ECONOMIC IMPACT OF NAIS ON HORSEOWNERS:

IF YOU THINK NAIS WON'T AFFECT YOU CAUSE YOU ONLY HAVE ONE OR TWO HORSES? THINK AGAIN.  

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Economic Impact of NAIS for Horse Owners
Karen Nowak © February 2009

Every horse owner knows that the current economic situation in the USA is impacting the horse industry. Feed costs are higher than they’ve ever been. In fact, any and all supplies/services used for our horses – from supplements to tack to farrier and vet costs are higher. At the same time, sales are way down. Horses are on the market for longer periods of time before they do sell and prices are rock bottom. Those of us who breed cut way back on the number of mares bred last year. Some, like me, chose not to risk it at all and bred NO mares last year. We are feeding and caring for broodmares and stallions with no return whatsoever on our significant investment.

And now we have NAIS looming on the not too distant horizon!

But wait, you say, “I thought NAIS was now voluntary!”

Remember the key phrase “voluntary at the Federal level.” Three states so far have made all or part of NAIS mandatory. Tremendous pressure in terms of grant monies is being placed on State Departments of Agriculture by the USDA.

In addition, if you read the USDA’s most recent official document, the September 2008, A Business Plan To Advance Animal Disease Traceability, you will discover that while they claim NAIS is “voluntary,” the handwriting is on the wall. One way or another, they will push NAIS through.

What will those costs be? Up to this point, all we have been told by the USDA is, “There will be a cost to producers.” They then try to divert our attention by exclaiming that the first component of NAIS - premises registration - is free. Yes, it IS free – for now at least.

But technically it really isn’t free because the entire premises registration system has been funded by the taxpayers of this country without any of us having a vote in how that $130 million of our hard-earned dollars has been spent.

The question we should be asking is “Will it remain free, or will we have to pay to renew it every year once the funding dries up?” Ask and watch how quickly they divert the question!

NAIS is a massive system! According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, there are 2.2 million farms plus an unknown number of properties which house small numbers of livestock for personal use, show grounds, auction/sales barns, vet clinics, stallion stations, and public and privately-owned trail systems.

Virtually any location animals from different properties “commingle’” will need to register their premises if the NAIS system is to be fully compliant and functioning as designed.

The second component of NAIS is animal identification with radio-frequency ID tags or implantable microchips containing a unique 15-digit ID number.  According to the USDA, farms in the USA have an inventory of 2.3 billion livestock encompassing 33 species at any point in time.

What will the cost of this electronic identification be? The USDA has thus far refused to answer honestly. In the 2006 NAIS User Guide, the USDA claimed microchips for horses would cost $8. They continued to skirt around the true cost by stating “Currently, such cost for implanting the transponder in horses is approximately $15 to $20 per horse and is also dependent on variation in travel cost of the veterinarian to the premises.”

NONE of this is accurate! USDA has stated that those farms that move animals as a “production unit” will NOT need individual ID. They may use a group/lot number because the animals all move together and do not commingle with other animals. Those who will benefit by this group/lot number are the massive corporate-owned agribusinesses, not the owners of a few animals. It is no accident that these same agribusinesses, whose expenses with this system will be less, are those who helped design the NAIS program in the first place!

The third component is animal tracking. Every time a horse leaves your property and commingles’ with horses from other premises, a movement report will have to be filed in this massive NAIS database. The purpose is to be able to trace animals within 48 hours in the event of a disease outbreak. It is important to remember that this is an “after the fact” response. NAIS in NO way prevents disease! What will the charges be for entering these reports? The USDA has refused to say anything other than “there will be costs.”

The other cost for the tracking component is the need to purchase a scanner to read these microchips. The USDA skirts around this issue as well by saying they do not require owners to purchase one. The USDA might not but several states already require you to carry a scanner in the trailer if your horse is microchipped. For those with a single horse, you may be able to get away with not buying a scanner, but if you own several horses, the risk of a “transcription error” with those 15-digit ID numbers is so great that you have to ask yourself if it is worth the risk of the penalty fee. There are `cheap’ $300 scanners out there, but they do NOT have a computer interface so you are back to the considerable risk of transcription errors.

