics hasn’t been taught since before I was in school. That’s part of the problem. The Federal government doesn’t give a rip about their constraining document–The Constitution– and the people of these united States, don’t even understand it any longer, so the checks and balances are void.
Crystal, if you think there is a future for individual ownership of livestock with NAIS in ‘full implementation’, you will be sadly mistaken. You may have rec’d a good pat on the head for your speech, but your grasp of history and logic is a failure.
Comment Doreen — December 14, 2007 @ 10:22 pm
thanks.
yes i am in FFA and am proud to be an agie.
i have read those posts but still agree with the ideals.
My SAE projects are cows, pigs for slaughter, poultry, horses, dogs, cats, and gardening.
i did not win prepared speaking with this speech but my sister won with her speech on eminent domain. i did win my other group extempt speaking which is where you have a notebook full of articles and you take that choose two subjects then choose one of those and write a speech on it in 30 min. i chose the subject of what is the future of family farms and how will it affect agriculture. and the girl i went against (who is now very mad at me as well as my advisor who doesn’t like me but does like her; and wanted her to win with her notebook that took her 2 days to do with the help of 3 people. when i won with only me and a little bit of help from my sister and that took me like 6 hours to make.) she chose the subject of the delisting of wolves. she was not strong and not happy about doing it because she was pushed to by our advisor (who called her mom) and her mom.
any way here are other coments i got from steer planet.
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don’t get offended, this is not meant to be personal, but here goes.
400,000 out of 1,400,000 is not a handful, it’s 28.57%
they are not spreading the word, they are imposing it through lack of choice
170,000 in aus, out of how many, what’s their PERCENTAGE?
if the goal ;is 48 hour trace back, what is it now?
why are we at risk now as opposed to the past? today we have vaccines, antibiotics etc, which we didn’t have in the past
newcastle disease was not agroterrorism, though still a problem. part of that inflated cost figure is to sensationalize the issue.
our media is more responsible for loss of money than any disease could ever be.
just look at E. coli and the refusal to implement irradition.
what about TB in bison herds and ted turner’s herd and the yellowstone herd.
one of the best tools for controlling disease has always been lack of travel. we have consolidated our processing and marketing, which maximizes interfaces.
bringing in 100 percent of producers doesn’t sound voluntary
all partners understand nothing. decentralizing this pathetic mess is a much more historically proven method.
what am i going to do DIFFERENT when i get notified as oppossed to before, just create a conduit for the government to kill all my animals which may be false positives. who will stop the government from their zealousness?
NAIS is only another step to drive small producers out of business.
I totally disagree with the flow of the speech, the conclusions, the lack of balance and so much more. i think it rambles more than i usually do. hard to tell what your position is. nothing personal.
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they said it couldn’t be done, so he went ahead and did it anyway
knabe
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« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2007, 08:21:38 AM » Reply with quote
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to me, this is what i think of when i hear handful
Nine Democrats vote no on House resolution marking Christmas
yet i think 8 of those nine vote FOR ramadan. if this isn’t hypocrisy in the extreme, i don’t know what is. what this means is, that the only unassailable position is to be in the minority. think long and carefully folks.
i will post my comments from the judges when i get my speech.
Are none you guys in FFA?
Comment Crystal — December 14, 2007 @ 11:32 pm
crystal,in a couple of years from now(if and when nais becomes mandatory) please remember that you were for it.when you get older and are married and you and your husband have a child,befor the child is dry and you get to see it,the feds take it, issue a ss# and put a chip in its ear, please remember you were for it.nais is not good !!!
Comment nick — December 15, 2007 @ 2:41 pm
Crystal,
Yes, some of us were in FFA. We’ve grown older and wiser. We no longer support the pro-corporate culture of FFA.
Ask your parents if they think that they are wiser now than they were at 17 years old. When you have more years of knowledge and experience, you see things differently than a 17 year old.
Comment vmsumlot — December 15, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
Crystal, I’m not in FFA because I’m too old, but up until the kids were forced to sign up premises registrations I was all for it. Look up Hitler’s Youth Brigade to see what kind of position they are putting you in.
Comment Henwhisperer — December 15, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
“just look at e coli and the refusal to implement irradiation” Whether we nuke the shit off our food or not isn’t the question…the question is WHY is the shit ON the food in the first place?
Bad enough “USDA inspected” is an oxymoron why do we have to solve an e-coli problem by irradiation…whatever happened to slowing down the assembly line and mopping up the guts, dung and dead flies now and then? Speaking of dung…looks like GW may actually do one good thing and send the “Farm Bill” back for
a $ reduction…Good job George! Mission accomplished!
Comment Bob Constantine — December 15, 2007 @ 4:03 pm
“i have read those posts but still agree with the ideals.”
Crystal,
That is where you err concerning NAIS. You believe in the ideal, but you don’t comprehend the reality. That is your lack of experience speaking. We baby boomers were a very idealistic generation. We coined the phrase, “make peace, not war”. It’s a good, healthy concept….but, it isn’t realistic! You believe that the USDA is truly concerned for the health of our animals. Experience tells us nothing could be further from the truth. Have you heard people say, “follow the money” to learn the truth? It is a sad fact, that many people in business and public office are motivated by money and power, not what’s right. Honest people believe that other people are as honest as they are. I used to think that also, until I learned otherwise, the hard way. Hopefully, you can learn to avoid the same mistake I made without finding out the hard way.
Now what makes you think you know more than all the people opposed to NAIS? Would you be comfortable imposing a system that violates the Constitution on unwilling citizens? How do you feel about the Amish who are opposed on religious principles? Would you just as soon see them give up their farms and move to another country where they can find religious freedom again? Do you want to see families forced to choose between their deep convictions and their income? Do you even understand the depth of the problem I’m describing?
Comment Barbara — December 15, 2007 @ 8:45 pm
i do understand the problems you guys have with this. the thing is that thus far no one is being forced to do this. it is a question wether this system will even stay in place. i ask you all to look out of your windows and look at your property and animals. now think what it would be like if a major animal disease was around you and nobody had the NAIS. what if no one knew about it and it took 7 months to eradicate(contain). what if because no one had it you lost all of your animals and your land and could never live there again. this happened to the people of the Exotic Newcastle Disease outbreak. are you telling me that you are willing to lose thousands if not millions of dollars of investment. well i am not. i was not saying that everyone in FFA is for it but a good percentage are. i love FFA because it teaches you to make your own choices. we are not forced to use it but at fair they would rather have the chips in just in case.
i know alot of peta people who are for it even if they don’t like it if when we are in the showring we are not cleaning up after our animals. like at our canyon county fair they called the cops on vallivue 4-H because their kids had been showing all day and at that moment they were in the ring and their cow had to put it nicely messed and they did not like it that it had not been cleaned up right then. and then at western idaho they didn’t like it that the small animals were in cages. so at night they were letting the animals out. well one night they were caught and thrown out.
any way back on subject-BarbraCrystal,
That is where you err concerning NAIS. You believe in the ideal, but you don’t comprehend the reality.
i do know the reality of this. i have study untold hours on this subject. i have gone over most stuff twice. but i am not willing to take the chance of losing millions of dollars of investments.
also-That is your lack of experience speaking. We baby boomers were a very idealistic generation. We coined the phrase, “make peace, not war”.
i am not inexperienced i have studied hard. it took MANY HOURS of studying to decide my decision. yeah the babyboomer generation made lots of memories but it also had WWI, WWII, and one of the worst debts ever the great Depression.
i am not saying our generation is a party but your generation made alot of mistakes and you did not coin the phrase until after WWII.
