Nebraska's Doing it Right

Legislature votes to keep 'premise' ID voluntary

by George Lauby (North Platte Bulletin) - 1/25/2008

By a 30-0 vote, the Legislature agreed Thursday to stress that the "Locate in 48" and similar programs are voluntary.

A bill, LB 632, allows land and livestock owners to opt out of the "Locate in 48" program if they have joined. The law will extend to any future additional livestock registration programs.

Read the rest here>>>


In other news, I hear the Colorado is reversing the mandatory NAIS program at the state fairs. As soon as I hear more I will let you know.

The Newspaper Cup

I received an email and another person, Gintoino, left a link to a web page showing how newspaper cups were made.

We did try our hand at these last week. Unfortunately they did not suit our needs for the transplants. As containers for seedlings, they did however work wonderfully.

Gina asked: Can I ask what type of fertilizer you offer them (or is it just really enriched soil?)

We are using year old chicken poop and compost, with plain ole soil, and some peat. They starter box is what really helped, along with good watering.

Abbagirl74 and alrescate, yes, my husband did shave. I got him a new razor for Christmas, and now his face is cold.

Next Step for the Starters

A few weeks back we discovered a mold problem in the master bath. Though not wide spread, it was a terrible mess. Some of the dry wall had to be removed, and we discovered a crack in the tub. Now what to do with this empty room.

Yesterday we finished the nursery project. It wasn't very eventful, and my husband did most of the work. I just stood around looking purdy. Oh and I took some pictures, Sometimes you should really try and be useful.

We have an old box spring frame. The wood is good, so we decided not to burn it. Good thing, because it took center stage in our project.

Using some reclaimed rope ( it was part of a cat scratching post. The rope was great, but the cardboard insert the manufacture used to keep in all together wasn't) and some shop lights, he hung the frame from the bathroom ceiling.

This frame is no wider then our bathtub was. A definite plus.

We then transferred the plants out of the egg cartons in to the larger pots.

They were getting close to being root bound.

As I was placing pots under the frame, I looked up to see the newest member of our household eager to help, or pounce on me.

Slowly the plants were placed in the nursery.

Using a pulley system, we lowered the far side of the frame, evening out the light distribution.

Sometimes it just isn't worth it

Frugality in action, seems simple enough, but there come times when skimping to save and sometimes inventing out of necessity, just isn' t worth the trouble.

Case in point,

We need to get these tomatoes into a different container.

I know, but the cups won't fit, too many.

Do you remember how to make those boxes?

Like the ones in school? hahahaha! No.

Would one of your books say.

~shrug~ Looking through books. No, but we do have the Internet. browsing, Found something! Printing.

Now, do this.

that.

no the other way.

Eureka! A box.


There was no way this would work to hold a plant. Too flimsy, too shallow. We broke down and bought jiffy containers, 10 for a $1.

If it is so great, why hasn't he signed up?

According to the LA Times, President Bush has not registered his Crawford, Texas, ranch or the eight head of cattle he keeps, according to a White House spokesman.

This is a fairy tale that this technology is not being used and is not already in the food chain. Anyone who tells you otherwise either doesn't know what they're talking about, or they're not being honest."
(Source: Washington Post, January 16, 2008)
Donald Coover, a Galesburg, KS cattleman and veterinarian who operates a specialty cattle semen business, saying meat from the offspring of cloned bulls has been available at your corner grocery store for a long time.

I could care less about a 48-hour tracking ability - the traceability with the National Animal Identification System is only 40 percent. I care more about identifying where the critters are. Hobby farms have to be included in the control area.”
(Source: The Prairie Star, January 18, 2008)
Dr. Steve VanWie of Wisconsin

More interesting quotes can be found here at Cattle Network


The Agriculture Gestapo by Kurt Michael Friese Compares registering guns to registering goats.

Digital Angel Acquires Geissler Tech to Boost Livestock RFID Biz

Tuesday, January 15 2008

Digital Angel, majority owner of well-known RFID chip maker VeriChip Corp., has acquired a new company that'll help it boost its livestock contracts.

Geissler Technologies Corporation, a developer of next-generation electronic ID and imaging technology for animals, will be incorporated into Digital Angel's existing animal-applications business. Continues>>>>

An email I recieved:

USDA plans to use breed associations to force NAIS registrations, beginning as early as March 2008, less than two months from now. USDA's Business Plan calls for breed registries to start using an official Animal Identification Number, or "AIN" in their registry. And since you must first register your property in NAIS before you can obtain an AIN, this could effectively implement the first two stages of NAIS for anyone in those registries!

The breed registries for cattle, horses, sheep, and goats are potential targets, but the Plan does not indicate which breed registries have agreed to implement NAIS.

Take Action: Contact your breed association or other livestock registry and find out if it will be implementing USDA's Plan.

Ask the registry:

• Do you plan to require members to use the USDA's 15-digit Animal Identification Number (AIN) to enter or maintain animals in your registry?
• Do you plan to require members to use the State's or USDA's premises registration system in order to obtain a breed registration number?
• Can you please confirm the registry's intentions in writing?

Tell them that you do not want them to be a tool for implementing the government's plan for NAIS!

Next Steps:

• If they plan to force their members into NAIS, consider finding another association to meet your needs if possible. If you do leave your association, be sure to tell them why.
• Spread the word! If you find out that your breed association plans to force NAIS on its members, tell all the people you know who are in that association or considering joining. Post to the online groups that focus on your type of animal. Let people know how the association is working against the best interests of its members.
• Email us to let us know what your breed association says. We'll post a list of organizations that are requiring NAIS and those that aren't.

The USDA published its Business Plan in December of last year. You can download the Plan at http://farmandranch freedom.org/ content/Governme nt-documents. The Plan sets aggressive targets for implementation of NAIS. One of the strategies for achieving those goals is "harmonization" among various systems that already use individual identification. Harmonization involves changing the existing programs so they use the NAIS-compliant Animal Identification Numbers (AIN's). (Plan, pp.28-29).

As part of its harmonization strategy, USDA lists having breed registries begin using NAIS AIN's in March 2008, less than two months from now. (Plan, p.52). The AIN is a 15-digit internationally unique identification number. It starts with "840" which identifies the animal as coming from the US. (Plan, p.30). In order to get an AIN under NAIS, you have to register your property ("premises registration" under the NAIS plan). The legal effect of this registration is unknown, because there has been nothing like it before - permanent federal registration of citizens' property, linked to an issue (animal ownership) that carries potential liabilities.

With this harmonization strategy, USDA plans to use our private associations to force livestock, poultry, and horse owners to register their property and tag their animals under a government program, despite the continued protests of animal owners across the country.

Garden in a Box, Week 3

On Friday I left you with this picture.

My husband spray painting some cups. The reason is simple, roots don't like light.

Here are our 3 week old tomatoes that have been transplanted into new containers, the cups.

Below is some of the other vegetables that have had an early start. Click on the photo to see the notes on what is what.

The good neighbor peas has been pulled from the box and transplanted into these planters. They are now under our bathroom counter, with fluorescent lighting them. They are thriving there.