Just in case anyone still is not familiar with NAIS, the proposed and partially implemented National Animal Identification System. In a nutshell, if federally mandated, it will require EVERY person in America who owns even ONE livestock animal to register their property as livestock premises, and to micro-chip all of their livestock. Chickens would wear a chipped tag around their legs. Larger animals would have the chip inserted under their skin. Extensive paperwork will be required for each time an animal leaves your property, whether for a trip to a vet, to show the animal at a fair, to sell it to a new owner, or to take it to a butcher for processing. Forms would also have to be filled out and filed for any births or deaths. Failure to comply could include fines of $1500 per day per offense per animal.
Interesting that for the large producers such as Tyson, Cargill, Smithfield, etc. the regulations are much less strict. They can move entire groups through their system with only one tag tracking the entire flock, herd, etc. They are also the major proponents behind this obscentiy. They are the ones pushing voluntary compliance and lobbying for federal approval. WHY would they do this? To squeeze out the smaller producers or course. It is apparently not enough that this small hand full of companies controls the extreme majority of the meat that is produced and sold. It seems that they will just not be happy until they have control of ALL of it.
In the Farm Bill that has been being discussed in congress there have been provisions buried in the bill that would require mandatory NAIS implementation. This was put in as a condition for adoption of COOL (Country Of Origin Labeling,) that has long been sought by many groups in the US.
The good news is that the House heard from lots and lots of people and the NAIS provision has been stripped from the draft legislation. The BAD News is that we are not out of the woods yet. The bill will still have to be dealt with in the Senate.
Your Senators and your Congressman need to hear from you on this. YOU do make a difference. When a handful of elitist tried to ramrod really bad immigration legislation recently, the voice of the people was finally heard and it was defeated. Every phone call and every e-mail really counts. They won't listen to just one of us but they DO listen to ALL of us.
If you don't know how to contact your elected officials you can call the Capital Switchboard at: 1-800-839-5276 OR (202)224-3121 and ask for your senators' and/or representative's office.
To e-mail them, most have to be e-mailed from their website (to prevent spamming.)
Go here to find out who your reps are and how to contact them: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/basics/
On the left side of the page that comes up you will see in red letters "Write Your Officials." Directly under that enter your zip code and a complete list of YOUR reps will come up.
I heartily recommend e-mail over written letters. Due to security it takes a couple of weeks for a hand written letter to make its way through.
When you e-mail or call, keep it simple and to the point. Just let them know that you calling in regard to the current Farm Bill and are OPPOSED TO NAIS provisions being included and that you are opposed to any attempt to impose this oppressive system on Americans in any way at any time.
It should not require more regulation and government oversight, or more bureaucratic BS, fines and punishments for you to own a chicken than it does to own a gun.
I also suggest getting anyone else in your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and church group involved and get them to send an e-mail or make a phone call also.
NAIS is bad for America and bad for you and your girls.
Interesting that for the large producers such as Tyson, Cargill, Smithfield, etc. the regulations are much less strict. They can move entire groups through their system with only one tag tracking the entire flock, herd, etc. They are also the major proponents behind this obscentiy. They are the ones pushing voluntary compliance and lobbying for federal approval. WHY would they do this? To squeeze out the smaller producers or course. It is apparently not enough that this small hand full of companies controls the extreme majority of the meat that is produced and sold. It seems that they will just not be happy until they have control of ALL of it.
In the Farm Bill that has been being discussed in congress there have been provisions buried in the bill that would require mandatory NAIS implementation. This was put in as a condition for adoption of COOL (Country Of Origin Labeling,) that has long been sought by many groups in the US.
The good news is that the House heard from lots and lots of people and the NAIS provision has been stripped from the draft legislation. The BAD News is that we are not out of the woods yet. The bill will still have to be dealt with in the Senate.
Your Senators and your Congressman need to hear from you on this. YOU do make a difference. When a handful of elitist tried to ramrod really bad immigration legislation recently, the voice of the people was finally heard and it was defeated. Every phone call and every e-mail really counts. They won't listen to just one of us but they DO listen to ALL of us.
If you don't know how to contact your elected officials you can call the Capital Switchboard at: 1-800-839-5276 OR (202)224-3121 and ask for your senators' and/or representative's office.
To e-mail them, most have to be e-mailed from their website (to prevent spamming.)
Go here to find out who your reps are and how to contact them: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/basics/
On the left side of the page that comes up you will see in red letters "Write Your Officials." Directly under that enter your zip code and a complete list of YOUR reps will come up.
I heartily recommend e-mail over written letters. Due to security it takes a couple of weeks for a hand written letter to make its way through.
When you e-mail or call, keep it simple and to the point. Just let them know that you calling in regard to the current Farm Bill and are OPPOSED TO NAIS provisions being included and that you are opposed to any attempt to impose this oppressive system on Americans in any way at any time.
It should not require more regulation and government oversight, or more bureaucratic BS, fines and punishments for you to own a chicken than it does to own a gun.
I also suggest getting anyone else in your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and church group involved and get them to send an e-mail or make a phone call also.
NAIS is bad for America and bad for you and your girls.