For the rest of you you are never too old for FFA. there is Colligate FFA and FFA Alumni. I am proud to be part of FFA.LONG LIVE THE AGIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. i will be 16 in march. that means i am 2 years away from being considered an adult. you cannot put an age limit on being an adult, because alot of adults are worse behaved than their children. I experience it at concerts because the adults have a problem with being quiet and turning cell phones off. experience comes form knowledge not age. you can be 5000 years old and still be the stupidest person on earth. if you work hard, study, and go out and experience, you will become knowledgeable. knowledge is wisdom and experience, not your age. and i do not care how old you are this is true.
bye.
Comment crystal — December 18, 2007 @ 9:30 pm
Crystal,
Usually I wouldn’t BUT
I have to bring a couple things to your attention as it seems you have a skewered version of history.QUOTE
i am not inexperienced i have studied hard. it took MANY HOURS of studying to decide my decision. yeah the babyboomer generation made lots of memories but it also had WWI, WWII, and one of the worst debts ever the great Depression.
WWI-1914 to 1918
WW2-1939 to 1945
Great Depression-1929 to 1942 which had very little to do with debt(per say) but everything to do with market manipulations by business and our wonderful govt.
BABY BOOMER GENERATION 1946 to
1964
Help me out here,what did the Boomers have to do with the above? I,m sure you are a fine young lady and if you pay attention and learn the truth about some things you will turn out just fine.But until then
better do some more studying, because if you can’t get simple dates and facts correct then I just can’t accept that you have any real understanding of this issue.Thanks.
“Live free or die tryin”
Comment LEE — December 19, 2007 @ 7:56 pm
Crystal due to your young age I shall not be as mean as I normally am…you still have time to see the light.
When I look at “my” land I see my critters, not a “national herd”.
No “millions of dollars of investments” are worth giving up freedom for. Some people can be bought, some can’t. Keep your money, I’ll keep my freedom.
P.S - I did not realize my generation was responsible for World War I since it happened 40 years before I was born…hmm You may want to look into other uh “baby boomer” quotes one in particular by Benjamin Franklin about trading freedom for security comes to mind…
You skipped history as well as civics eh?
Comment Bob Constantine — December 19, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
crystal,nais,ear tags ,premise id,will not, i repete will not keep disease away from your animals any more than a necklace around your neck will keep you from catching the flu.
Comment nick — December 19, 2007 @ 10:26 pm
Crystal if there is an outbreak your animals will be the first they come for to depopulate because they can find you. Maybe you will be reimbursed the going market value, not the potential value. Maybe they won’t give you squat, depends on the circumstances. Either way the costs are yours to bear for tagging and tracking. Even says so in their new users guide.
Comment Sue F — December 20, 2007 @ 4:09 am
I think the main thing Crystal is missing is that signing up for NAIS means that when a perceived foreign disease is announced whole farms - big and small - of animals will be killed whether or not they are infected. I have read the recently issued Traceability Business Plan and the new New Users guide and both documents are peppered with how they will depopulate, sacrifice, kill animals for the sake of industry. For the sake of industry, Crystal. It just isn’t right and lacks a basic morality.
Crystal, I was wondering…are you a Christian? I hope you’ll answer my question.
Comment Henwhisperer — December 20, 2007 @ 5:17 am
yes i am a christian. history is my favorite subject and forgive me if i do not remember dates well but the last time i studied that stuff was in the 6th grade i am now a sophmore but freshmen do not have history. and civics are not taught anymore. the closest we have to it is economics and that is a senoir class. and i am not saying that the tags will prevent diseases but they will help trace them and contain them. just a question: what does my religion have to do with anything we are talking about.
if the animals around you have the disease yours most likely will too so they are going to put them down. isn’t that what you are talking about. you just have to look at the facts and pay attention to the signs. Nias is only the first step. this is a long road and we just have to take it one step at a time.
Comment crystal — December 20, 2007 @ 6:33 pm
crystal,if you feel so strong about the usda and their nais program,about their rape and pilage of rual america and those that live in it,i would just tell you GET ON BOARD,join up,become their poster child,make your mother and dad proud.i bet all of your friends and neighbors will look up to you ,
Comment nick — December 20, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
She drank the koolaid.
My daughter is the same age. Tough age. Not a kid, not an adult. Very centered on self.
My daughter would never make it through all the NAIS documents. Took me days and days and I had to keep going back and making sure I was reading it right. While I was reading stories from my elders kept popping into my head. Tales of smuggling food to hidden Jews. Sneaking and hiding across Europe to make it to a free land. Eating handfuls of grass because that was all there was. “Your papers, please”, sounds almost cliche but it’s far from it. Sends chills up my spine. I even remember in my own lifetime how my Grandmother and Aunts cried as they watched the Russian tanks roll into Prague. One thing you are right about Crystal, NAIS is the first step. Remember that when you go to show your critters and they ask “Your papers, please.”
It also does wonders for real estate values when you try to sell a property. Knocks it way down same as a bizarre right of way or water rights issue would. The farm is now worth less. A nice thing to do to your family so you can hang a ribbon in your room.
My daughter does know it’s something I fear very much. I don’t think she completely understands but she’s getting it.
Comment Sue F — December 21, 2007 @ 6:00 am
Crystal, ask your pastor about Mark of the Beast. It’s in Revelations. “Ye shall neither buy nor sell…”
NAIS is evil, it is man trying to control God. Evil is the absence of God. There is no way on God’s green earth germs can be overcome. That is a fact.
Comment Henwhisperer — December 21, 2007 @ 8:53 am
Crystal,
I’m glad that history is your favorite subject, but you need to study some more.The History Channel is a very good source. It is true that “those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
NAIS is very reminiscent of how other governments have taken control of the people by controlling the resources. There is a lot of smooth talk about how this will “help” us, and many people will comply just because they are told they have to. It is fortunate for us today that we have an internet where we can share information among people who question the government’s “wisdom”, but gov’t still has the advantage of unlimited time and resources to push through their agenda. We are in an uphill battle to preserve our freedom that this country was founded to protect.
If NAIS was truly a good idea, the USDA would not need coercive methods to get us signed up.
I hope you realize also, that the NAIS opposition includes people of all political and religious persuasions. I am not a Christian and I have liberal tendencies, but I firmly believe that NAIS is unConstitutional.
Comment Barbara — December 21, 2007 @ 9:58 am
i do not feel that it is unConstitutional. And i am not saying that the gov. is good because you can look at eminent Domain. The gov. now can come pay you any price and take your land; even if it is not for the greater good. like in the Kelo Decision. That case made it to the supreme court but the gov. won. now in place of those 15 homes is 2 shopping malls,and 3 gastations. one of the people that was displaced was a 100 year old woman. is this for the greater good?“those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
you are right about that one because look at Pearl Harbor and 9/11. these events were both planned the same way from the inside. they were warned about both but no one would listen. we are doomed to repeat our mistakes we can not help that because our world is filled with more hatred and violence than peace.
interesting fact: Osama Benloden had thoroughbreds in kentucky. they were recently sold. the money went to aid the soldiers.
