Last week, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund sponsored a teleseminar about the National Animal Identification System. One of the speakers was John Carter, a fifth-generation Australian cattleman, who spoke about the Australian experience with its equivalent of NAIS.
It was a frightening talk, about how Australia has assembled an army of bureaucrats to enforce premises and cattle registration. Not only are the costs much higher than originally estimated, but many of the government’s records are inaccurate, leading to long and frustrating efforts to correct things, if they can even be corrected. It sounded like Big Brother run amok, and if I understood correctly, the Australian system just applies to cattle, not to all farm animals, as the current NAIS model is envisioned.
I also thought about the story I had heard just prior to the teleseminar, of Tami Mascho’s experience buying a miniature Nubian goat.
Tami lives in upstate New York on an acre of land and has raised Nubian goats for the last 13 years, mostly as a hobby. She milks a few to supply her family of eight and sells a few kids each spring.
Three months ago, she ordered a Nubian goat from Wisconsin. The seller went through the required process of having the goat examined and vaccinated by a veterinarian, and filed required forms in connection with tuberculosis eradication with Wisconsin and New York agriculture agencies, so the goat could be shipped to Tami.
A few weeks after the goat arrived safely in New York, Tami had a visit from an agent from New York’s Department of Agriculture and Markets. “She asked me a few questions about how many goats I have and what I do with them. She was taking some notes. But I never signed anything.”
In late March, Tami received a packet of materials in the mail from NY Ag and Markets—including a letter that “serves as notification that your business has been successfully registered” with NAIS and a “Certificate of Registration” (pictured above).
The problem with all this, from Tami’s viewpoint, is that not only did she not request a premises identification number, but she is against NAIS and wants nothing to do with it.
She wrote the state nearly two months ago to opt out of the system. But, surprise, surprise, that hasn’t gone nearly as smoothly as the registration. No one’s responded to her letter. When she calls to find out where things stand, she gets “the runaround,” she says. “They say they are backed up and haven’t been able to get to it.”
Sounds a little like when you want to cancel your cable TV, or your life insurance, doesn’t it? Signing up goes so quickly and smoothly, and opting out, well, that seems to be so complicated.
By the way, just want everyone to know that Mary Zanoni is suing USDA over a FOIA request.The timeline and particulars about how USDA has gone forward in spite of public resistance are all laid out clearly. It is a beautiful read, all 45 pages of it.
If you’d like the suit or the press release, email me. henwhisperer at gmail dot com
It also explains the why and how of the regulators determination to stamp out that, and other, rights.
http://www.constitution.org/law/bastiat.htm
Bob Hayles
She needs to make a Big Fuss over this.
If that doesn’t send a clear message to the USDA about what farmers think of their "confidentiality," and the NAIS, I don’t know what would.
Gwen
http://www.ethicurean.com/2008/02/22/ag-expo/
Actually, there is a funny teat dip discussion in the comments of that post.
Amanda
Darth…please read the article. This is what we are talking about regarding corporate controlled agriculture and the reason we MUST fight for our rights.
Bob Hayles
The article about Poland was quite disturbing.
Interesting article in the NY times on investing and farmland.
against it. If NAIS is such a good thing, why are the majority of people
against it?
Why are there so many websites and comments on the few news items about NAIS
overwhelmingly against this program?
Why do factory farms get only one lot number per groups of animals, with
very few reporting events, while the rest of private livestock owners have
to tag/track every single animal they own and report all birth, death and
off property movements?
Why does NAIS tracking end at time of slaughter when most food safety
issues occur AFTER that, during processing? What about the disease tracking
protocol in place that have historically been very effective?
If NAIS is about protecting the "national herd" (language straight out of
fascist/communist ideologies) why then, when Creekstone Beef wanted to test
every cow they process for BSE, the USDA says they could not!!! They
claimed it would cost too much money. Creekstone had to take the USDA to
court to sue for the right to test for BSE!