January 14, 2008 – 1:24 pm
It is no secret that corporations or bureaucracies can outlive the will or strength of an individual person. Why do I bring this up? I do this because the National Animal Identification is being pushed on farmers and ranchers by corporate businesses and a huge government bureaucracy, the USDA. Believe me; they do not have your best interests in mind.
I read an email last week from Judith McGeary of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance that the USDA Plans to Use Breed Registries to Implement NAIS. I encourage you to read this article and take action if you are a member of any breed registry. There is no inherent requirement for breed registries to use a national animal identification. Once again, this is an unnecessary expense and record-keeping burden for farmers, rancher, and breeders.
People do have a voice when they all act in unison. If it is only a few vocal individuals, then corporations and bureaucracies take no notice, labeling these folks as radicals and fundamentalists. However, when multitudes of people refuse to participate in NAIS, then there is little that corporations or the government can do about it. If the majority of people who use breed registries withhold their cooperation, stop sending any money, or form competing registries, then their voice is heard!
Stand up for your freedoms! Act together and act decisively. Your words as a customer will make a difference, especially when the money dries up for there is one thing that corporations and bureaucracies need to survive. It is your money.
December 24, 2007 – 7:57 am
We have had a bottle lamb in our home for the past couple of weeks. Her name is Nollie. (She was named after Corrie ten Boom‘s sister.) We aren’t quite sure if she will make it. It usually works out that when a neighbor gives you a bottle lamb, it is the smallest out of that lambing. A newborn lamb is a special blessing around Christmas. What joy comes into a home with a little lamb to take care of!
This also reminds me of why we celebrate Christmas. It is a holiday for remembering Christ Jesus’ birth.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. – John 1:29 (KJV)
God bless you this Christmas.
November 4, 2007 – 8:23 am
Have you ever been to a conference or meeting where you were herded around like cattle? Now you really can experience NAIS for yourself! Computerworld published a story, IBM Uses RFID to track conference attendees, that describes IBM’s public trial of this technology. One interesting quote:
Of the 6,500 people here, approximately 2% didn’t want a name tag with an RFID chip in it, said Mary Ann Alberry, IBM’s conference manager.
Granted, this conference is for technology professionals who are quick to adopt new technical trends. It still surprised me that only 2% declined the RFID tag. It shows that people are not aware of the issues surrounding RFID tags and the information tracking these tags make possible. Also, from the article:
The RFID system, coupled with what the conference knows about the person wearing the name badge, is providing lots of raw data, and Alberry said the company hasn’t figured out all the ways it may use it.
I did not see any use of data, from the article, that could not have been accomplished by using another method to measure. The primary function of the RFID tags is to collect ubiquitous data so that it can be analyzed. Is that really necessary?
Now let’s look at NAIS. One of the main selling points of NAIS, we are told, is that it will help to eliminate disease in our national livestock herd. This sounds good on the surface, but is it dealing with the root cause of disease? I would say that it is not. Dealing with the root cause is the only way to eliminate a problem. This is about data collection for future, unspecified, uses.
My final question. Will farmers opt out at a rate greater than 2%?
October 27, 2007 – 8:45 am
I recently finished reading Joel Salatin’s latest book, Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front 
. This book illustrates how government regulation favors Big Agriculture and limits what is possible for small-scale farming. Most of what is big today, started as a small-scale farming idea. Regulatory barriers to innovation, food safety, enjoyment, and efficiency keep individuals and our nation from prosperity. Subjective application of these rules result in punishment to those who have found a better way or just want to farm. If you want to be “Free to Farm,†this book is a must read!
Click here to see a list of books by Joel Salatin.