In July of 2007, after much public outcry, the USDA funded a cost-benefit analysis by Dhuyvetter and Blasi at Kansas State University. That study was completed in July of 2008. The USDA has yet to release the findings of this study. Several Freedom of Information Act formal requests have been made to obtain the results of this study. Thus far all requests have been denied. So much for “transparency in government”!

In an effort to determine what the costs would be for horse owners, I used the cost estimate analysis form for cattle, designed by Kansas State University’s Agricultural Economist Kevin C. Dhuyvetter, Ph.D. and Beef Specialist Dale Blasi, Ph.D., and changed the tags and scanner to those microchips and the scanner designed for horses.

Contact your veterinarian for the cost of microchipping, as the above information is an average. It has been included for people to use as a guideline only. Simply multiply those costs by the number of horses you own/lease and add it to the Yearly RFID Cost column to estimate your first year expenses under NAIS.

If you board your horse, expect your board to rise to help cover the considerable cost not only in equipment but in labor with all the scanning that will need to be done every time you take your horse to a show, etc. Spare batteries and anti-viral software were not included in the cost estimate analysis by Dhuyvetter and Blasi. They are included here because they ARE necessities!

There is no movement cost listed above, just as there was not on the original by Dhuyvetter and Blasi. An assumption has been made that the `computer software’ is NAIS compliant software and the `subscription/ upgrade fees’ allow the owner to upload the data themselves. That would be far more cost-effective for everyone (including the USDA) in the long run.

What will the costs be for show organizations? They will need at least one scanner and spare battery, a laptop computer with spare battery and external back-up device (prevent risk of lost data!), internet access and all the software, subscriptions listed above plus the labor to perform all these tasks. Scanning horses at shows will be a logistical nightmare because of the many variables from one venue to the next, the type and size of classes, etc. It would be impossible to scan all horses in the trailer as they enter the show grounds unless you want a major traffic jam! There is also the not unlikely possibility that the person scanning could be injured if the horse spooked in the confined space of a horse trailer.

Last is the risk of `missing’ some scans due to late arrivals that will not be showing until the end of the day. It would also be impossible to scan each horse as it enters the show ring because of the delay it would cause in each class as well as the considerable risk of `duplicate entries’ since most show in more than one class. The most logical solution to these logistic difficulties is to set up scanning stations on the showgrounds. Horses could be scanned and their entry numbers stamped with a symbol easily recognized by staff at the in-gate to each show ring.

How much time will this take? A very conservative estimate is 3 minutes per horse. We cannot line them up nose to tail like they do cattle – a fact that I do not think the USDA has considered. There will have to be enough space between horses to prevent humans and horses from being kicked. That means additional time spent waiting for the next horse to move up in line. While the microchip should be placed in the same general location, time will occasionally be lost searching for a microchip that is not quite in the perfect location. Last will be the horses that spook at the scanner. We all know some will, and that will cost more time!

Just how much time will scanning take at an average horse show? Estimate that one person can scan 20 horses per hour IF all goes well. It is not unusual for there to be 200 horses at a popular local or regional show and that is where we must focus to determine the true cost to us as horse owners.

If only one person scanned, it would take 10 hours just to scan all these horses into the NAIS database! Five scanning stations would be far more workable as that would take a total of 2 hours to scan in every horse. But wait – that means 5 scanners and 5 spare batteries! The cost to the show organizer just jumped from $1070 to $5350! Divide that over the 3 year life of the scanner and it comes to $1783 per year just for scanners. In addition, they will need 4 additional people just to scan and we all know how difficult it is to recruit enough help at shows! Just as with boarding, these costs will have to passed on to those of us who show.

