Will this great tradition of 4-H and FFA draw to an end when the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is mandated and every animal is tagged and tracked? Many say “yes.”
In rural areas all across America, county fair week is a busy time for
4-H youth as they exhibit their livestock in intense competition. Each
participant wants his/her animal to get the coveted first place ribbon and
trophy.
Tanned and rosy cheeked, some of these boys and girls look very small next
to the big heifers, steers and bulls they show. Tomorrow’s leaders are
fearless and don’t seem to mind getting kicked on occasion, and with fierce
determination these youngsters prove their ability to handle their animal.
4-H and FFA kids love their chickens, geese, goats, rabbits, sheep, cattle,
horses or whatever they are raising as a project. Endless hours are spent
feeding, grooming and taming their stock to “show” their best at the fair in
hopes of impressing the judge.
This is a family event as the kids could not do it without mom and dad being
with them. Farm kids are usually the best kids around because they don’t
have time to get into trouble and they spend a lot of time together as a
family. Starting at a young age, these kids learn responsibility, a good
work ethic and they build character.
Will this great tradition of 4-H and FFA draw to an end when the National
Animal Identification System (NAIS) is mandated and every animal is tagged
and tracked? Many say “yes.”
There is a strong feeling among small producers and hobby farmers that if
the National Animal ID is forced upon them, George Orwells’ quote will
become reality when he said, “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a
boot stamping on a human face, forever."
The small producer will be getting kicked hard and will be forced to abandon
the livestock he loves to raise. This will leave food production in the
hands of the big producers or third world countries whose care and quality
will not match that of the small producer.
There will be no hands on training for those who planned a career in raising
the food for your table if the intrusive reporting is mandated. They will be
out of business.
Texas attorney, Judith McGeary says the owner will be required to report:
- The birth date of an animal
- The application of every animal’s ID tag every time the animal leaves or enters the property.
- Every time an animal loses a tag
- Every time a tag is replaced
- The slaughter or death of an animal
- If any animal is missing
Every time an animal goes onto or off of another person’s premises a
report would be required, showing that the tagged animal had been on each of
these other premises and must be reported within 24 hours. (Standards, pp.
12-13, 17-21)
Horse riders who trail ride will have to report to the government each time
they leave their premises. Livestock exhibited at multiple fairs during the
season will have to be reported each time the animal leaves the registered
premise. If livestock is slaughtered for personal use, the government wants
to know.
A premise registration number is “required for every person who owns even
one horse, cow, pig, chicken, sheep, goat, deer, elk, bison, or virtually
any livestock animal, will be forced to register their home, including
owner’s name, address and telephone number and keyed to Global Positioning
System coordinates in a government database under a 7 digit “premises ID
number,” according to Texas attorney, Judith McGeary.
Doesn’t it seem strange that a “horse” would be listed if they are concerned
about disease since we don’t eat horsemeat in the United States? Beef is our
main export so why are they targeting goat, deer, elk and other animals? A
few chickens and ducks running around the farmstead is not exactly a world
threat and the whole concept of NAIS is invasive to private property rights.
NAIS is being sold as a way to control disease and to get a better market
price from countries such as Japan. For mega producers this would not be a
major problem as they have office staffs who track the production record of
each head of livestock and the information is readily available. However,
the producer has no control over the packer and how he handles the animal
once it leaves it’s premise.
But for the small producer and ordinary 4-H family, where both parents work
and try to farm a little on the side, there are not enough hours in the day
as it is -- much less the time for all the detail of record keeping and the
expense NAIS nonsense would entail. It is then this wonderful way of life
will be abandoned and young people will be deprived of the very fundamental
tradition of raising their own animals and the lessons they learn.
The paperwork alone will make it impossible to be the good neighbor and give
away a bucket calf or pig to the kids next door to raise as a 4-H project.
We certainly don’t need these 4-H kids becoming more like city dwellers with
the mindset of becoming the next “great environmentalists” when they have no
concept of the real environment. What we need are more rugged kids who have
not been raised in front of a TV or computer who truly understand the real
meaning of taking care of the earth and God’s critters.
McGeary, who will be speaking at the upcoming Freedom 21 conference, said
this “feel good” program will do virtually nothing to safeguard animal
health, its alleged purpose. But it will:
- Drive small producers and their supporting suppliers (feed stores, auction barns, etc.) out of business.
- Make people abandon raising animals for their own food and as pets
- Invade Americans’ personal privacy to a degree never before tolerated
- Deprive Americans of their property rights
- Violate the religious freedom of Americans whose beliefs make it impossible for them to comply
- Cost the American economy far more than it will deliver
Supposedly the program is voluntary now but will be mandated by 2009. Most believe by then it will be an RFID chip instead of a tag placed in each animal to be tracked by Global Positioning System. That means there will be surveillance of your home as that is your premise location and where most animals reside. Will a chip be required of the people who live there next?
© 2006 Joyce Morrison - All Rights Reserved
Joyce Morrison attempts to educate the public regarding the dangers coming
to their local communities through Sustainable Development and Agenda 21
programs which are designed to gradually take control of all private
property through undue regulations.
Morrison writes for Eco-logic Powerhouse, NewsWithViews.com, Range Magazine,
SOWER magazine as well as numerous other publications. She is a weekly
participant on the teleconference of the Illinois Policy Institute, a
conservative think tank and is a pro-life, pro-family activist.
She is a chapter leader for Concerned Women for America as well as Secretary
to the Board of Directors of Rural Restoration/ADOPT Mission, a national
farm ministry located in Sikeston, MO. FarmersRuralRestoration.com. Her most
enjoyable time is spent teaching a senior adult Sunday School class which is
a focus on hope and encouragement.
E-Mail: dayspring365@yahoo.com
See also Are you “listening” as your property rights fade away?