NAIS is a fascist taking of our property and rights. It will be very destructive to small farms, local rufal economies, homesteaders and ultimately the consumers will pay with higher prices and less food choice as control of our national food supply is concentrated into the hands of fewer and fewer large corporations.

Just say No to NAIS.

-Walter

I just read some information about NAIS here on active farming in the current issues section. It sounds like scary stuff to me. I'm planning on homesteading and not selling much off the property. I'm basically going to grow what I need. So I don't think it will hurt me too much if they go through with it.

The only thing I'm afraid of is sometimes the government doesn't know when to stop once they go so far. They just keep trying to further and further...

Some type of animal identifcation system is needed and will be needed more in the future. Years ago with several packing plants in most states, most livestock going to market did not travel many miles from where they originated. Now with most packing plants being located in midwest, livestock are going to feedlots from all parts of the US. If we ever have an outbreak such as madcow disease, it will be extremely important we know where the animal or animals originated. As of now the program is voluntary and you will only have to identify your cattle once they leave the farm and enter the market. Lets face it, we now have regulations about cattle running in open streams and we keep records on pesticide use. It is all for a safer product and cleaner environment. If we cannot be responsible producers of farm products, perhaps we need to get into another profession. If McDonalds ever got some contaminated meat, wouldn't it be good to know where the animals originated and address that location rather than quarantine everyone in a state or even larger area?

I HAVE to reply to some of this post....CAPS are for my comments.

Some type of animal identifcation system is needed and will be needed more in the future.

WHY? DON'T JUST THROW OUT STATEMENTS LIKE THAT WITHOUT ANYTHING TO BACK UP WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. GIVE FACTS AND SOUND REASONS. TRY STARTING WITH THE TWO INTERNATIONAL TREATIES THAT WERE SIGNED IN 1994 THROUGH THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION THAT GOT THIS WHOLE THING GOING REAL GOOD....AND THEN LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW INTERNATIONAL TREATIES *NEVER* OVERRIDE OUR CONSTITUTION.

If we ever have an outbreak such as madcow disease, it will be extremely important we know where the animal or animals originated.

AGAIN, TELL US *WHY*? BSE ANIMALS TEND TO BE UP THERE IN YEARS, NOT YOUNG STOCK. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR ORIGINAL HERDMATES WILL LONG AGO BE IN YOUR BURGER, NOT STILL ALIVE WAITING FOR YOU TO FIND THEM. NOT ONLY THIS, LAWS WERE PASSED IN THIS COUNTRY NINE YEARS AGO (1997) TO STOP CONTAMINATING THE FEED. LOGIC TELLS US THAT IF THIS IS TRULY HOW CATTLE GET BSE, THEN ALL AMERICAN CATTLE 9 YEARS OR YOUNGER SHOULD BE FREE OF BSE. CORRECT? THAT MEANS THAT WITH EVERY DAY THAT PASSES, AMERICAN BEEF IS GETTING SAFER AND SAFER FROM BSE AS THE OLDER CATTLE DIE OFF/ARE BUTCHERED. CATTLE OLDER THAN 9 YEARS WILL ONLY BE USED FOR HAMBURGER OR RENDERING, NOTHING ELSE. IF BURGER, THEN THEY ARE MIXED IN WITH SCORES AND SCORES OF OTHER CATTLE - IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL THEM APART ANYMORE. HOW DOES KNOWING THE FARM WHERE THEY WERE BORN HELP AT THIS POINT? IMPOSSIBLE. THE ONLY THING THAT WILL TELL YOU ANYTHING USEFUL IS *IF THAT COW WAS TESTED FOR BSE AT SLAUGHTER*...A TAG IN ITS EAR TELLS YOU NOTHING USEFUL AT THAT POINT. AMERICANS WANT TESTED CATTLE, NOT TAGGED CATTLE! YET THE USDA CONTINUES TO REJECT ANY REQUESTS BY AMERICAN PROCESSORS TO TEST CATTLE EVEN AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. AGAIN WE ASK....WHY????! ANYONE HERE HEARD OF THE LAWSUIT GOING ON RIGHT NOW AGAINST THE USDA BY THE CREEKSTONE PROCESSORS IN KANSAS OVER THIS VERY THING? IT'S MOVING RIGHT ALONG IN THE COURT SYSTEM...JAPAN SAYS THEY'LL BUY MEAT FROM CREEKSTONE IF THEY'LL JUST TEST, AND CREEKSTONE IS MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT...BUT OUR GOVERNMENT WON'T LET THEM??! JAPAN'S EMBARGO AGAINST OUR BEEF EXPORTS WOULD BE NULL AND VOID IF WE WOULD JUST TEST AT SLAUGHTER...BUT MAINSTREAM PROCESSORS ARE BUCKING THIS AND SAYING IT WOULD BE "TOO COSTLY", ETC. LIKE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE US FEEL SORRY FOR THEM. PEOPLE, KEEP ASKING *WHY*.

