Last day to voice your opinion on NAIS

What? NAIS? I thought that was done with.

Oh no. They merely changed the name. APHIS

You have until 11:59 pm et to leave a comment on the proposal for  APHIS.

Please read and comment on it here>>>Tracebility for livestock moving interstate.

Oh but I won't be moving livestock across State lines.  Do you order chickens from a hatchery?  If so, you are indeed moving livestock across State lines and will be subject to APHIS.

Do you trail ride your horse in different States?

Rodeo fan?

It is important to let your voice be heard. Even when it sometimes feels like a lost cause.

Raw Milk Freedom Riders; Wisconsin to Chicago Dec. 8

Who: Raw Milk Freedom Riders and Speakers from around the U.S.
What: 100 gallons of Raw Milk and Cookies to be distributed in support of Food Freedom
Where: From Wisconsin to Chicago. Rally at Independence Park, 3850 West Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL. 60618
When: Thursday, December 8, 2011 (11:30am-2:00pm)
Why: After the first Freedom Ride from Pennsylvania to FDA HQ in Silver Spring, MD on November 1, the FDA issued a statement saying, in part, they did not "intend" to target individuals transporting raw milk across state lines for their own, individual use. Implicit in this, FDA is admitting their intent to criminally target agents, buying clubs, coops and farmers in their pursuit of raw milk prohibition.

Join the Freedom Riders as they call for an end to the prohibition and criminalization of raw milk transactions!

The caravan of Freedom Riders will include embedded reporters to broadcast what the Riders are doing and why - to shed light on the FDA's violent and failing policies. Riders are informing the FDA of their intentions and inviting the FDA to the party as they caravan over 100 gallons of raw milk from Wisconsin and then distribute in Chicago at Independence Park. It is time to challenge the FDA on the law that turns honest parents, farmers and other individuals into criminals for transporting raw milk across state lines.

Food Freedom heroes Max Kane, David Gumpert, Liz Reitzig, Kathy Pirtle, John Moody, Jim Marlowe, Michael Badnarik, and many others dedicated to raw milk choice and food freedom will join up for a rally and peaceful demonstration at Independence Park in Chicago.

EVERYONE is welcome to join the rally and help make a HUGE statement to the FDA on this movement toward personal choice, dietary privacy, and food freedom!

Confirm your attendance at either location by signing up for the facebook event (use the link midway down this page).

Media and other inquiries for this event can be sent to: rawmilkfreedomriders@gmail.com.

If you are unable to make it, but would like to support these efforts, please donate

Contact: Liz Reitzig, Co-founder Farm Food Freedom Coalition LizReitzig@gmail.com            301.807.5063       http://www.FarmFoodFreedom.org/events.htm

If you want your giggle for the day, watch this video of Freedom Rider Max Kane of Wisconsin inviting the FDA's John no-one-should-ever-drink-raw-milk-at-any-time-for-any-reason Sheehan to the WI to Chicago event.

Information about farm raids at www.FarmFoodFreedom.org

Yours for food freedom,

Deborah Stockton, Executive Director
National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association

Our purpose is to promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products.

NICFA opposes any government funded or managed national animal identification system.

Raw Milk Rally in DC for Amish Dairy Farmer

---PLEASE BROADCAST---

UPDATE:

Food Freedom Bike Ride to Rally

Raw Milk Drinkers From Around the Country Coming

Larry Alderfer Fisher will ride his bike from Churchville, VA to the Rally for Food and Farm Freedom in Washington, DC, leaving Friday, May 13 and stopping to drink raw milk on as many farms as he can. Larry needs places to stay - farms producing fresh milk or the homes of supporters of farm fresh products. Ride your bike with Larry for a mile, a day, or the whole trip!

Folks from California, Texas, Ohio and Massachusetts have notified Rally organizers they will be coming, as well as folks from closer states. Can you represent your state?

Raw Milk Rally May 16, Washington, DC
Raw Milk Available -- Cow Expected Also!

WHEN: Monday, May 16 · 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Upper Senate Park. Between Constitution Ave NE, Delware Ave NE, ad C St NE. Next to the Russell Senate Office Building.

UPDATES: Stay tuned to the Grassfed on the Hill website for updates!