Comment crystal — December 21, 2007 @ 1:11 pm
There are some similarities between “eminent domain” and NAIS.
The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that property may only be taken for “public use”, and upon payment of “just compensation.
In many recent cases the Supreme court has allowed property to be taken from its owners by private companies/persons for reasons that benefit them.(the takers)
In recent years the courts of Illinois, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Pennsylvania have taken the position that the taking of private land for so-called “economic redevelopment”or private benefit,
i.e., for the re conveyance of the taken land/property to private companies for the construction of private, profit-making enterprises such as shopping malls, factories, office buildings and even gambling casinos– does not meet the “public use” limitation under the state Constitution.
The same basic thought process is involved in NAIS.Govt acting on behalf of itself and private interests,( such as:The National Institute for Animal Agriculture and its membership,)
is attempting to force folks to give up a “certain amount or all control” of types of property,(our farms and livestock)of course as in eminent domain they tell us it is for our own good as well as in the interests of the public well-being or something similar.
Herein is part of the rub,because when you as a property owner lose “all or part” of the control over property then to that extent you have lost that property, and the public or private parties have now gained that measure of control you once owned,they are now basicly “taking” your property.
Now I know they say they will pay us the value,but a problem is that I may have animals that are way more valuable than the neighbors,for instance a flock of rare turkeys compared to my neighbors “COMMON” turkeys,I doubt they would want to pay me a hundred times what they pay the neighbor even if I can prove that there is that much difference in their value,not to mention any emotional connection that I may have to the critters.
And what about the lost genetic material that many of us would lose in such a situation? The world can ill afford to lose anymore farm species,if a major disease ever did come through, the fed with the past as a guild, would probably destroy the only hope of saving the species,thats insane.
The point I am making here is that if one can see the injustice of eminent domain,then one should cast a similar critical eye in the direction of NAIS,make no mistake they are both “property rights issues”
America is very much built on the rights of the people to be owners of property and to be protected from any thing that would divest them of the full use of that property, no matter how good the “reason” for taking it from its present owner may seem at the moment or how generally “popular” that “reason” may be,
folks are to be protected by the constitution, which is the supreme law of the land , any thing therefore that violates this is then unlawful and unconstitutional.
We can clearly conclude that NAIS is a taking,as it is for the benefit of others,and so it stands to reason people need to be able to say no,if one injustice is wrong then both injustices are wrong and in this case “both” are wrong.Thanks!
“Live free or die tryin”
Comment LEE — December 21, 2007 @ 4:51 pm
A high school sophomore that can converse on eminent domain?!! Wow!
Maybe I should send my kid to your school.
If the government wanted you to fill out a regular inventory of the clothing items in your bureau and submit it with every change on a “as change happens” basis what would you say? How many hoodies do you own? How many jeans? What happened to jeans #123? Why? What size and brand were they? You gave a present of clothing to who? Which girlfriend borrowed shirt # 245 and where does she live?
Don’t tell me clothing doesn’t spread disease. It does. Remember smallpox and blankets to Indians or the common scourge of public schools and clean hair… head lice. Can fill in a disease for just about everything in between.
None of their business.
How many chickens I have in the yard and why did they cross the road is none of their business either.
I have heritage turkeys too. I can sell a dressed one for over $100 around the holidays. The government will only reimburse me the supermarket price of .29 or .39 cents a pound. Just field raising the meat mutants costs more and is more time consuming but the birds get to be birds and deserve to have their short lives be good ones. I’m feeding and caring for the heritage bird for a year or more to get a grand party sized roast. 39 cents doesn’t cut it.
Same goes for the price of heritage cattle or horses or hogs. I have a pony that is probably one of the lost McKay curly horses. I’ve been offered ridiculous amounts of money for that horse but home she stays. Too old to safely breed but the curly people still want to try. Some equine disease comes along and she’s just an old pony. Her price is just meat price. She’s so much more just being my daughters pony to say nothing of her blood line.
Comment Sue F — December 22, 2007 @ 4:19 am
Chrystal,child,
At your age, you haven’t started to LIVE! All we small, independent farmers want is to be let alone. We love our independence. We love our Land with a passion, and we love raising our own animals as we see fit, without the meddlesome, nit-picking ways of the USDA in their support of NAIS.
We want to be able to compete fairly with the big shots — corporate America. Is that too much to ask? Common sense says no.
Or, look at it this way: Wouldn’t you want to fix your hair the way YOU want it? Would you not resent your Mom or your school if they require you to fix your hair the way THEY want it to look? Where is your individuality? Surely, you have friends your age who dye their hair pink or purple as a symbol of their independence.
Likewise, we small, independent farmers wish to raise our own animals as we see fit, based on OUR experience and common sense, without the pointless and burdensome paperwork the USDA seek to require of us. How many chickens do I have? How many have I sold (or given) to a neighbor? How much have I charged per bird? Unless you are interested in buying my birds, I say to you, without apology: None of your bees-wax! End of story! You surely cherish your privacy. So do we farmers. Leave us alone! Period!
Comment John Sherrer — December 22, 2007 @ 9:55 pm
i believe we all have given cryatal enough of our time about the evil of nais.she just does not seem to get it,but she will. barbara how come you dont believe in GOD? walter has my permission to give you my e-mail,we need to talk.
Comment nick — December 22, 2007 @ 11:30 pm
Agreed Nick, Crystal may change her mind..or not. Concerning believing in god and who or what “god” is…. I think we all agree our Government, USDA
etc. isn’t god.
Rather than go down the path of a discussion on theology where we could find alot of potential to lose focus of our goal - get rid of NAIS. I suggest we remain united in our efforts to expose and eliminate NAIS despite any differences we may have on the topic of our personal religion or beliefs.
I support anyone’s right to their beliefs and accept there are powers beyond man. (and woman) I don’t accept that those powers are any way related to elected or unelected officials…even if your name is Mike Huckabee :)
So I welcome Christians of all sects, (Amish especially) Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Pagans, gays, straights, gun owners, hawks, chicken hawks (reluctantly), Goshawks and oh my gosh hawks and doves and just about anyone breathing to the fight against NAIS.
Since I’ve gone this far -
Merry Christmas to all, god bless!
Comment Bob Constantine — December 23, 2007 @ 7:33 am
Thank you Bob for pointing out that getting rid of NAIS is our common goal. I also welcome anyone that is opposed to this monstrosity for any reason.
Nick, I said I wasn’t a Christian. I didn’t say what I believe. I will respect your beliefs if you respect mine.
Comment Barbara — December 23, 2007 @ 9:59 am
Blessed Be, Bob.
I have an old Christmas flag I love to fly periodically. All it has on it is a white dove carrying an olive branch on a blue background. The Christmas right after 9/11 I had a neighbor accuse me of being un-American for flying my dove of peace. Dove goes up at any time of the year now.