BY THE TIME SOMEONE TURNS UP WITH BSE FROM EATING BSE INFECTED BEEF (CAN TAKE YEARS AND YEARS), THAT NAIS TAG THAT WAS IN THAT COW'S EAR IS LONG GONE AND MEANS SQUAT. ALL IT DOES IS ASSIGN BLAME AND LIABILITY TO THE PRODUCER WHEN IT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS ON THE PROCESSOR. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT - THE PROCESSORS WANTING TO SHIFT LIABILITY OFF OF THEMSELVES. THE FUNNY THING IS, CONSUMERS ARE SCREAMING FOR COOL (COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING) SO THEY CAN KNOW WHERE THEIR MEAT HAS COME FROM, AND THE PROCESSORS ARE FIGHTING IT TOOTH AND NAIL...SCREAMING, OF ALL THINGS, THAT IT WOULD PROVE "TOO COSTLY" FOR THEM AND WOULD HAVE "TOO MUCH LIABILITY"....HEY, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO US, THE PRODUCERS, WITH THE NAIS, BUT FOR SOME REASON THAT'S OK?? NO, IT'S NOT. HOW ABOUT YOU CONSUMERS OUT THERE - WOULDN'T YOU RATHER HAVE A LABEL TELLING YOU WHAT COUNTRY YOUR MEAT CAME FROM RATHER THAN NOT? THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS AS YOU WILL SOON FIND OUT THAT YOU ARE EATING MEAT FROM MANY THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES INSTEAD OF YOUR GOOD, SAFE AMERICAN BEEF...WHICH IS BEING EXPORTED FOR BIGGER BUCKS, INSTEAD OF BEING FED TO YOU. MEAT IS IMPORTED FROM COUNTRIES WHERE IT'S CHEAPER THAN HERE, AND OUR MEAT IS EXPORTED WHERE BIGGER PROFITS CAN BE MADE THAN HERE - DO YOU SEE HOW IT WORKS? THEY SEND OUT OUR MEAT WHERE THEY CAN GET MORE MONEY FOR IT AND THEN SELL US MEAT THAT THEY BOUGHT CHEAP FROM SOME OTHER COUNTRY...AND WE PAY PRICES FOR IT LIKE IT'S AMERICAN BEEF. THERE'S NO WAY FOR US TO KNOW BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING TO MAKE THEM TELL US WHERE THAT MEAT HAS COME FROM. TRY LOOKING UP THE STATS ON WHAT AMERICA IMPORTS FROM AUSTRALIA (ONE OF THE BETTER COUNTRIES), ARGENTINA, ETC. AMERICA ACTUALLY CONSUMES 100% OF THE MEAT IT PRODUCES...SO *WHY* ARE WE EXPORTING AND IMPORTING WHEN WE COULD JUST BE EATING WHAT WE ARE GROWING RIGHT HERE??? SO *SOMEONE* CAN MAKE A BUCK, THAT'S WHY. START ASKING AROUND ABOUT WHO THAT SOMEONE IS.