The cost per horse to cover this expense (broken down over the 3 year lifespan of the equipment) would be an additional $14 in entry fees. If they try to recoup their costs that first year, the additional fee would be $42. That’s not too bad you are probably saying to yourself. Very true if you are the person showing but what about the show organizer who is already struggling to meet expenses in this economic climate? They have to pay out an additional $8,090 for that first year for all this equipment plus labor for the additional staff. Will they be able to survive? My belief is we will see more shows canceled, just as the recent Red Hills Horse Trials in Florida was forced to cancel because there weren’t enough entries to meet expenses. Imagine if they have this expense on top of it!

What impact will NAIS have on the much smaller shows?  One way to attract new people and children into showing, and generate income in training and/or sale of horses, is to offer small shows at low prices to allow them to “get their feet wet.”  These shows typically have 20 or so horses with entry fees of $4 to $7 per class.  Twenty horses is just enough that you dare not have a “cheap” scanner (no computer interface) because of that ever present risk of `transcription errors’ when copying down numbers manually.

These show organizers will be faced with the same costs as the bigger shows with the exception that they will only require one scanner and one spare battery.  Their initial cost outlay to comply with NAIS will be $3,645. Will their budget allow it? Probably not but IF it did, the cost per horse to cover this expense (broken down over the 3 year lifespan of the equipment) would be an additional $59 in entry fees.  If they try to recoup their costs that first year, the additional fee would be $177!  There is no conceivable way these smaller shows could continue to operate!

Who loses in the end? The entire horse industry loses because these are tomorrow’s stars, as well as potential clients for the many services the horse industry offers. The lost exhibitors are our future breeders and/or trainers!

What penalties might we incur under NAIS? The USDA avoids this question but both the USDA and Congress state that US Codes Title 7 Agriculture, Chapter 109, ( the Animal Health Protection Act) authorizes NAIS. Below is the exact wording for penalties under this chapter:§ 8313.
Penalties
(a) Criminal penalties
(1) Offenses
(A) In general A person that knowingly violates this chapter, or knowingly forges, counterfeits, or, without authority from the Secretary, uses, alters, defaces, or destroys any certificate, permit, or other document provided for in this chapter shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.
(B) Distribution or sale A person that knowingly imports, enters, exports, or moves any animal or article, for distribution or sale, in violation of this chapter, shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(2) Multiple violations On the second and any subsequent conviction of a person of a violation of this chapter under paragraph (1), the person shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both. (b) Civil penalties
(1) In general Except as provided in section 8309 (d) (Veterinary Accreditation Program) of this title, any person that violates this chapter, or that forges, counterfeits, or, without authority from the Secretary, uses, alters, defaces, or destroys any certificate, permit, or other document provided under this chapter may, after notice and opportunity for a hearing on the record, be assessed a civil penalty by the Secretary that does not exceed the greater of—
(A) (i) $50,000 in the case of any individual, except that the civil penalty may not exceed $1,000 in the case of an initial violation of this chapter by an individual moving regulated articles not for monetary gain;
(ii) $250,000 in the case of any other person for each violation; and
(iii) $500,000 for all violations adjudicated in a single proceeding; or
(B) twice the gross gain or gross loss for any violation or forgery, counterfeiting, or unauthorized use, alteration, defacing or destruction of a certificate, permit, or other document provided under this chapter that results in the person’s deriving pecuniary gain or causing pecuniary loss to another person.

We, as horse owners, must stand up and say NO to NAIS! For more information on how to get involved, please go to http://farmandranch freedom.org, http://libertyark. net, http://naisinfocent ral.net, http://nonais. org and http://naisstinks. com. There is an excellent short video on the LibertyArk website: http://libertyark. net/NAIS- new/NAIS% 20Clip/ and another at: http://sovereignty. net/library/ NAIS-web. htm The latter is a bit outdated but still well worth watching.To download the USDA’s most recent document: A Business Plan To Advance Animal Disease Traceability, go to: http://animalid. aphis.usda. gov/nais/ naislibrary/ documents/ plans_reports/ TraceabilityBusi nessPlan% 20Ver%201. 0%20Sept% 202008.pdf