For the past year and a half, the FDA conducted an undercover sting operation on Pennsylvania Amish dairy farmer Dan Allgyer and his loyal private buying club customers. On April 26, the FDA served Dan notice that it is seeking a permanent injunction against him for (allegedly) introducing raw milk into interstate commerce. In response to this affront of our freedoms, Grassfed on the Hill, the DC area buying club he provides for, organized the rally to support Dan and other farmers targeted by the FDA, and stand up for all our rights. Please join them in DC. Stings on Amish farms and armed raids against our country's farmers are NOT appropriate use of our tax dollars!

Speakers include:

Jonathan Emord, Attorney
Sally Fallon, President, Weston A. Price Foundation
David Gumpert, Author and Real Food Blogger
Mark McAfee, Founder and Owner, Organic Pastures Dairy
Baylen Linnekin, Executive Director, Keep Food Legal

Donate: https://www.wepay.com/donate/1844

Please pray for Dan and his family.

Media inquiries:
Liz Reitzig
liz.reitzig@verizon.net
301.807.5063

Yours for real food freedom,

Deborah Stockton, Executive Director
National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA)
nicfa@earthlink.net
http://www.nicfa.org


Our purpose is to promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade
that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products.

NICFA opposes any government funded or managed National Animal Identification System.

What ever happened to NAIS?

They changed the name last year to make it more appealing to the American public. Doesn't the sound of animal disease traceability program make you feel all safe and cozy?

But it look like that it will no longer effect everyone, only those moving animals across State lines.

From KFGO

USDA won't enforce the new program if Congress doesn't fund it, Hammerschmidt told the audience at the National Institute for Animal Agriculture conference. Primarily composed of the animal health industry and state regulators, the institute and its members supported the National Animal Identification System and have advocated that U.S. agriculture needs to have better response systems in place in the case of an outbreak of disease like the recent foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in South Korea.

Most of the components of the animal disease traceability program have already been laid out and won't change: run by the states, cattle and four other species will only need to be identified if they're moving across state lines for commerce. It takes a technology-neutral stance instead of NAIS's emphasis on electronic ID tags. The final rule's release will be followed by a comment period, which could be extended beyond the typical 60-day window, before USDA begins implementing the program.

Read entire article here>>>

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Night Vision?

Agency: Department of Agriculture
Office: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Location: MRPBS, ASD, Specialized Contracting Branch

Night Vision equipment Specifications:

CLIN 0001
Quantity: 2 each
Name brand or equal BAE Systems thermal weapons sights (Medium); Model: AN/PAS-13C(V)2, 1100 meter military-grade thermal rifle scope with 640 x 480 resolution.

CLIN 0002
Quantity: 1 each
AN/PVS-7 Generation III Pinnacle Autogated Night Vision Goggles with Standard Accessories, Minimum Resolution 64 lp/mm.

The order form is here.

Found this and more agencies buying up weapons on Sipsey Street Irregulars.

Why does the USDA need night visions equipment? Will they raiding our farms in the middle of the night? This makes me even more uneasy than the guns for DOE. They are only looking for 3 total, but still. . . when does the USDA do inspection in the middle of the night?

A Morning Ramble

I realize that I tend to do this ramble in the middle of the night. But I was ignoring life as I lie in bed feeling like a donkey had just kicked the back of my skull in. I did my morning blog rounds, and was thinking about how they changed the NAIS name. And I suddenly grew very tired. Sad. It all makes me so incredibly sad.

Warning, this will end up getting political.

I have seemed to have made another new friend in DC. Many of you don't know this, but since I began this blog, and started talking about NAIS and telling the Senate that they are behaving like children and they should stand in the corner, or talking about my homesteading life in general I have several friends in the political world. Allow me to, for the first time in 5 years, give a shout out to a few.