TELL US HOW BSE "BREAKS OUT" SINCE IT IS NOT A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE? IT IS NOT CAUSED BY BACTERIA OR VIRUSES. THEY HAVE NOT EVEN PROVEN THAT OFFSPRING CAN CONTRACT IT FROM DAMS YET THEY MAKE THIS BIG SHOW OF TRYING TO TRACK DOWN ALL THE CALVES OUT OF A BSE COW. HAS THERE BEEN A SINGLE CALF TEST POSITIVE FROM A BSE COW? NOT ANY THAT WE'VE HEARD OF. ALL THE HERDMATES WERE KILLED AND TESTED THAT WERE WITH THE CANADIAN BSE COW THAT WAS FIRST FOUND IN THE U.S....NOT A SINGLE ONE WAS POSITIVE. THEY ALL DIED FOR NOTHING. BUT THE GOVERNMENT MADE A GRAND SHOW OF "PROTECTING" OUR MEAT SUPPLY WITH ALL THAT CARNAGE AND WASTE. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH THE WAY YOU WORD THINGS....

ALL THAT ASIDE, THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN DEVELOPING THE WORLD'S BEST SAFEGUARDS AND DISEASE ARRESTING TACTICS/VACCINATIONS FOR OVER 100 YEARS. ALL DONE AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVELS WITHOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STICKING ITS NOSE IN WHERE IT DOESN'T BELONG (ON THE MOST PART). IN THOSE DECADES, DISEASES AS SERIOUS AS FOOT AND MOUTH (NOT SEEN HERE IN 70 YEARS) HAVE BEEN CONTAINED AND ERADICATED WITHOUT NEED OF INTERNATIONAL AND FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT OR INTERVENTION. OUR SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY HAVE GOTTEN BETTER AND BETTER, ESPECIALLY IN RECENT YEARS, YET IT IS BEING PROPOSED THAT WE THROW THE BABY COMPLETELY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER, AND GO WITH THIS NEW UNTESTED SYSTEM THAT HAS NO PLAN, DETAILS OR IDEA OF WHAT THE COST IS GOING TO BE TO THE PRODUCERS OR TO THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER. THAT'S LIKE SIGNING A CONTRACT TO HAVE A HOUSE BUILT WITHOUT ANY BLUEPRINTS BEING DRAWN UP FIRST - THAT DOESN'T SOUND TOO BRIGHT, DOES IT. WHY DO WE WANT TO GIVE UP THE EXCELLENT *HOUSE* WE ARE LIVING IN RIGHT NOW - THE BEST ONE IN THE WORLD - FOR ONE THAT ISN'T EVEN BUILT YET NOR DOES ANYONE SEEM TO HAVE ANY ANSWERS ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING TO LOOK OR WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST?? NOOOOOO, ALL THEY CAN SAY IS, SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE AND DON'T WORRY! YEAH, RIGHT.

As of now the program is voluntary and you will only have to identify your cattle once they leave the farm and enter the market.