Yahoo News on NAIS:  
http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search?p=NAIS&c=
Google News on NAIS:
http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn&q=NAIS

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10-08: The Battle Goes On:  http://www.nonais.org

1-20-2008:  Some informative videos to watch concerning our general state of "the union" as well as the reasoning behind NAIS:

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URGENT ALERT!!!!
10-23-07

URGENT ALERT: Call the Senate Agriculture Committee IMMEDIATELY. The Senate Agriculture Committee has just released the draft language of the Farm Bill, which will be discussed by the Committee tomorrow. The bad news is that the Livestock Title includes NAIS! Senator Harkin has included a provision that defines NAIS and addresses confidentiality of the information collected under it. This section implies approval of the USDA's program, without addressing the many problems with NAIS, including the USDA's misleading and coercive tactics.

TAKE ACTION: Call the Senators listed below. Ask to speak to the staffer who handles agricultural issues, not just the front desk!

MESSAGE: I want section 10305 taken out of the Farm Bill. I do not want NAIS included in the Farm Bill in any manner at all. While we appreciate Senator Harkin trying to protect people's privacy, the provision does more harm than good. The Senate should not imply approval for any form of federally planned or funded NAIS.

KEY CONTACTS:

Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of Agriculture Committee, (D-IA) 202-224-3254 Senator Saxby Chambliss, Ranking Member (R-GA) 202-224-3521 Your Senators: Go to www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm  or call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or toll free at 877-851-6437

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS:

Calls to other members of the Agriculture Committee are most effective when they come from people within the state the Senator represents. But, as Committee members, they are supposed to take input from anyone. If you have extra time after calling your Senators, Senator Harkin, and Senator Chambliss, call the other members, listed below. And pass this on to your friends and relatives in those states!

Other Members of the Committee:
Patrick Leahy (D-VT) 202-224-4242
Kent Conrad (D-ND) 202-224-2043
Max Baucus (D-MT) 202-224-2651
Blanch Lincoln (D-AR) 202-224-4843
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) 202-224-4822
Ben Nelson (D-NE) 202-224-6551
Ken Salazar (D-CO) 202-224-5852
Sherrod Brown (D-OH) 202-224-2315
Robert Casey (D-PA) 202-224-6324
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) 202-224-3244
Richard Lugar (R-IN) 202-224-4814
Thad Cochran (R-MS) 202-224-5054
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 202-224-2541
Pat Roberts (R-KS) 202-224-4774
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) 202-224-5972
Norm Coleman (R-MN) 202-224-5641
Mike Crapo (R-ID) 202-224-6142
John Thune (R-SD) 202-224-2321
Charles Grassley (R-IA) 202-224-3744

MORE INFORMATION

Section 10305 of the draft Farm Bill provides:

Sec. 10305: Protection of Information in the Animal Identification System: The Animal Health Protection Act (7 USC 8301 et seq.) is amended … by inserting … the following:

(a) Definition of National Animal Identification System – In this section, the term "national animal identification system" means a system for identifying or tracing animals that is established by the Secretary,
(b) Protection from Disclosure ….

For the full provision, go to http://agriculture.senate.gov/  and follow the links for the Farm Bill.

TALKING POINTS

Please do not put any provision for NAIS in the Farm Bill. It is not right to insert a section to address confidentiality of information collected under NAIS, without addressing the myriad abuses that USDA has committed under the program.

NAIS will hurt our economy:

* There still is no cost-benefit analysis of NAIS. USDA has only recently requested one from Kansas State University. The study is unlikely to be a thorough or unbiased study, given that Kansas State has just established a federally-funded Animal Identification Center.
* Costs of the program include the cost of the tags, hardware, software, time and labor
* Many small farmer and ranchers cannot afford these costs
* Service providers (veterinarians, feed stores, auction houses, meat processors, etc.) will be harmed when the farmers and ranchers go out of business.

