National Animal Identification System

This is the microchipping of livestock for tracking purposes.  There is a threat of this being made mandatory, right now it's optional at the federal level, but that is changing in some states. 

This is the purpose that USDA claims: 

"To protect the health of U.S. livestock and poultry and the economic well-being of those industries, we must be able to quickly and effectively trace an animal disease to its source.

When a disease outbreak occurs, animal health officials need to know:

    * Which animals are involved in a disease outbreak
    * Where the infected animals are currently located
    * What other animals might have been exposed to the disease

By choosing to participate in NAIS, you will join a national disease response network built to protect your animals, your neighbors, and your economic livelihood against the devastation of a foreign animal disease outbreak.

Take the first step - Register your premises today!"

And here's what wikipedia has to say:

"The National Animal Identification System, (NAIS) is a government-run program in the United States intended to extend government animal health surveillance by identifying and tracking specific animals.[1] Administered at the federal level by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture, NAIS will also be overseen by state animal health boards. While the federal program is voluntary, money received by some states,[2] tribes, and non-profit entities [3] from the USDA through cooperative agreements has been used to make parts or all of the program mandatory.[4][5][6]

Critics claim the system will put small farmers out of business, by requiring that farmers pay the cost of registration devices of between $1 and $20 for each animal. Large, corporate factory farms which are connected to vertically integrated, birth-to-death factory systems ID and pay by the herd (and not the individual animal), while small farmers must pay it for each animal.[7]

NAIS could make American animal products more saleable overseas and the primary benefit of NAIS is to large producers who are exporting."

So, small farmers, who are probably not the cause of the disease outbreaks this system is "supposed" to control, have to pay for each individual animal to be chipped and tracked (plus a report must be filed for each animal every time it is moved or changes ownership), while confinement operations housing thousands of animals (exactly the kind of environment that causes these diseases) only need to pay for one chip per house. 

Who do you think lobbied this into existence?  What will you do if it becomes mandatory?  Sounds like the perfect time for a peaceful protest by non-compliance from ALL small famers. 

it is rather frightening. of course they like to dishonestly play on peoples emotions saying that this is for food safety. which is bunk.

this is a good site for info it seems

http://www.naisstinks.com/index.php?con=main

This is a genuine threat to small scale food production.  Thank you for the link, Leah!

NAIS is doom for small farmers. 

My understanding is that if a hen pops out one day with twelve chicks, you will have to call the government and the government will send somebody right out.  Each chick will get a number.  And you get to pay something like $35 per chick to do this. 

Whereas big ag will send an employee to NAIS school and that person can then do all of the NAIS chores as part of their other duties.

This subject has already been covered on the forums I believe, however I don't know if a link to the petition against NAIS was part of it.  So forgive if any of this is a repeat.....

Visit this link to sign http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/369063795

Also, go on-line to your representatives web site and send them a strong email opposing NAIS - then send the link of your representatives to others in your sate asking that they do the same, or post the info with tear off strips at your church, club or grocery store.

To watch this issue and others that affect Agg. visit this site - Past Action Alerts and Updates from the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance  http://www.farmandranchfreedom.org/content/action-alerts  Most recent NAIS post was October 2: Congress Trims NAIS Funding!

USDA site with the current NAIS numbers http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/premises_id/update.shtml   37.5% of the US is now registered.

June 27, 2006

Thank you to everyone who called and wrote their Senators, asking them to stop funding NAIS! The Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee voted unanimously to ask the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review NAIS. We will monitor what comes out of the GAO and keep you informed when the issue returns to the Senate.

This will probably be a long and challenging struggle, but the
subcommittee's vote shows that we are making progress. We encourage everyone to continue their efforts to inform others about NAIS, both the public and your elected officials. Visit the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance citizens action center at
http://www.farmandranchfreedom.org/action.html for tools to help you take action at the local, state, and federal levels.
You may also want to read articles on NAIS at http://www.farmandranchfreedom.org/archives.html to
become more informed and be able to counter the government's and industry's pro-NAIS arguments.

Working together, we can make our voices heard!

Right now NAIS is still voluntary, but if we don't yell and yell loudly we could all be living with it, much like the wall-street bail out....

(I searched for a thread about this with several different names before I made this thread) 

I'm sorry, I'll sign the petition and all but I have little faith in the effectiveness of those sorts of avenues.  If this legistlation is anything like the bail out, oh or ANY OTHER LEGISLATIVE PROCESS -  it will be pushed through by the lobbyists of the BIZ AG and we will have to fight the implementation of it on the ground - after the fact.  It's why organization, education, and UNILATERAL non-compliance by ALL small farmers in the first states that adopt it as law is the only way to avoid mandatory chipping in all states.  There are two people currently on trial in Wisconsin for non-compliance. 

Joel Salatin says he will refuse to comply.  This could turn into the biggest battle over the control of our food chain yet. 