How was the Ron Paul turnout in Plymouth? I had to get home because my kid was home alone and I’m a wimp about snow storms and kids running wood stoves in 250 year old houses. I also had a huge load of grain on my little pt cruiser and knew she was objecting. I’m thinking the vote may surprise more than a few in this area. Been noticing some very unlikely souls with Ron Paul buttons and bumper stickers. My mother says I’ve been living in NH too long.
Comment Sue F — December 23, 2007 @ 1:50 pm
I too, was unable to get to see Dr. Paul in Plymouth because of the snow. I’m glad that you were able to see him,
Bob, and get his opinion about Nais.
Crystal, while you’re on Christmas vacation, why don’t you do a little homework and look this up and study it: link
If this article is correct about the health risks involved with RFID’s then there may be more at stake than we realize, and it would be nice to know that you’re out there helping us.
Merry Christmas to all you folks that are working so hard to keep your animals safe and tag-free. Thank you, Walter, for your wonderful web-site, which I found this year. God Bless, and see you all in the New Year.
Comment Jo Smith — December 23, 2007 @ 5:44 pm
Sue F.,
Flying any other flag than the American flag is un-American? That person needs to get a life, and he needs to do some soul-searching. I’d bet that he’d be willing to choose the flag over true freedom, the Bill of Rights, and the freedom to grow and sell our own food, for example. I fly the Betsy Ross (Colonial) flag, and love it. I’d love to hear what your neighbor has to say about THAT.
Comment John Sherrer — December 23, 2007 @ 7:41 pm
Jo Smith,
May you and yours likewise have a very Merry Christmas. Thank you for your kind words about our commitment in keeping our animals tag-free. We are very lucky to have Walter and his commitment in keeping everyone informed about the pitfalls of NAIS.
Where the hell would we be without the power of the Internet?
Happy New Year, everyone!
Crystal, may you too, have a Happy New Year. And yes, do some extra homework. You might be surprised at what you’d learn. We farmers are quick to forgive another’s errors.
It is my hope that I hadn’t stepped on anyone’s toes about my flag comment. I am very pro-American. Perhaps a bit too much for my wife’s comfort. She rolls her eyes when my tongue starts wagging non-stop about the pros of the Bill of Rights.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Let us remain united, regardless of our theological persuasions.
Comment John Sherrer — December 23, 2007 @ 7:55 pm
Sue F. -
Ron Paul turnout for Straw Poll last Tuesday was a victory for him, he won the poll (51% of total for all Repub’s. McCain 2nd 21%, the rest of the Repub/fascist finished lower :) ). I met some of his supporters who were unaware of the evils of NAIS, I educated them…I hope.
Ron Paul turnout a few days later when he was campaigning seemed good. I’ll be sending my
yuppy brother a picture of me and R.P. for X-MAS to bust his chops.
As I stated in an earlier post R.P. was very aware of nais and the evil behind it, he assured me of his commitment to fight it.
I ventured forth both times to Plymouth, NH in snow storms in my trusty/crusty Subaru with grain bags as ballast…I actually like driving in snow storms…hot coffee, good tunes, 1/8 tank of gas, all the gas stations closed, chance to run my mouth,…what could be better than that?
Comment Bob Constantine — December 23, 2007 @ 7:58 pm
Hey Y’all,
“MERRY CHRISTMAS!May peace and liberty be yours in abundance in the coming year!!
“Live free or die tryin”
Comment LEE — December 24, 2007 @ 11:30 am
The Hillary campaign office is right across from where I work. Amusing watching them. They are sort of like pod people with no mind of their own. Without a cell phone or PDA they can’t walk across the street and remember how 4 cups of coffee are made. I watched one young man drive off a straight and plowed road into the side of the road and get stuck. We were all watching trying to figure out what he was stuck on, nothing there. He had 5 different people come out to attempt to get him out. No luck. One of the locals came over, gave him a shove by himself and out he popped. Still no idea what he got stuck on except maybe he forgot how to put the car in gear.
The local Plymouth paper has Dr. Paul at #3. Looks good to me because Plymouth with it’s college has always been a Democrat favoring place.
From the Record Enterprise:
Plymouth straw poll puts Hillary Clinton and Ron Paul out in front
PLYMOUTH—Students of the Hunter School, in Rumney, offered the Plymouth area a presidential election straw poll on a snowy Thursday evening at the Senior Center, on December 13, from 6 to 8 p.m.
I was beyond having ballast on, bottomed out. Snow comes and most people panic and run to the grocery store. I pick up more grain.
I feel guilty for not stopping. Drove right by the diner. Just wanted to get home.
Comment Sue F — December 24, 2007 @ 2:12 pm
John Sherrer,
I think it was “Peace” the neighbor was finding unAmerican. Even more frightening. Fortunately I don’t live near him now. Still close enough so he drives by and glares at times. Wish I was a little more artistic, think I’d paint a white dove on the barn roof.
Comment Sue F — December 24, 2007 @ 2:16 pm
walter, thank you !!!!. without you and other sites such as yours we would have had nais cramed down our gullets by now. i want to thank all that have been fighting for the last couple of years .some have come, some have gone, but new fighters pop up every time i look at your site.i want to thank R-CALF also. I again thank you WALTER . your friend,nick
You are welcome and thank you to everyone who helps fight against the government take over of our lives. -WJ
Comment nick — December 26, 2007 @ 8:04 am
Hi everyone. please help!!!!!!I need REALLY GOOD opposing arguments for my essay. please help!!!!!!!!! every comment can help.
I hope you all had a great christmas and new year. i have!!!!!!!!
thankyou!!!!!!!!!
good night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment crystal — January 11, 2008 @ 8:58 pm
Crystal,
Are you now saying you want to write an essay opposing NAIS? If so, what changed your mind?
Comment Barbara — January 12, 2008 @ 8:17 am
Crystal start with Mary Zanoni’s letters and the article Sharon just did on the cattle network.
Comment Sue F — January 12, 2008 @ 1:33 pm
no. i am still for it but for our essays we need really good opposing comments. this will make our persuasive essays more persuasive. so when i get it rewritten i will post it and see what you guys think.
have a good day one and all.
Comment crystal — January 12, 2008 @ 5:21 pm
O.K. Crystal, since you said you would post your essay; I recommend you go to www.libertyark.net and hit on federal activities; you see the letter they did to Senators Kohl, Bennett…bring it up and hit on their letter to KSU which gives recommendations of issues to consider when they do the “cost vs benefit” of nais. It is there or the website is: http://libertyark.net/ksu_ltr_082407.pdf Then at nonais,look at the right sidebar, go to featured websites, go down to: Animal ID Tag Makers in Hog Heaven, by Dr. Mary Zanoni, PhD,JD. This was her assessment of the April 05 Nais Draft Strategic Plan and Standards. You will find numerous very valid reasons why NAIS is not good nor necessary. I suggest that you quote her verbatim, from her summary…(be sure and give credit to her): “Last and first, the most fatal flaw of the proposed NAIS is its disregard for fundamental human rights enshrined in our Constitution: the right to religious freedom, the right of property ownership, the right of privacy.