I LIKE THAT "AS OF NOW" THING. LET'S TALK ABOUT NEXT YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER THAT...IT WON'T BE *FREE* ANYMORE AFTER THAT INITIAL SIGNING UP, AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO PAY AND PAY AND PAY, YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. AS OUR STATE FARM BUREAU AG REP TOLD ME PERSONALLY ON THE PHONE, "YES, THE FEES *WILL* GO UP, NO ARGUING WITH THAT." FREE TODAY, $10 NEXT YEAR, $100 THE YEAR AFTER THAT. THERE IS NO CAP ON THIS...THE GOVERNMENT CAN LITERALLY CHARGE YOU $1,000 A YEAR IF THEY WANT TO. AS THEY ARE SAYING, *WE* HAVE TO PAY FOR THE COST OF RUNNING THIS PROGRAM...WHATEVER THAT ENDS UP BEING. WHAT HAPPENS AS THE DOLLAR CONTINUES TO LOSE VALUE AS IT HAS BEEN DOING FOR SOME TIME NOW? YOU BETTER BELIEVE THAT THOSE FEES ARE GOING TO GO UP FOR MANY, MANY REASONS THAT PEOPLE AREN'T EVEN THINKING OF, YET. AND IT WILL BE THE MEDIUM AND SMALL FARMERS, HOMESTEADERS, ETC. THAT GO DOWN FIRST BECAUSE THEY ARE LEAST ABLE TO PAY. AND IF IT EVER GETS TO WHERE THE BIG GUYS CAN'T PAY, *THEN* THEY WILL MAKE SURE THAT THINGS GET CHANGED WHERE IT DOESN'T CAUSE THEM TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS...BUT THE LITTLE GUYS DON'T GET THAT KIND OF CONSIDERATION.

Lets face it, we now have regulations about cattle running in open streams

AND WHY IS THAT? MILLIONS OF BUFFALO AND MILLIONS OF OTHER WILD CREATURES/HORSES RAN THIS NATION BEFORE CATTLE CAME ALONG - DON'T YOU THINK THOSE MONSTROUS HERDS RAN THROUGH CREEKS AND RIVERS ALL THE TIME? IF IT WAS OK FOR THEM, WHY IS IT SO BAD FOR LIVESTOCK TO BE AROUND THE WATER? OUR RANCHING EXPERIENCES (GENERATIONAL RANCHERS) FOUND THE OPPOSITE TO BE TRUE - THAT THE ANIMALS WEREN'T HURTING THE WATER WAYS AT ALL. STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS HAD BUNCHES OF DAIRIES PULL UP STAKES AND MOVE TO OTHER TOWNS DUE TO THE EPA ACCUSING THEM OF CONTAMINATING THE LOCAL RIVER...ONLY LATER THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE RIVER WAS TESTING UPSTREAM JUST AS HIGH AS BELOW STEPHENVILLE, AND IT TURNED OUT THAT THEY NEVER DID FIGURE OUT WHY IT WAS LIKE THAT. APPARENTLY IT WAS SOMETHING *NATURAL* GOING ON. THIS CAME TOO LATE FOR THE LOST DAIRY INDUSTRY AND ECONOMY FOR THAT TOWN. AND THE LOST CHILDREN IN THEIR SCHOOLS, ETC. DID THE GOVERNMENT APOLOGIZE? I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT ANSWER.

If we cannot be responsible producers of farm products, perhaps we need to get into another profession. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

OH, HERE WE GO...THE *GUILT TRIP*. IF WE DON'T SUPPORT NAIS, WE ARE ANIMAL ABUSERS, IRRESPONSIBLE ANIMAL OWNERS, ETC. IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE DON'T DO IT *YOUR* WAY, WE ARE BEING IRRESPONSIBLE. WELL, MAYBE WE THINK *YOU* ARE THE IRRESPONSIBLE ONES. OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN RANCHING/FARMING FOR GENERATIONS. WE HAVE DONE SO WHILE RESTORING USED UP LAND BACK TO PRODUCTIVENESS AND WHILE KEEPING HUNDREDS OF HEAD OF LIVESTOCK HEALTHY, HAPPY AND PROFITABLE. JUST AS OUR FATHERS, GRANDFATHERS AND GREAT GRANDFATHERS BEFORE US DID. ALL WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S HELP OR ASSISTANCE. IMAGINE THAT. WE ARE NOT IGNORANT IMBECILES. WE ARE AMERICAN RANCHERS AND FARMERS, AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF US KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING. AND WE DO IT VERY, VERY WELL. WE ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD AT WHAT WE DO, AND YOU BETTER GIVE US THE CREDIT FOR IT.