Here's Joel, being interviewed about food safety regulations in general, and Joel says it will "criminalize and de-economize small scale farmers." 

"If there's one thing that stands between personal freedom and tyranny it's the choice of being able to decide what to feed our own bodies." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HCxwoHHJnw

From Wikipedia again, this is already a reality in the EU since 04, and several other countries have their own system:

"The Australian system has over 11,000,000 phantom livestock in the system that do not exist.[29][30] This system costs farmers money because of the increased handling time and lost margins when tags do not match in the system resulting in lower payments to farmers.[31][32]"

Sounds like it's streamlined and easy to use!

I also think this is supposed to the "gateway drug" into microchipping EVERYONE.  All babies.  All people.  I know it's sort of conspiracy theorist stuff (not really so far fetched anymore), but a day could come when you can't buy anything without the microchip in your neck, or hand, or whatever.  It will be very easy for people to think "well all our animals have a chip, why not us?  It's for national security."  Land of the free?  Home of the brave?  Where are our BALLS, people?  Stand up for ourselves! 

"Where are our BALLS, people?  Stand up for ourselves!"


that is the major problem. generations having been raised to be dependent on others to make personal decisions and judgements. they depend from day one on their doctors to their teachers and on up to the government officials and agencies to "do what is best for them".

I'm right with the you there to a large extent when it comes to the conspiracy theory aspect. I dont' think it is as organized as some would believe. its almost its own entity that evolves and survives through our "unnatural selection" process. we have to change the enviroment it lives in to force new and better adaptations in order for it to survive. right now it is a parasite killing its host. we need to turn government back into a somethign we can have a symbiotic relationship with. we need to chop chop on the government gene pool.

ha!  Chop chop on the government gene pool!  Love it! 

I remember feeling very helpless after the bail out.  It was protested loudly and happened anyway.  I swear I could hear wall street chuckling about the main streeters thinking they had a say in the matter. 

Sorry, but have to add my two cents here.

Mention of Big Ag behind this is correct-and behind them they who want to control the food supply for their own profit. They control the food supply, the processing of foods that we all know are really bad for us and keep those who do eat them literally going back to their doctors and the "medical establishment" and thus the circle continues onto the pharmaceutical companies. Unhealthy people have  tendency to be good followers and thus dependent on the system that profits only a very few.

Unfortunately this is just a portion of those very few who want to control our world do.

In getting different groups like breed registries,  state brand offices, cooperative extension and a plenitude of others have been roped into NAIS under the auspices of losing their federal funding if they don't turn in their membership and livestock  info. That kind of bribery is a type of control not of democracy. That's another topic though.

This is a comment from the site Leah posted, I think it pertains to what Pat was just saying:

"The issue is not the issue. Who decides the issue is the issue. If you decide the issue you are a free man. If a politician decides the issue you can un-elect him, but if a bureaucrat decides the issues you are his pawn and practically without recourse."

Harold Hockstatter

I too hold no confidence in government, and I'm not whole hog into conspiracy-theory either.  I do believe in civil disobedience as a necessity and responsibility at times.

However, I do not agree with you Marina when you say my suggestion of using our voting power as much as possible by signing petitions and contacting our representatives is not very effective.  It may or may not be effective that is not so much the point, but not exercising every right we have is defiantly 100% not going to effect a change - guaranteed.  Except maybe to further limit our rights.  You don't use it you loose it.  I also see that signing petitions and contacting our representatives takes effort and time.  Some would like troubles to simple go away without costing them anything - this will never happen. 

You then suggested an UNILATERAL non-compliance by ALL small farmers as a better course of action, well there are much more people who can vote then there are small farmers.  In addition there are many small farmers who will cave in and not stand tall in this regard.  It is a nice suggestion on it's own, but not as a replacement for exercising one's vote in addition to non-compliance - IMO.

I say we should all do all we can, in any manor which presents it's self to each.  As well as grow a couple, as Leah says.... it will take all of this and maybe more to stop loosing our freedoms to big business and corruption.

I'd love to throw my hands-up in exasperation on the whole system and stop participating, but that's not what someone who has grown a couple does - you fight on every front, and you support others as they do the same too.

My animals are not tagged or registered, and they will never be!

You're right, Jami, we do need to fight on every front.  I get overwhelmed by feeling like "the little guy" (eh hem, girl) and it's important to keep trying. 

Jami I agree with you. I do sign numerous petitions, do not register my stock or tag them and generally share information with like minded people as to the web of those behind creations such as NAIS.

This came about because the man in charge of the program here in NM threatened me. A long time friend in the brand office told me it would be a good idea to register for NAIS and after the session with the aforementioned man, I started digging. What was found horrified me. How could something where state and breed registery officials are "bribed" be good for the many small farmers just raising for their own use? It's not. And that's the idea.

people are using profit making of small farmers at risk as a reason to not have NAIS, however it seems like people are not realizing that that is the intended goal of NAIS.