Comment The Phantom — January 12, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
thanks phantom. i will do that and i will make sure to give her good credit.
this is a good quote.Eldridge Cleever once said, “You are either part of the solution or part of the problem, while this is America and we all can rant - sometimes ranting without action borders on whining.”
also
Aristotle once said “we are what we repeatedly do therefore excelence is not an act but a habit.”
night everyone!!!!!!!!!!!
LONG LIVE THE AGIES!!!!!!!!!
GO VALLIVUE GREEN CLUB!!!!!!!!
FFA GOLD AND BLUE FOREVER!!!!!
Comment crystal — January 13, 2008 @ 12:02 am
Eldridge Cleever once said, “You are either part of the solution or part of the problem, while this is America and we all can rant - sometimes ranting without action borders on whining.”
Hmmm…Is that what Eldridge Cleaver said while raping white girls in Oakland ‘back in the day’? Maybe you need to read Soul On Ice for some political perspective, my dear.
Than again, maybe that quote is exactly your meaning. The knife to the throat part of those rapes made it darn difficult to either rant or whine.
Who is this girl?
Comment donna — January 13, 2008 @ 6:00 pm
I’d also like to know what Crystal meant by that quote. Just what is the problem she is referring to? I feel the problem is the USDA and DHS overstepping their bounds. Is she suggesting the problem is our unwillingness to hand over what’s left of our civil rights?
Comment Barbara — January 13, 2008 @ 6:39 pm
i appoligize if i offended you but i have not studied about eldridge cleever.
but what thise quote means to me is that people in this country rant and rave non stop about every little detail. so all of this ranting can be considered whining which is what almost all of the ranting and raving now days is. i think that we need to stop all of this constant, non-stop whining and get back to the America we used to be.
I am certain that when our four fathers founded this great nation that they didnt expect the war torn, whining, split, and way ahead of time, what i guess you could call a country.
if i have offended any body i appologize but we really need to consider every detail before we go whining about it.
now i woul like to start a post on eminant domain and horse slaughter but i am not sure how could you guys help me? thanks.
good night!!!!!CDZS
[Actually, they expected debate. You see it as whining when it disagrees with you but that is just your poor attitude. You also expect people to hand you on a silver platter the arguments and information you for your schoolwork. I would suggest instead that you learn to do research. Google is your friend. Everything you’ve asked about is already written up here on this web site and others. You merely need to look and stop whining about it. -WJ]
Comment crystal — January 13, 2008 @ 10:26 pm
FYI: i live on a farm/ranch in idaho. i love it in the rural parts of caldwell. you know on my road they are preparing to put in two subdivisions:( right now i am not ready to put up with all of the complaining. but luckily our farm is grand fathered in. i raise horses, cows, chickens,dogs, cats, ect. i love my country land every inch of all 60 acres and i hate that it is being threatened with 2 suburban/city subdivisions that will block the veiw of my precious flatlands and mountains.
once again good night!!!CDZS
Comment crystal — January 13, 2008 @ 10:45 pm
who is she? she is someone we need not give our time and efforts too,with these make no sense questions she ask. she is the mirror image of the very plague that haunts the cause now. dumb,dumb,and dumber.
Comment nick — January 14, 2008 @ 7:20 am
Crystal “I have not studied about Eldridge Cleaver” We know that.
You also have “not studied about” liberty and freedom…but you’re getting it…you know that farm you love? Who really owns it?
What happens if “the government” decides a highway needs to be put there? You won’t have any say in it, bulldozers come…bye bye house. What if “they” decide that your farm isn’t as attractive as you think it is and it gets sold to someone so they can put in Condo’s and “the government” will be able to get more tax money to spend…on more programs that you will have no say in. Your animals? Are you sure they’re yours? Your farm? Are you sure it’s yours?
Look up “eminent domain”.
So are you part of the problem or part of the solution?
RRRNNN RRRNNN HISSS boom, bang (sound of bulldozers making a new highway on the land you love)
Comment Bob Constantine — January 14, 2008 @ 8:23 am
you know that i will fight eminent domain all the way. because i do not agree that a shopping mall is in the better interrest of the people. i will protect my farm the best i can.
bye
Comment crystal siegmann — January 16, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
So are you part of the problem or part of the solution?Comment Bob Constantine — January 14, 2008 @ 8:23 am
in my mind i am part of the solution.
but in your mind you are part of the solution.
but this is my question to you:
how do we know what the solution is if we don’t give something a chance?
good night and sweet dreams!!!
[Crystal, unlike certain small rodent like animals that flock to the sea we have the ability to do forethought. This helps us to avoid jumping over cliffs to our death. Some “solutions” do not deserve the light of day. -WJ]
Comment crystal — January 22, 2008 @ 9:19 pm
Crystal,
using your logic there are still lots of “problems” to be solved by government.
Please tell me how NAIS solves a problem? Does NAIS take any rights away or do you think we should even have any rights?
Where do you think food related diseases usually originate from? Why?
Do you think anyone would ever lie or cheat for money?
Do you believe everything about the government is good and must be followed?
True patriotism isn’t blindly following a bad idea…if that were the case we’d be still be saluting the British flag.
At one time the US government backed slavery of people because of the color of their skin or put them on reservations and lied to them…You don’t support slavery do you? Was the government right or wrong?
Do you know any Japanese Americans…ask them where their granparents spent World War II, maybe in a camp for the “crime” of being 3rd generation Japanese.
How come your parents can’t write bad checks, but your government can operate in the red?
What if the government decided that everybody from your state had to register themselves and do EXACTLY as the government said, all the time, would the government be justified ?
What if the government decided that all people with an IQ in the bottom 50th percentile had to work in munitions factories 18 hours a day to help “spread democracy” in foreign lands?
Have you ever had an IQ test?
Factory work can be pretty rough stuff, lots of fumes, mystery meat sandwiches in the cafeteria, egotistical bosses etc.
What if you didn’t have the right to reply, if free speech were eliminated, “for your own good”?
Solving non existent problems has become such a government specialty that when you get older your country will be much different than the one I grew up in…I feel bad for you and younger people.
Comment Bob Constantine — January 23, 2008 @ 10:34 am
but this is my question to you:
how do we know what the solution is if we don’t give something a chance?
Crystal,
We’ve had this discussion before about learning from history and history tells us that this isn’t the solution.
It also isn’t a very good idea to “take a chance” on something of this magnitude. If someone told you he could help you make a million dollars and all you had to do was invest everything you hold dear, would you take a chance?
Comment Barbara — January 23, 2008 @ 8:22 pm
Crystal, horse slaughter I can help with. Google up the Equine Protection network and then go to Rural Heritage’s Front Porch forum for the opposite side of the argument. Look for a post by Dale Wagner titled Horse Transport. There are also lots of other comments further back on the forum.
Cut the kid some slack guys. The fact that she keeps coming back means she’s thinking. Something teens are not always noted for. I just hope she doesn’t have to learn the hard way.
Comment Sue F — January 24, 2008 @ 3:28 am
Sue F. - Maybe you’re right…
but I AM cutting the kid some slack…I’m usually alot grouchier, in fact my family calls me “Oscar” sometimes.
At this point no mandatory chipping of stuffed animals on the horizon that I know of…if there is..I’m probably in trouble.
