I did it now...(Anti-NAIS)

[reluctantpatriot]

Here's the link to a central Missouri feature for which I was interviewed about my views on the NAIS. I will simply preface what you will read simply as stating what I believe regardless of what it will cost me. I believe as I speak and I am sticking to my beliefs with what I contributed to the story.

Jefferson City News Tribune feature artical for which I was one of a few interviewed, my comments are with my name Aaron Weaver

I will have the page saved to my computer if the page disappears of if you for some reason need to register to see it. As of me posting the link is is free and total access.

[rambler]

Interesting article, including your comments. Thanks for posting it. Could see it fine. I think the article had a nice balance to it, showing several sides. Cool.

--->Paul

[Pat]

Great write up! The more people see the better chance we have.

I sent a question off to both Beebee and Hutchinson (Gubernatorial canidates for Arkansas)... Never heard back from Beebee, but Hutchinson's Campaign said "Asa believes that the NAIS should be a voluntary program, so as not be
overly burdensome on small farm operators like yourselves."

I also spoke with Kelly Linck (canidate for Ark district 86) who said not only was he against the manitory requirements, but he would do what he could to make it strictly voluntary.

The more we talk to our canidates, and get articles in the major papers, the better chance we have of not allowing the USDA to implement it.

Pat

[comfortablynumb]

when you get to gitmo, send us a card.

lol

good man, make a noise.

[Madame]

I noticed towards the end that someone was quoted as saying "The NAIS will not affect people who raise animals for their own personal use who never leave the premises." Don't they realize that includes taking your animals to the vet or riding a horse down the road? Sheesh! I'm glad you spoke out so there was at least one voice of sanity in the article!

[arabian knight]

[QUOTE=Madame] Don't they realize that includes taking your animals to the vet or riding a horse down the road? QUOTE]

No ~! You will Not have to report movements like that~! This is taken right from the USDAs OWN web site~!

Q: Will I have to report every time my horse moves off its premises?

A: Not EVERY single movement of your horse will have to be reported. This would obviously be an unrealistic
goal. Movements such as local trail rides, shows or ropings would NOT be required reportable events.

[jnap31]

Originally Posted by Madame

I noticed towards the end that someone was quoted as saying "The NAIS will not affect people who raise animals for their own personal use who never leave the premises." Don't they realize that includes taking your animals to the vet or riding a horse down the road? Sheesh! I'm glad you spoke out so there was at least one voice of sanity in the article!

Or how about obtaining new breeding stock from another distant homesteader? Not being able to do that "legally" will surely effect me.

[haypoint]

We have so many things that we could choose to get worked up about, but frankly, I don't see the big deal. The tags at $1-2.00 each and will provide a way to trace back to where that cow has been. In ymy state we have an area where there are a few TB positive deer and cows. Those farmers in that area need to be able to sell their product. With EID their cows can be tested before going to market and buyers know that that is the cow that just tested negative for TB. Otherwise, who'd buy a cow from that area? If your child got a bad fever after being with that new lamb you bought at a flea market, then the lamb died,wouldn't you want someway to trace back to the farm it came from? We don't live in a world where our food comes from a farm down the road. It is a world economy. Look at the eColi deal with Spinach. Everyone wanted a rapid trace back to where it came from. I want rapid trace back in place in case of Mad Cow, TB or any future problems. What's wrong with that?

[Cyngbaeld]

Originally Posted by haypoint

We have so many things that we could choose to get worked up about, but frankly, I don't see the big deal. The tags at $1-2.00 each and will provide a way to trace back to where that cow has been. In ymy state we have an area where there are a few TB positive deer and cows. Those farmers in that area need to be able to sell their product. With EID their cows can be tested before going to market and buyers know that that is the cow that just tested negative for TB. Otherwise, who'd buy a cow from that area? If your child got a bad fever after being with that new lamb you bought at a flea market, then the lamb died,wouldn't you want someway to trace back to the farm it came from? We don't live in a world where our food comes from a farm down the road. It is a world economy. Look at the eColi deal with Spinach. Everyone wanted a rapid trace back to where it came from. I want rapid trace back in place in case of Mad Cow, TB or any future problems. What's wrong with that?