Remaining farmers will pass the costs on to consumers, adding to inflation

The USDA has provided no scientific proof to show that NAIS will improve disease control:
* It does not address the cause, treatment, or transmission of disease, in domestic or wild animals.
* It does not significantly improve on current methods for identification and tracking of disease.

NAIS is not necessary for the market. Age- and source-verification is already available through the USDA's Process Verified Program

NAIS will not improve food safety:
* USDA itself has stated that this is not a food safety program
* Contamination of food with e. coli and other bacteria occurs at the slaughterhouse or afterwards, while NAIS will stop before that point.

NAIS will not protect against terrorism:
* The microchips chosen by the state can be cloned, destroyed, or infected with computer viruses, and reprogrammed. Any terrorist or thief can use this.
* The database of information, created by the state agency and available to USDA, will provide a target for hackers.

NAIS infringes on people's constitutional rights, including due process, privacy, and religious freedom.

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NO-NAIS EVENT CALENDAR FOR MASSACHUSETTS CLICK HERE

The words of Ben Franklin are timeless; “Any person who is willing to sacrifice liberty for safety deserves neither liberty nor safety”.

7-12-06:
YOU ARE NEEDED!

Coming up on the 19th of this month there will be a Hearing at the State House in Boston starting at 10:30 am.
WE NEED YOU THERE!!

Join us at the State House's Great Hall for a Legislative Day about NAIS:
Hearing w/legislators
Face to face visits with area legislators.
(If you'd like to speak, please contact Pat Stewart at 978-827-1305)
Can't make it to Boston? CALL, FAX OR EMAIL your Senator and Representative. Tell them that the NAIS ISN'T NECESSARY! Let them knowhow much yu value our rural lifestyle, freedom of choice and privacy. Most of all, let them know that this program is noticed and
NOT WANTED!

 6-12-06:

Stop the National Animal ID System

Congressman Ron Paul, May 29, 2006

The House of Representatives recently passed funding for a new federal mandate that threatens to put thousands of small farmers and ranchers out of business. The National Animal Identification System, known as NAIS, is an expensive and unnecessary federal program that requires owners of livestock-- cattle, dairy, poultry, and even horses-- to tag animals with electronic tracking devices. The intrusive monitoring system amounts to nothing more than a tax on livestock owners, allowing the federal government access to detailed information about their private property.

In typical Washington-speak, NAIS is "voluntary"--provided USDA bureaucrats are satisfied with the level of cooperation. Trust me, NAIS will be mandatory within a few years. When was the last time a new federal program did not expand once implemented?

As usual, Congress is spending millions of dollars creating a complex non-solution to a very simple problem. NAIS will cost taxpayers at least $33 million for starters.

Agribusiness giants support NAIS, because they want the federal government to create a livestock database and provide free industry data. But small and independent livestock owners face a costly mandate if NAIS becomes law.

Larger livestock operations will be able to tag whole groups of animals with one ID device. Smaller ranchers and farmers, however, will be forced to tag each individual animal, at a cost of anywhere from $3 to $20 per head. And NAIS applies to anyone with a single horse, pig, chicken, or goat in the backyard--no exceptions. NAIS applies to children in 4-H or FFA. Once NAIS becomes mandatory, any failure to report and tag an animal subjects the owner to $1,000 per day fines.

NAIS also forces livestock owners to comply with new paperwork and monitoring regulations. These farmers and ranchers literally will be paying for an assault on their property and privacy rights, as NAIS empowers federal agents to enter and seize property without a warrant-- a blatant violation of the 4th amendment.

NAIS is not about preventing mad cow or other diseases. States already have animal identification systems in place, and virtually all stockyards issue health certificates. Since most contamination happens after animals have been sold, tracing them back to the farm or ranch that sold them won’t help find the sources of disease.

More than anything, NAIS places our family farmers and ranchers at an economic disadvantage against agribusiness and overseas competition. As dairy farmer and rancher Bob Parker stated, NAIS is "too intrusive, too costly, and will be devastating to small farmers and ranchers."