Comment Bob Constantine — January 24, 2008 @ 8:44 am
If I had to chip beanie babies I’d be in a heap of trouble. They are all over! Seem to migrate periodically too.
Nothing wrong with pointing a kid in the right direction to get her homework done. I could have left her the link but being able to find information is becoming more important than spitting it back. Gave her the direction, now she has to find it. Same as I do with my own kid. She’s bright. I’m sure she’ll understand one day. At this stage of the game you might tell her she can’t have the little convertible sports car or a date with the school quarterback because it’s for her own good. I’d be tickled to death if my kid were to show up on this page asking for some homework help. Would mean some of the things I’ve been talking about got through.
Comment Sue F — January 24, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
crystal,just how old are you? i think you are older than people think,maybe about 24 or 25. did you graduate?maybe about 2001.
Comment nick — January 24, 2008 @ 9:24 pm
i am 15 like i said and i will be 16 in march. if you don’t beleive me you can look it up.
i know all aboutthe japanese concentration camps.
i know about horse slaughter like i said you all should read AFTER THE FINISH LINE BY BILL HELLER. it will tell you what you need to know.
i have two favorite quotes one on the horse whisperer when she is reading the books and one on flicka after her dad sells the horse and she is writing.
i wanted to say more but i forgot to put in the challenge but if you wnt to know more you can ask me.
good night!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment crystal — January 25, 2008 @ 10:41 pm
hr 1955 s 1959
Media fails to report threats
Again, mass “media” fails to inform U.S. citizenry of an extreme threat to the Constitution and freedom. This comes after failing to highlight the disappearance of habeas corpus and the Posse Comitatus Act.
This threat comes from the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Act of 2007. It starts, “An Act to prevent homegrown terrorism, and for other purposes.” Other purposes — what could those be?
It establishes a national commission to examine and report on causes of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism and ideologically based violence. McCarthyism on steroids anyone?
This pre-emptive policing of thought targets the Internet and says it promotes terrorism by allowing access to “constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda.” Would shutting down access to the Internet be one of its first recommendations?
It has already passed the House by a 404-6 vote.
Ed Oberweiser
Santa Cruz
Comment henry not ed — February 4, 2008 @ 11:54 pm
Hello all readers. Although i am almost 17, i understand what your all going through with this. The best we can do in this situation is to “not” worry about this law falling into place but knowing in our hearts it will not. Honestly.
Comment Alexander — February 22, 2008 @ 10:15 am
just wanted to say hi after a long time
Comment crystal — February 22, 2008 @ 12:01 pm
Alexander,
We appreciate the good thoughts, but the only way to stop NAIS is to keep fighting. A wise person once said,
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.”
Comment Barbara Steever — February 22, 2008 @ 8:03 pm
Crystal,
I’m curious why you hang out on this site when you think NAIS is a good idea? Checking out the opposition?
Comment Barbara Steever — February 22, 2008 @ 8:07 pm
Crystal, it is intresting to hear what you have to say, what you say more.. Alexander.
Comment Alexander — February 22, 2008 @ 8:14 pm
I will put it to you this way sir. One man’s truth is his own and non others. What is true for you is yours, as is for me, although i do not discorage any one’s opinion.
Comment Alexander — February 23, 2008 @ 8:25 pm
Alexander philosophy is fine but my grandfather had a saying that I think transcends all the “heavy stuff”
“Wish in one hand and sh*t in the other and see which one fills up faster!” I think that means all the wishing in the world don’t mean jack, if you ain’t doing something about it!
Comment Bob Constantine — February 24, 2008 @ 7:16 am
Very true, it seems to me that you are not in a place of athority, now are you. Thing is we need to find the higher power that can do something about this, and i shure as he** am not talking about god, excuse my french. And worrying will aut but keep it coming.
Comment Alexander — February 24, 2008 @ 10:51 am
And that is besides the fact that believing/wishing, IS COMPLETELY DIFFERANT THAN KNOWING! So, what is true for you is what you believe or what you know. And for me I know, that the outcome of this situation can be made in our favor, but we have to go about it the right way.
Comment Alexander — February 24, 2008 @ 11:00 am
I would suggest that people do not respond to Alexander or posts like his. He is a childish distraction. Focus on the fight to defeat NAIS and protect our rights. As voters we are all in positions of power. Never let them forget that.
Comment Anonymous — February 24, 2008 @ 11:47 am
I wish you new how it feels to have that said to you.
Comment Alexander — February 24, 2008 @ 1:58 pm
I hear (hope this is just rumor and not true) that everyone must tag their pets with rfid chips to replace dog tags. And any pet not in compliance with this law will be killed (mandatorly put to sleep) for they do not have a tag proving approval from government.
Comment Cannon — May 9, 2008 @ 7:15 pm
I have been reading these comments in disbelief. What is everyone afraid of? Every single farm animal in Canada has a RFID tag, and has for several years. There was some complaining at first because people often fear change, but the advantages to the farmer soon became apparent, including keeping sale barns and horse traders honest, facilitating herd management using electronic tag readers that download excel format data, international credibility, outbreak control etc. Anyone who saw film footage of them burning massive piles of livestock in England to control Foot and Mouth should be rushing to get their RFID tags. Get with the times before it is too late, it’s 2008 not 1908.
[You’ve missed all the points. Go read the documents in the left top area. Issues include but are not limited to loss of Constitutional rights, loss of rights to farm without government permits, government invasion of privacy, added unnecessary costs, government interference in our lives and that the whole system of NAIS is designed to benefit Big Ag while costing small farmers, homesteaders and tax payers. If Big Ag wants NAIS, let them pay for it. The government should not be involved even on a voluntary system. As to the FMD outbreak in England, the British government killed about 7 million healthy animals and has now admitted that they made a mistake. They destroyed their small scale agriculture all so that a few companies could continue to benefit from foreign exports. On top of that, it turned out that at least in the most recent FMD outbreak it was the government itself who was responsible for leaking the disease into the environment. Get with the times - government and Big Ag do not have your best interests at heart. They are driven by two motivations: control and profits. -WJ]
Comment mr.greenjeans — May 27, 2008 @ 6:11 am
Mr. Greenjeans, I would like to respond to your comment. With all due respect for your country, and not being an expert on Canadian constitutional rights, we in America were given a constitutional republic, with certain unalienable (not inalienable) rights. The Constitution, along with the Bill of Rights, protects us from government intrusion in our lives. We and others are fighting hard to protect those rights, as our “leaders” try to “harmonize” our laws and “privileges” with the rest of the world. A privilege is light years away from a right.
As of this time, the United States, Canada and Mexico have not been blended into an unconstitutional alliance. Even if the rest of the world institutes a program similar to NAIS, we are a separate, sovereign country with unique constitutional protections, and should never bow to the pressure of going along with the rest of the world, if it violates our Constitution. In fact, our Constitution would forbid that.
I hope we never have to witness what horrible consequences are in store for the liberty of man once all countries are “harmonized”, and the elite have stripped us of every means to be free.
Even if you do not understand our position, you should be extremely grateful there are people around the world fighting to preserve liberty.
As far as this not being 1908, I’m sure we could take a lesson from the independence and personal responsibility people in that era regarded as the natural order of their lives.