Animal ID will NOT prevent disease!

Animal ID WILL put the small farmer out of business! If they want to do this with MEGA Agrabusiness then let them go ahead. ALL small farmers/family farms should be TOTALLY EXEMPT!

Haypoint..

Welcome to Homesteading Today..

I would suggest that you read the entire NAIS Draft Proposal as it now stands (despite the nifty disclaimers on the USDA website) , then browse a few other websites such as:
www.nonais.org
and www.stopanimalid.com

After doing some research into NAIS you'll see that it's just a tad more complicated than you seem to think it is. A "world economy" has nothing whatsoever to do with my being able to raise a few goats, buy feed for them locally, sell those goats locally and purchase more goats locally without reporting my "premises" or the "movements" of my goats to the Federal government.
In the entire history of the USA, people have been FREE to raise livestock and poultry without interference from the Federal government. NAIS seeks to dramatically change that.
When one understands the very nature of how it all works, much of it flies in the face of common sense. Let's look at that lamb.
You bought it at a flea market.
Tell me how having it tagged and registered in a Federal data base is going to show HOW and WHERE it became ill?

You assume it became ill at it's own "place of origin." And because of NAIS, all that's needed is a "trace back" and VOILA..sheep disease is discovered!
1. EACH animal it came in contact with at the market could have been the source.
2. The trailer it was transported in could have been the source
3. The illness could have been airborne
4. The illness could have been transmitted from the stall at the market.
5. The illness could have originated at your place, on the way to your place, in your livestock trailer, or from some animal who sneezed on the lamb at a red light on your way home from the flea market. LOL..far-fetched, but I use it to make a point.

So how does NAIS and tagging that animal assist in any way?
The issue is not cut and dried by any means.

[kesoaps]

[QUOTE]arabian knight posted:

Originally Posted by Madame

Don't they realize that includes taking your animals to the vet or riding a horse down the road? QUOTE]

No ~! You will Not have to report movements like that~! This is taken right from the USDAs OWN web site~!

Q: Will I have to report every time my horse moves off its premises?

A: Not EVERY single movement of your horse will have to be reported. This would obviously be an unrealistic
goal. Movements such as local trail rides, shows or ropings would NOT be required reportable events.

AK, the USDA has not changed what they entered into the Federal Register. So they can say whatever they want, but what's in the FR is what stands up as law/regulation/what have you. Not what they've currently got printed on their website.

Plus...if shows, ropings and trailrides need not be reported, what's the point of having the animals tracked at all? Because as far as I can tell, if you were going to spread a disease, events such as those is where they'd be spread (where else do you take your horse???)

[arabian knight]

[QUOTE=Cyngbaeld]Animal ID will NOT prevent disease! QUOTE]

If you have read what the USDA says about animal ID They Never Have said it will Prevent Disease, BUT that it WILL prevent the Spread of it That is what the whole thing is about. Quickly identifying where it is through the Premises ID and then getting to that farm in a hurry to quickly keeping whatever it is from spreading to other farms. And as an animal lover and owner myself i can't for the Life of me figure out why some animal owners are not for such a program as this. I sure wouldn't want to have something spread to my place, because something broke out near by to me. Gesh why not? Gosh that should be a number one priority for animal owners. Keeping their own animals disease free and from Keeping disease from spreading to their farm~!!! Isn't it??

[MorrisonCorner]

I agree with Arabian Knight.. for the life of me I do not understand why people are so up in arms about this. In many areas the tags are free. The vet visit is free. The paperwork is simplistic... I don't tag nor claim any animals I slaughter for my own consumption. If my animals cross state lines they need a vet's certificate, but they need that tagged or not.