This has 666 written all over it, it's actually very hard for the idea of this actually happening to register in my mind, it worries me greatly that the people of this country are allowing this to happen.

The american people will get exactly the government they deserve.

There is a difference in reading and understanding legislation and gut reaction. I've read the NAIS " official wording"- making sure to get the most current copy at the time.

I've also worked with livestock most of my life. The good, the bad and ugly. Whether it's in my own or a friends field, at livestock auction or swap meet or any number of places you can buy/sell livestock-records of some type are kept. Yes, some people will sell sick stock-seen that often enough over the years, but in the last five that has been changing. Which is a good thing.

Don't know how many people would like knowing that their "burger" from a fast food place came from downer cow meat-which having known some of the their buyers(fast food chain) back East-knew that was happening. Saw it here also, but it did stop because "people-John Q Public" put a stop to it.

Many Americans are still asleep as to what is going on in our country, but at the same time many are waking up.

Ours  has been a very corrupt system for a long time and the day is coming when the corruption and the people behind it will be revealed.

The unfortunate thing is that the wording of the official stuff is designed to make scared citizens believe that it will help ensure the safety of their food.  This might very well might lead to support from the general public to enforce this as federal law!  It's deliberate mis-information from the very organization that is supposed to ensure the safety of our food. 

I don't think a democracy can operate effectively if the elected body is giving the public manipulated information, for the sole purpose of shoring up large corporate profits.  That's the main reason why I believe that this will probably eventually become the next great civil rights struggle.  Of course I hope it doesn't come to that, but I just don't have any faith in the integrity of our governing officials. 

The first presidential election I participated in was completely muddled by voting machine fraud, and it was pretty much forgotten about by the general media a week later (co-incidence? probably not).  That did a lot to erode my faith in our "system".  Nine years later, the picture isn't any better at all.  It doesn't matter which persona holds the office, they aren't in charge.   

marina phillips wrote:

I don't think a democracy can operate effectively if the elected body is giving the public manipulated information, for the sole purpose of shoring up large corporate profits.  That's the main reason why I believe that this will probably eventually become the next great civil rights struggle.  Of course I hope it doesn't come to that, but I just don't have any faith in the integrity of our governing officials. 

Me either.... when money rules the day, spins the data and buries the truth how can average-joe(s) think straight to flex their democratic muscles?

It feels like we are the proverbial frog in water, with the heat ever increasing slowly and we don't see it.  I hope we don't wake up one day cooked.

well.  WE aren't going to be cooked.  Cause we're smarter than that.  We're getting out of the pot and off the train! 

Its dead!  Its dead!

according to this at least.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/business/05livestock.html?scp=1&sq=nais&st=cse

but its probably like the "bad guy" in a scary movie and just when you think he is dead laying on the floor riddled with bullets he reaches out and grabs the ankle of the person trying to sneak out....

we shall see!

Leah,
      You're likely more right than wrong on that one.

  Leah your right!  Never trust the dead..... Bad-Guy, Aien or Government Agency!!!
They always have more than one-life in 'em - Baw ha ha ha

I think we need to put a few extra bullets in it....... and maybe sever the jugular...just to be sure....

That article is certainly encouraging!  But....the chances of Obama getting re-elected are looking slimmer and slimmer, who knows what the next guy (Ms. Palin, even) will do.  I'm personally still concerned that my particular state will come up with its own system.  7th (last I looked) largest economy in the world, and all. 

Throughout history the trend has been the same: the farmer grows the food, the people in charge lock it up or otherwise control it.  Take away money, policy, legislation, you'll see that control of food is the ultimate power.  Whosoever controls the food, controls the people.

Dostoyevsky wrote
In the end they will lay their freedom at our feet and say to us, "Make us your slaves, but feed us."

A trend over the last hundred years in the US has been a decline in the number of farms and an increase in farm size.  Much of this has to do with gains in efficiency of scale.  Of the 2 million farms in the US, only a couple hundred produce 85%+ of the food grown in the US.  NAIS would make it more expensive to keep livestock for most of the farms in the US, but give the large producers a competitive edge. 

The expected results:
-small farms disappear.  The expense and administrative hassle of keeping a few livestock can and will drive many small producers out of business.  Its the small farms that hold the wealth of genetic diversity.
-Big Ag gets bigger
-less genetic diversity as larger herds of the same species of animal are propagated.  Efficiency of scale, uniformity of product, and predisposition to desirable response to artificial inputs are all promoted. 
-more control of the food is placed in the hands of fewer people
-in the event of a disease outbreak, TPTB can and will take action.  Either the registered animals in the affected region are treated or they must be culled.  Large producers have the wherewithall to afford treatment options as well as control its availability.  If you can't afford or acquire the treatment, your animals are gonners.

NAIS is a control strategy.  Implementation of the procedures defined by its legislation is a tactic affording Big Ag a superior advantage.