If McDonalds ever got some contaminated meat, wouldn't it be good to know where the animals originated and address that location rather than quarantine everyone in a state or even larger area?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

WELL, LET'S SEE. I GREW UP WORKING IN A MEAT DEPARTMENT IN MY PARENTS' GROCERY STORE. I HAVE PERSONALLY GROUND UP MORE HAMBURGER THAN YOU WILL EVER SEE IN YOUR LIFETIME. THEN I WORKED IN A SLAUGHTER HOUSE AFTER I WAS MARRIED. MY HUSBAND'S FAMILY ALWAYS BUTCHERED THEIR OWN MEAT WHICH WE ALSO DID WHEN I MARRIED INTO THE FAMILY (AND WE STILL DO). WE DEALT WITH THE LARGEST FEEDLOT IN DODGE CITY, KANSAS. NOW I WANT YOU TO TELL ME *WHAT* WOULD BE IN THAT MCDONALD'S BURGER THAT CAME FROM THE PRODUCER THAT WOULD REQUIRE TRACE BACK TO HIM? E-COLI? THAT'S THE ONE MY FARM BUREAU REP TRIED TO PULL ON ME. NOPE. THAT GETS IN WITH THE STUPID AND CARELESS PERSON WHO WAS GRINDING THE BURGER AT THE PROCESSOR. ANYTHING ELSE? YOU ARE TRYING TO LAY THINGS AT THE FEET OF THE PRODUCERS THAT PROPERLY BELONG AT THE FEET OF THE PROCESSORS! THAT'S UNFAIR AND DECEITFUL. IN FACT, A MCDONALD'S BURGER WILL CONTAIN MANY, MANY ANIMALS GROUND UP IN THE SAME BATCH AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE INDIVIDUALS IN THIS SITUATION SO WHY WOULD YOU EVEN BE LOOKING AT TRACING BACK TO THE PRODUCER?? THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHATSOEVER TO BE TRACING BACK TO THE PRODUCER OVER SOMEONE'S MCDONALD'S BURGER BEING "CONTAMINATED". YOU BETTER BE TRACKING DOWN THE PROCESSOR THAT MADE THAT BURGER, AND YOU KNOW IT!!

"SOURCE VERIFIED" DOESN'T HOLD WATER WITH THIS AT ALL. IT'S A MARKETING PLOY AND THAT'S IT! AMERICANS ARE BEING FORCED TO GIVE UP CONSTITUTIONAL FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS SO THAT MCDONALD'S CAN ONE-UP THEIR COMPETITION WITH THE PHRASE "SOURCE VERIFIED" IN THEIR NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN. WELL, WE PRODUCERS SAY "NUTS" TO THAT. IN FACT, THERE IS A NATION-WIDE BOYCOTT BEING STARTED AGAINST MCDONALD'S AND A FEW OTHERS (WALMART, TYSON, CARGILL, ETC.) FOR THEIR PART IN THIS WHOLE FIASCO. THEY ALL WANTED THIS SO THEY COULD INCREASE THEIR PROFIT MARGIN EVEN AT THE COST OF SELLING OUT OUR NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY...WELL, LET'S SEE HOW THEY LIKE IT WHEN NO ONE WANTS TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS AND EAT THEM ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY ARE STABBING THE AMREICAN FARMERS IN THE BACK FOR A FEW MORE BUCKS.