WHY would you want to be the farm that doesn't know if one of their breeding stock is found to be carrying something perfectly loathsome which puts you and your neighbors at risk? This makes absolutely no sense to me. Worse, it makes no sense to the general public. And screaming about your "rights" and "we've always been able..." makes you look like a fringe element. An antisocial fringe element, to boot. Not calculated to win you friends and happy politicos.

I do not, have never, understood why those against this program don't frame their discontent in terms the public can understand: it is bloody expensive if done right and ineffectual if done wrong. In short, it may be a waste of tax dollars. Now, there is something the average man on the street can get their teeth into: wasteful government programs which don't have the end result they're expected to but cost zillions of dollars to impliment.

I personally have no problem tracking my sheep. My chickens are a different story. I can see registering and saying "chickens over here!" but tagging each bird would be a wasteful rodeo. Especially since they're for our own consumption. Having a vet visit each and every little farm to confirm that yep... them's chickens... would be absurdly expensive. And I just don't see it happening if the man on the street realizes it is coming out of his pocket.

Frame your arguements so people don't think you're selfish, but concerned about what concerns them.

[kesoaps]

They Never Have said it will Prevent Disease, BUT that it WILL prevent the Spread of it That is what the whole thing is about.

And again I say, if that's what it's about, then why are they saying trailrides, shows, etc are expempt??? And telling where you've been won't prevent anything from spreading, as what they're going to be doing is tracking backwards after a disease is found.

MC, I have neighbors that would prefer not to have to send information to the USDA stating that they've purchased lamb from anyone or that's what they're eating. Because the way it stands, when I sell them a lamb, they need to report purchasing it and report that they've slaughtered it. So you see, it's not just an incovenience to me, it's a matter of my neighbor's privacy.

Once again, I do not trust the USDA to make rational decisions concerning my livestock as they've not got the best track record.

[jnap31]

It blows my mind to see folks on a homesteading web site defend NAzIS

[dragonfly65]

I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said, "Those who would trade their freedom for a little security deserve neither freedom nor security".

Also, remember that the big commercial buisnesses won't be held to the same requirements (or expense) that the small livestock owner will.

[rambler]

Originally Posted by bostonlesley

In the entire history of the USA, people have been FREE to raise livestock and poultry without interference from the Federal government.

You _are_ following the manure application standards; the scrapies & other disease regulation; the state to state quarentines; the animal units per acre regulations; the Phosporious & nitrogen application per acre regulations; wetlands regulations with livestock; shoreland regulations with livestock and so on?

You must not live in the same USA as the rest of us! Wow. Dad had fedral & state rules to follow with his pigs back in the '60s. Livestock has been regulated for a long time, & it will get worse.........

NAIS is about being able to track the spread of disease among animals so it is possible to clean up outbreaks more quickly should they happen. That is all. It does not prevent the first outbreak. It will only help to track & contain an outbreak to a local area. If the records show no animals from that community were taken out of the state for the past 3 weeks, well then the other 49 states should be safe. If the records show several animals were imported from 5 states away, then we best look at that state & see if _they_ started the problem. It's only a tracking tool to be able to clean up disease outbreaks. In the past 40 years, animal movements & shipping has become quicker, easier, & more widespread. Nais is an effort to keep up with that new technoligy. Just an effort. Sure won't be perfect! And it certainly will not stop, prevent, etc. all disease. It's only for outbreaks of some of the newer, nastier, global diseases that seem more prevalent the past decade or 2.



Kesoaps, you do make a _very_ good point. If there are exceptions to the rules of NAIS, the whole thing falls apart & is truely worthless. The only way it will work in some fashion is if it applies to everyone.

I'm all for forgetting about the whole thing. In my view, the worst outcome is that some folks become excepted from it, while others are still mandated to do it. That would be aweful. I hope those of you working strongly against this thing consider everyone, and are working to get rid of it completely; or volintary for all. Not just leaving loopholes for a few.

I also don't think the program will be all that effective. It is more about making paperwork for a 'feel good' effect to consumers & other nations. Down on the farm, it won't really help us a whole lot. Perhaps having consumers 'feel good' is worth the effort tho, I donno.

--->Paul