I have never before responded to a negative comment on this site, but when it comes to comments like “the rest of the world is doing it”, it gets me going.
Comment Texas Goat Gal — May 27, 2008 @ 8:41 am
Amen Texas Goat Gal!!Govt is the servent,NOT the ruler!!
We the people created govt to represent us,and when said govt no longer serves our interests it is our right and our duty to alter or abolist that govt and replace it with one that will!
I am not a citizen of the planet I am a free American,sorry I dont have time to be told that I have to give up liberty to fit in to the times,the people who want to bend over for the NWO can but this boy will fight,even if I dont stand a chance, it’d be better to die free than be a butt kissing patsy for some globalist corporate controlled bunch of know it alls!
Myliberty cost too many good people way too much for me to concede one iota,those rights are not negotable in any way!
I tend to get a bit riled too when I hear such politically correct BS,folks in other places want to do it a different way, then have at it but don’t think for a minute that we Americans are all going to fall in to lock step with Bush or any other govt, we are a diverse and free people,and hopefully this nation will soon wake up a realize the mess we allowed ourselves to get into and will rectify it swiftly!(end rant)
“LIVE FREE OR DIE TRYIN”
Comment LEE — May 27, 2008 @ 8:40 pm
“the advantages to the farmer soon became apparent, including keeping sale barns and horse traders honest,”
Surely you jest. Those chips can be reprogrammed by a knowledgeable person. The belief that this is a secure method to prove identity will cause more security problems than we have now. Those chips can also cause physical problems in some horses. The government has no right to make me put my animals at risk. If they want to chip them, they better buy them from me first.
Comment Barbara — May 27, 2008 @ 9:15 pm
Texas Goat Gal,
I realize with all due respect that constitutional rights are much more important to Americans than Canadians. If you feel that a national ID system infringes upon your rights, who am I to argue, it’s your country.
That being said, I am very disappointed that you found my comments negative. I thought it would be interesting to hear the opinion of a farmer (yes farmer)that has gone through exactly what you are fighting against. Like I said, people weren’t very happy about it here either, but now that it is place, the benefits are clear.
As far as getting fired up by a statement so simple as “the rest of the world is doing it” I’ll only say that the US is a great country, but it isn’t an island. Learning from others does not infringe upon your rights.
Mr.greenjeans
Comment mr.greenjeans — May 27, 2008 @ 11:34 pm
Mr. Greenjeans…thank you for your comment. Now go back to playing Capt. Kangeroo’s sidekick. Be sure to put an RFID tag in “Bunny Rabbit” too.
When we bend over and spread ‘em it makes it so much easier for “them” to achieve their goals. You have obviously grabbed your ankles.
Fine. Just don’t insist that the rest of us comply and we’ll promise not to invade Canada until we run out of lumber or such time that it will be for “the Canadians own good”. It is 2008, but it seems an awful lot like 1984 to me.
Comment Bob Constantine — May 28, 2008 @ 5:19 am
The last time I had to grab my ankles was when the powers that be closed the border due to one case of mad cow disease in Alberta with no hope of ever tracing the (probably US) origin of the cow. This even though my farm is barely 200 miles from WJ, the author of this blog.
Comment mr.greenjeans — May 28, 2008 @ 6:18 am
“As far as getting fired up by a statement so simple as “the rest of the world is doing it” I’ll only say that the US is a great country, but it isn’t an island. Learning from others does not infringe upon your rights.”
In the words of any mother, “if the rest of the world jumps over a cliff, will you do that also?”
What we’ve learned from others, is that the Australians hate NLIS, and the Dutch hate mandatory chipping of their horses.
Comment Barbara — May 28, 2008 @ 6:36 am
Greengenes the British folk were not to thrilled with the stench and horrid waste when our government destroyed millions of live healthy animals in 2001. It was a huge mistake that has destroyed our ilands agriculture.
Comment Angie — May 28, 2008 @ 8:24 am
I would like to know how rushing to RFID chip cloven hoofed animals would eliminate or decrease the horrific impact of a F&M outbreak when you are dealing with a mentality that wishes to eliminate independent farming?
The plan is to kill everything within a 10km radius anyway. Well…except maybe ‘Royal Deer’, zoo animals with cloven hoofs, and those housed by corporate ag entities up on their political ‘contributions’.
Children get a form of F&M all the time. I don’t see Homeland Security - or whomever it is sent out to do these things - depopulating every child under the age of 18 within a 10km ‘kill’ radius because some four year old has blisters on her lips.
Read up on your history fellow farmer:
ukrainegenocide
Comment donna — May 28, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
These links are problematic. Let’s try this once more.
An excellent paper written by a Canadian historian on the genocide of Russian farmers in 1933 by the Soviet Government:
ukrainegenocide
Comment donna — May 28, 2008 @ 4:39 pm
mr greenjeans,howdy.two questions,do you know a girl that goes by the name of crystal? are you crystal and just changed your name? your comments sound a lot like the ones she used to make.didnt like hers, dont care about yours.but you have done what you set out to do,you have got us to comment on your comment.it wont happen again from me.your friend,nick
[Crystal is out of Colorado and GreenJeans is out of Canada based on IPs. -WJ]
Comment nick — May 29, 2008 @ 9:46 pm
Thanks for backing me up WJ. I really respect a well run blog/website. If Nick still needs reassurance, I am not 16, I am 39. I also have a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and own a hormone and antibiotic free beef feedlot, a bull evaluation center, and a top notch Limousin herd. All in CANADA.
Comment mr.greenjeans — May 31, 2008 @ 1:32 am
Mr. greenjeans - questions: is Canada tagging every single farm animal or just cattle? Is Canada still using the book-ends approach with only two movements reported - when the animal leaves it place of birth and when the animal enters the processing plant?
Comment Ann Nelson — May 31, 2008 @ 8:08 am
Ann Nelson,
Cattle, sheep, goats and other ruminants must be tagged and registered at birth. Each time that animal is moved from one site to another it must be reported, even if it is only from one farm to another or even the county fair. There are penalties for transporting an untagged animal.
Comment mr.greenjeans — May 31, 2008 @ 9:37 am
Mr.greenjeans - thanks for the answers. I found this link:
Canada ID
Does is describe the current system? Is this where all trace back is reported, even for livestock other than cattle? Is there a fee for each report and if so, how much is it?
Comment Ann Nelson — May 31, 2008 @ 12:49 pm
Ann,
I farm in Quebec, where we have our own system(first in North America to require RFID at birth), therefore I am not completely familiar with the rules in the rest of Canada.
The only fee we have to pay is to purchase the tags, then all other reports or paperwork etc. is free. I think that the cost of the tags is also subsidized in part.
Comment mr.greenjeans — May 31, 2008 @ 9:00 pm
mr.greenjeans,
If Canadians didn’t like animal ID when it was imposed on you, why was it allowed to happen? Don’t you have any say in what your government does? Are there any groups in Canada similar to the Amish who have religious objections? Does Canada guarantee such groups the right to practice their religion unimpeded? Do you have private property rights, or have you given the government permission to enter your property uninvited and without a warrant? Do you have phantom cattle like Australia? What benefits do you think government mandated ID has over private systems that were previously in place? What happens to people who are poor, illiterate or don’t own phones, computers, etc?