NAIS means more government, more regulations, more fees, more federal spending, less privacy, and diminished property rights. It’s exactly the kind of federal program every conservative, civil libertarian, animal lover, businessman, farmer, and rancher should oppose. The House has already acted, but there’s still time to tell the Senate to dump NAIS. Please call your Senators and tell them you oppose spending even one dime on the NAIS program in the 2007 agriculture appropriations bill.

Congressman Ron Paul, a Republican, represents the 14th Congressional District of Texas, which encompasses the Gulf Coast region south and west of Houston.

5-11-06:  ATTENTION MASSACHUSETTS HORSE OWNERS:

Hi Everyone … looking for horse people from Massachusetts! Clubs, Organizations, Groups, Stables, etc.

 On May 30^th there will be a meeting with invited Gubernatorial Candidates, Elected Officials, Town officers in this region (Ashby), along with the press for an informational meeting on the NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM (NAIS). The meeting will be held at the Grange in Ashby, MA at 7:30 pm. PLEASE – if you can, attend this meeting to exhibit our “force” against this devastating program from the USDA!

 Also, we are planning a RALLY on July 8^th for the ENTIRE State of Massachusetts. Our goal is to have representatives from every Horse Council, Pony Club, 4-H Equine Club, Trail Club, etc. plan an event with local farmers in their area to get the word out to the public about NAIS. A parade, small show, exhibit, educational presentation or just a trail ride en force with informational posters, pamphlets, flyers, etc. as well as companion farm animals joining the force will speak volumes to townspeople and area residents.

 If you would be interested in HELPING with the organization of this Rally in YOUR AREA, please contact either Pat Stewart at Farm@hamesaxle.com or myself at caballus@charter.net.

 http://www.SmallHoldersAlliance.com (Pat Stewart) will list your rally date and any pertinent information to help coordinate your rally. When you have an event started, or something NAIS related occurring, let Pat know at Farm@hamesaxle.com and the info will be posted on the site. Also, send in your website as a supportive organization to help fight the NAIS program.

 This is STATE WIDE for Massachusetts!

 We also invite you to join MA Against NAIS yahoo group to keep up on what’s going on in each other’s areas and share info, ideas, thoughts, etc. The address to that is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MA_Against_NAIS/

 If you don’t KNOW what NAIS is, please, please, please go to: http://www.nonais.org to find out. This program that the USDA has put into high gear will be absolutely devastating to us as horse owners and equestrians as well as fatally destructive to our local farms and local food supply!  This is NO joke! In order to save our sanctity as US Citizens with rights afforded us by our Constitution, we’ve GOT TO COME TOGETHER NOW and let our government know, in no uncertain terms, that we will not STAND to be forced into collectivism! States across the country are already beginning to feel the force from NAIS and our neighboring states have begun to stand against it. WE MUST DO THE SAME!

 Thanks for your attention and I hope to hear from many of you soon! There is no time to waste!  Again, the 1^st meeting is set for:

 MAY 30
7:30 pm
Grange Hall
Ashby, MA

 Thanks, again!

4-30-06:  A number of states have learned more about NAIS and are now saying they will NOT agree with the program in their state. Please, the time to be proactive about this is NOW! Inform your neighbor's, your farmers, set out notices at your feed & grain stores, TALK to people about it! If you don't feel you know enough to share truthfully, go to http://www.nonais.org or http://www.stopanimalid.org or http://www.libertyark.net. READ UP and then make an INFORMED decision and then help your neighbors and community be able to make INFORMED decisions. Attend your state meetings about NAIS and VOICE your opinion. WRITE to your representatives, congressmen, and state veterinarian. WRITE to your local newspapers, local cable TV stations and let them know what is going on. Let them know that you are against this program! This is AMERICA where we do have the rights and freedom to speak our minds -- use this RIGHT to STOP NAIS! Don't wait another minute ... this program is being pushed through fast! Read the NAIS timeline here: http://nonais.org/index.php/timeline/ . Read the latest US CODE on ANIMAL HEALTH here: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode07/usc_sup_01_7_10_109.html
then think of your own horses and animals. Think of how you would feel if you were to find out a neighbor's horse came down with WNV? Or Lymes? Or Strangles? If you're within an 8 mile radius of this then you know YOUR horses will be destroyed under the new NAIS. Period. No questions asked, no warrants needed, no rights to fight against it. GET ACTIVE NOW!!!! Please!