The Sargent in Arms

FEMA

Homeland Security

Border Patrol

USDA

A congressman's office

A Senator's office

FDA

Now not being overly paranoid, some of these might just be reading because of their interests rather than something nefarious. But since yesterday and new office has been over, very interested in a post I wrote way back in the beginning, entitled "I am not anti-government". Now this is a post about the first time I found out about NAIS. Nothing about setting myself ablaze and sitting on the front lawn. It has links to articles and websites about what was happening, and my paranoia about how much attention I would get for speaking out about it. Well I did get attention, from Mensa, all positive, then a lot of people from cargill and Monsanto showed up. In their defense they didn't attack me, just read it. But that is long past. I still talk about NAIS, have posts up about if this program was so great, why has President Bush not signed his cattle up for it?

At that time, it was acceptable for me to say something about President Bush and the fact that he was allowing NAIS or now FADTS to happen against our will, but he himself wasn't participating. I was on the correct side of the political fight. But now, now I am seen as a loon and a threat to America according to various article recently published and by homeland securities own research.

Dissidence is Patriotic, has always been so. But we live in a double standard arena. Because my fight now has a new figure head, I am labeled racists, militant, right wing wacko. My tastes and ideals haven't changed. I still feel the same way I did before. But the president and the social scale has changed. Now I am eyed not as an allie like before, but now I'm an enemy.

Because I don't care who holds office, I care about the programs that will inflict damage or harm on me and mine. I am selfish that way.

It is they who have changed, not me.

I support the Tea parties. They still aren't sure where they stand as a group, but as a nation of people who all have true concerns and fears. I support the Oath Keepers. My father was a Police Officer and a Navy man, he would have been proud of his peers for standing up for what they believe in.

Isn't that how many of us were raised? To have morals and principles, to stand up for the little guy, and proclaim loudly that we shall be heard? Or was I the only one raised by a hippy? The Hippies were a counter culture youth movement, mainly white males. Now who is leading the charge in the new counter culture movement? You bet! The same ones. The same people that stood up for Civil rights, are the same ones that are now standing up and screaming at the Government. They are use to the name calling, the propaganda flung at them. These hippies grew up, got jobs, open their own businesses and started families. And now they don't like what they are seeing. And it didn't start with the newest president, no, it started years ago. The frustration just kept building, and now they have an outlet.

Let them have it.

They are not hurting anyone. Maybe some feelings, but then we go back to "sticks and Stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me." However Medium just informed me that they changed the last part to, "Words will break my heart." That ticks me off a bit. How are you suppose to function as a person if words tear you up?

The Blog, Dissenting Times, brought to my attention an article in the New York Post. I no longer read the Post, because they have drastically changed over the recent years, and no longer suit my taste of reading material. This blog was brought to my attention by a biker (Patriot Guard) It's an interesting article. Why doesn't the NY Times get it? My only thought is that they never grew up. They still hold on to ideals that are defunct. But that is purely my opinion that as of the writing of this post, I still had a freedom to speak my mind.

I don't preach hate of any kind. I loathe a few things, of course, but I really don't think I am a racist. I don't threaten to harm or do damage to anyone or anything, except that I will stand up for myself and will defend my family if necessary. I am not a birther. I do not blindly follow Glenn Beck or Chris Mathews (but I do have a crush on John Stossel, have since I was a wee girl)

I was taught that if you have morals, if you have principals then you are to stand up with you see an injustice unfolding. This blog has been around for many years, and I have spouted about what I have seen as an injustice. I rarely get political, I rarely talk about religion, because I have a number of readers from all walks of life. And they each stand up for what they think is right. And that is how it should be.

I will never talk down to you as long as you never talk down to me. I will never group you into a lump of people, unless you do that yourself. I will not allow you to fall, as I hope you would never allow me to.

This man that flew into the IRS building, is not one of mine. He is not one of yours. He is a man that thought the only way out was in a suicide mission. These are not the ideals that I bring to the table. Nor are they the ideals of any of the groups I like or support or write for. We are about living, about Freedom and Bravery. We are about living out the dreams and pursuing happiness in our salt of the Earth ways.

Many people merely want to be heard. They are scared of what uncertain future is coming for them. It is natural to feel this way. Groups support each other, lift the individual, help them feel secure. It has always been this way. I am unsure why so many people have forgotten this. Have we spent too many years avoiding one another that when a group of people that don''t know each other get together, it seems to be an odd concept? Apparently. We use to know our neighbors. We use to hang out with them, and enjoy each others company. Then privacy and self loathing seems to have erupt on the scene. But that has passed and more people are starting to talk to their neighbors, and realizing they have a lot in common.