A. MESSENGER (YES, THAT'S MY NAME)
FOR NAIS FACTS: http://nonais.org

MY reply is who do you feel safer with huge cattle feed lots where sick cattle can be over looked, huge chicken factories who feed chemicals to the bird to grow faster, or a small farmer who sees his animal daily, raises the feed for the animal on the farm, and cares for the sick since with the small number of animals each is important to the farmer. check out the show "dirty jobs show " follow the guy in the chicken farm one of the jobs is picking up dead chickens the ones that died that night. this is a daily job there. for a chicken to die on the small farm is usually by fox or raccoons not diease.
A law like the nais will put the healthier animal producers like small farmers out of business leaving you with the only choice to puchase chemical meat or go vegi. If larger producers feel this is important to them for their bottom line. it should be volentary not manditory if they dont get 100% participation. where is the choice there.
as for walmart they have done great deeds for our economy right. they have cheated their employees out of health care. they have hired part timers over full timers, they have a huge impact on our lives and i dont think it is a good impact. should they tell us to tag our animals so they can sell it for more. let them pay the producers more to do this not force those who dont what to. in the end when all animals are tagged they wont have to pay premium for the meat since it is the standard of the business and the premium will be dropped. same goes for Mc Donalds.
""Lets face it, we now have regulations about cattle running in open streams and we keep records on pesticide use. It is all for a safer product and cleaner environment. ""
yes we can see the cleaner enviroment. huge pork producers who pollute the area around them all in the day to day business. so they dont run pigs in the water but they do have septic ponds and not only pollute the water by run off they also pollute the air. Know anyone who lives buy a pig farm???
"""" If we cannot be responsible producers of farm products, perhaps we need to get into another profession.""""" I know you feel you know much more about farming then the farmers so what do you do with the tons of waste produced by the factory farms. Small farmers utilize their waste back on the fields, sadly the chemicals that are being used on the vegitables are used because buyers such as your self will not buy fruit or vegis that are blotched. it is not that the product is not good but it looks wrong. our society is a society who feels they must have perfection at all cost even the cost of our enviroment. the same goes for the farms people dont want that dirty farm on their street. working animal farms are def. muddy in the spring,fall, dirty in the late winter, usually fine in the summer except for possible weed growth. yet this is the healthiest way to animal caretake. animals out in the mud able to move and breath freash air. not cramped in a pen fed feed high quality feed with out the excersize to work it off. did you know cattle in feed lots need anitbiotics to stay alive. the life style is so dangerous to them they get sick if not fed feed with antibioic. the masive muscle is by injecting long lasting steriods under the skin. I know it sounds so good. yummy.
the nais will distroy the smaller farm by taxing them out of exsistance. many older farmers are the end of the line now due to the lack of respect a hard working farmer gets now. It is sad when a rock star or sport player is given more respect then the man who feeds the people. the population of our country is willing to step on a farmer since they feel bigger is better but in this case bigger is chemical ridden beef with antibiotics, CO2 packaged meat, vegis with chemical, chicken with formeldihyde to perserve, eggs from cramped caged birds, pork from smelly enviromentaly disasteris farms raised like feed lot beef full of antibiotics.Did you ever wonder what the impact of all the different chemicals will do to you or the human race when you combine them like during dinner????
the only cure is to bring back smaller farms. buy from a farmer who raise healther stock, free range chickens, chemical free vegies. the only place you can get this is a farmer, People should start to get to know where their food is comming from.
yes I agree the small farm who has free range chickens, large lots of animals walking around making muddy places broken fences maybe is not the greatest picture but when comparing that to the diseases we are seeing now it is def. perferable.

of course diseases is the reason for this bill right. wrong. most of the diseases they are using are not ones we have a worry about mad cow is one from feeding dead cattle back to cattle. bad idea cattle are vegis. we were punished by doing this. take the meat by products out of feed no more mad cow disease cure farmers producing their own feed. ie small farmers. bird flu no brainer wild birds, not in the meat. cure educate farmers when the diease comes so the farm birds can be contained and not get in contact with wild birds, you name it there is a process out there for all diseases, and when one comes farmers pass the information around so the animals can be protected. Nais will only distroy this community.

All the comments above have been good comments, but just how realistic are they in today's world? Small farms are great, but can they feed the US, much less the world? Sure, I will take a homegrown steer anyday over the feedlot animals, but let's face it, we cannot feed ourselves on that type of agriculture. So, it becomes necessary that if we are going to live in the 21st century, we need to adopt 21st century technology. Do you really believe people in the Bronx of New York City, could homestead as many people seem to enjoy?

I agree with it. I can see a good sense on this regulation.
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