Do you think that show horses are high risk disease carriers?
USDA has not given us a good answer to any of these questions?
Comment Barbara — June 1, 2008 @ 6:15 am
Donna, I’ve no doubt that the powers that be,corporate govt globalist controlled,have a similar plan but on a much larger scale.
I have used this example to groups of people that I work with and talk to regularly,this one always seems to get the skeptics attention,thank you for posting the link.
Keep working at this thing folks,don’t bcome fearful,but don’t get lazy either,we live in a dangerous and hardened world where life is cheap and where the profits and the power/control of the so called elites are the first priority of they and the govt/corporations they control.
Free people close to the land are hard if not impossible to control,stalin,hitler,ceasar,an all despots today all understood this fact,you and your independent attitude is a direct threat to the power of the elites,we will not be tolerated.
I firmly believe we will beat this thing and all the other crap coming at us from Mordor on the Potomac and its satilite cesspools worldwide,they want to frustrate us,overwhelm us so that we give up and quit,lets not let that happen,
lets keep at it,but lets also take time to live, to laugh, and to love life and those around us as well as our liberty and never lose sight of what matters,together we will come out of this and be better and stronger than before!
Remember our libertys are only “enumerated” in the Bill of Rights,govt/elites did not give/grant our liberty,they therefore can not legislate/take it away,only we can give it up and if we do hell will have to be paid before we or our children walk free again.
“LIVE FREE OR DIE TRYIN”
Comment LEE — June 1, 2008 @ 10:49 am
Thank you, Lee.
You speak the sad truth in regard to ‘our time’ and in regard to those who live on the land.
It is essential for us to become involved in the political process at our local level. All this federal funding going to our local law enforcement agencies, even volunteer fire departments is ‘federalizing’ those entities making them obligated to respond to ‘federal’ mandates when called upon.
Comment donna — June 1, 2008 @ 8:47 pm
If Canadians didn’t like animal ID when it was imposed on you, why was it allowed to happen? Don’t you have any say in what your government does? Are there any groups in Canada similar to the Amish who have religious objections? Does Canada guarantee such groups the right to practice their religion unimpeded? Do you have private property rights, or have you given the government permission to enter your property uninvited and without a warrant? Do you have phantom cattle like Australia? What benefits do you think government mandated ID has over private systems that were previously in place? What happens to people who are poor, illiterate or don’t own phones, computers, etc?
Do you think that show horses are high risk disease carriers?
USDA has not given us a good answer to any of these questions?
Barbara, that is a lot of questions. While Canadian producers didn’t really need the extra paperwork and costs, I think most realize that a national ID program is necessary in order to show the world that we have one of the best and safest food supply chains. We do have a say in what our government does, but like the US, farmers are now a very small percent of the voting public. I don`t think religious groups like the Mennonites are forced to tag their livestock unless they wish to market them through conventional chains. Our system remains largely voluntary at the farm. We are required to tag if we would like to have access to gov`t programs, sell through auctions, slaughter animals at inspected plants etc. It is not like other countries like Germany where spot checks are performed and untagged animals destroyed. Are there phantom cattle in Australia? What previous systems? You mean like the brand police in some states that separate you from your pocket cash if your paperwork is out of order. Agriculture has become such a tough business that I don`t think there are many illiterate farmers left in Canada, and their days are certainly numbered. Since horses are not ruminants, they are not required to be tagged.
Freedom is word that is being used a lot when people discuss the NAIS. Freedom comes with responsibility. Freedom as an American right was introduced as meaning freedom from the rule of a monarchy. Your founding fathers probably turn in their graves every time someone invokes their `freedom` as an excuse to be socially irresponsible.
[And this Mr. Greenjeans is where you miss out on how nasty NAIS is. NAIS requires the tracking of virtually all animals, not merely ruminants and not just those in commerce. Sadly, you totally lack the concept of freedom. -WJ]
Comment mr.greenjeans — June 2, 2008 @ 8:53 am
WJ,
I completely agree that the NAIS is trying to go too far. Again, why not look to a neighbour (we spell it with a U), that has a functioning system in place? Give those who choose to comply greater access to Int’l markets,
[Virtually none of us whom are small producers or homesteaders sell internationally. Those of you who want to sell internationally can make up a system but it shouldn’t be done with public tax dollars and it shouldn’t be forced on those of use who don’t want it. -WJ]
labels that advertise source verification etc.
[We already have source verification - buy locally. No need to have some expensive government program. -WJ]
Our niche beef market guarantees source verification to the point that we take DNA on every steer, so that if we have a lot recalled,
[That all costs money which increases the cost of food unnecessarily. The DNA companies love you. The tag makers love it. But somebody pays in the end. This sort of thing drives the small producers out of business. -WJ]
we can compare to archived DNA to see where it came from.
As far as not understanding freedom, I recognize that attitudes are a bit different between us having grown up 5 mins from the border. I feel that to an extent, I see both sides.
[You clearly don’t see both sides as shown by your comments. You prefer government intervention. Please just keep it north of the border. 96% of us down here don’t want it. -WJ]
The main difference in our collective attitudes goes way back to the origins of our countries. We have a constitution too, it was repatriated from England in 1982 peacefully. Americans took their country (justifiably) at the point of a gun, Canadians waited patiently. Other than that there are probably not many other countries on earth that are so similar. Good luck defeating the NAIS, hopefully a more realistic alternative will be proposed.
Comment mr.greenjeans — June 2, 2008 @ 3:13 pm
WJ,
Good luck to you, I respect what you stand for. Too few are unwilling to stand up for what they believe in.
Comment mr.greenjeans — June 2, 2008 @ 4:28 pm
I meant willing. I hate double negatives!
Comment mr.greenjeans — June 2, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
That wasn’t even a double negative was it? Oh well I hate them anyway!
Comment mr.greenjeans — June 2, 2008 @ 4:38 pm
I live near and with First Nations peoples. None of them are surprised by what the American government is doing; it’s the same old handful of beads for the same old sub-leased hunting rights. If your ancestors did to to them, why are you surprised it is being done to you?
Comment Dood — September 6, 2008 @ 9:06 pm
“But what is NAIS?” should answer its question - e.g. use the phrase National Animal ID System. The opening sentence says National Animal ID program leaving the new reader to wonder what the “S” in NAIS stands for.
Comment FredP — October 26, 2008 @ 6:41 am
“The opening sentence says National Animal ID program leaving the new reader to wonder what the “S” in NAIS stands for.”
SCAM??
Comment Barbara — October 26, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
I have contacted my representative and both Senators from Kentucky. I think this is a disgrace and a slap in the face to small farmers in America. Over the last 100 years, small farming has been beat down (mainly by GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS) in America that by 2000, nearly 98% of our food is produced by 2% of farmers. This is not what Thomas Jefferson had in mind for American farmers.
Comment E. Day — April 24, 2009 @ 7:13 am
Just what we need — a bigger bill at the checkout counter. As if things weren’t hard enough for the average consumer and the small farmer, Big Government in the guise of public health wants to stick its grubby hands in our already depleted pockets.
Comment Claudine — June 21, 2009 @ 6:53 pm