YOUR VOICE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  Speak up NOW!

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From http://www.nonais.org:

MA NAIS Meeting 3/30

Thursday, March 30th, 2006 from 6:30-8:30 at the Palmer Community Library in the Community Room at 1455 North Main Street Ben Grosscup will hold a Hearing to Learn About NAIS. If you raise poultry or buy from a farmer who does, you might want to come to this meeting to ask questions and find out exactly what the USDA and MDAR are saying about this proposed program. A key concerns is that the NAIS will put undue restrictions on small farmers, increasing already tough economic pressures.

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3-24-06: From http://www.nonais.org:

MA NAIS Meeting 3/30

Thursday, March 30th, 2006 from 6:30-8:30 at the Palmer Community Library in the Community Room at 1455 North Main Street Ben Grosscup will hold a Hearing to Learn About NAIS. If you raise poultry or buy from a farmer who does, you might want to come to this meeting to ask questions and find out exactly what the USDA and MDAR are saying about this proposed program. A key concerns is that the NAIS will put undue restrictions on small farmers, increasing already tough economic pressures.

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JFYI:  If you think "that isn't gonna happen!" - THINK AGAIN. Read this excerpt from the USDA:

"...NAIS is currently a voluntary program. To ensure the participation requirements of NAIS not only provide the results necessary to maintain the health of the national herd but also is a program that is practical for producers and all others involved in production, USDA has adopted a phased-in approach to implementation."

Notice the term "National Herd" ... YOUR ANIMALS ARE ALREADY CONSIDERED PART OF THE NATIONAL HERD! Our private ownership of our own animals has been revoked by the USDA!  Also notice that it is stated, "adopted a phased-in approach to implementation."  ... Folks, this system is well underway and by 2009 EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO OWNS A CHICKEN or a DUCK or a pet GOAT or HORSE or any other animals (yes, dogs and cats are due to be included, too) will be MANDATED to obtain a premise id, microchip all your animals and to report all movements off property of ANY NATIONAL HERD MEMBER ... your cat, your llama, your cow, your goat, your alpaca, your rabbit, your ducks, your geese, your chickens, your pig, your whatever.  Failure to comply will first result in $1000 a DAY fine for each animal that is non-compliant.

Are YOU ready to begin reporting of every movement you take with your animal? To the vet? For a trailride? To visit a friend? What about if your chickens "fly the coop"?  

MORE SO ....  are you willing to succumb to the revokment of our 4th Amendment to our US Constitution? This system will allow a government official to come onto your property and seize or destroy all your animals without notice, without warrant, anytime night or day.

Here is the Timeline from the NAIS Draft Strategic:

IF YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION YOU REMAIN PART OF THE PROBLEM.
Speak up! Write to your congressman, your senator, the White House, the USDA, your Farm Bureau ... Let them know just what you think!
Go to:  http://www.nonais.org
for contact info and more detailed and up-to-date notices and reports.

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, and the animal owner will have to PAY for the privilege of owning animals!

Click HERE to read the latest developments and to find out what YOU CAN DO to stop YOUR HORSE and YOUR FARM from becoming Government Property!

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Creator of Life has done this? In God's hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being."  -- Job 12:7-10
"Men try to fix problems with duct tape. God did it with nails."
                         -- Anonymous, John 3:16

Learn to accept Your Blessings so you can Bless others.
Learn to accept YOURSELF so you can help others.
Accept JESUS as your Lord and Savior so you can lead others to HOPE.

DEFINITION FOR "PENZANCE": God's Holy Headland; A Place for Spiritual Growth.

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