I do not see this "up rising" as a bad thing. I see it as something that has always been. It doesn't matter if you belong to a Tea Party or with ELF. You ideals are different, your ways to have change come about is very different, but you belong to a group that has the same beliefs as you, that will hold you up and encourage your principles to bloom. It is not only about a need to belong, but a need to be heard. Why do you think so many people blog? ( FYI: I do not support how ELF has gone about their way of change)

I guess it comes down to, don't judge me based purely on what 1 of my principles are. Look at the entire individual first, then the group as a whole. They are not to be feared, unless you want to fear them. And no amount of propaganda will change that. Read all the views and you decide for yourself. Don't allow anyone to dictate your thoughts for you.

Now who wants to see some pictures of the wee cows getting bigger?

FADTS The New NAIS

The USDA wants to be in control of the food so much, that they have changed the name from The National Animal Identifacation System to The Federal Animal Disease Traceability System.

I saw this over on The Never Done Farm.

We already have national disease registries, and once again, this program will do nothing in the way of prevention. Same game, new name.

From the Houston Herald

Contrary to what you are being told, National Animal Identification System is not dead - just renamed, reworded and still very much alive.

That was the message brought to the Ozarks Property Rights meeting in Gainesville last Thursday by Republican congressional candidate Bob Parker, who said he hated to bring that news. "Being one of those who has worked hard over the past four or five years to stop NAIS, nothing would please me and my co-workers more than to be able to report that indeed NAIS has gone away. But sadly it is still here under a new name and coming at us with a reshuffled approach." Parker read excerpts from a fact sheet released Feb. 5 by USDA that outlined the new approach.

Parker said the animal identification program will now be called the Federal Animal Disease Traceability System and premise identification registration numbers are now "unique location identifiers."

Read the entire article here>>>

Let the fight continue.

No elebrate Storytelling this time

Just the facts ma'am

ok, I was cannning my purple pole beans. I got the water boiling in the canner, put the pint jars in, put the lid on. Waited for the whistling of the vent to begin, and allowed the steam to go for 5 minutes. I put the 5 lb weight onto the valve and walked away, knowing from experience that Where I was, I would be able to hear the pressure weight rocking and could adjust the heat accordingly. The weight never rocked, instead I heard a pop and a roar of steam. My pressure canner exploded. I told you I wasn't looking forward to the rest of yesterday.


Today I am off to a Town Hall meeting with Jerry Moran. Now he is not my districts rep, but he is running for Senate in 2010, and I have a few things I want to talk about. And believe it or not, it has nothing to do with health care, unless the FDA and USDA have decided to put their sticky little fingers into that as well. I want to talk about the fact that the USDA should be forced to do their job before expanding their programs. The USDA was sued by a meat packing plant because the packing plant wanted more frequent inspections, what is required by law, then they were getting. The USDA wasn't willing to inspect on a regular basis. The packing plant won, and the USDA was told to do their job. I don't see why if they aren't able or willing to do basic inspection of food processing plants that they should be allowed to mess with artisan foods and direct farm to consumer sales, ie HR 2749 (which if you missed it was passed last month). Nor do I believe that, even with a now reduce budget, that they should be given money out to "bribe" youth farming programs to help "educate" their idiot parents.

HR 2749 has several problems, CU’s statement that the registration requirements do not apply to farms depends on one’s definition of “farm.” While the statute excludes “farms,” the FDA’s current regulations take a very narrow view of what qualifies. Under the existing regulations, a place that grows food and does any processing of that food for sale would not be a farm, and thus would be subject to HR 2749. See 21 CFR § 1.227(3) and (6). In other words, a farm that washes greens, cut vegetables, or dries fruit before selling it would be forced to register and pay the annual fee under the regulatory definition of “farm.” This also goes on to include your artisan breads, and jams. If you sell those items, you too will be fair game. Now this bill might not affect your backyard as once feared, but it affects mine. As does the regulations for NAIS. I have animal product that is sold to the public, things that leave my property, just because I am a small land owner doesn't mean I get to be exempt from this Hell.

Jerry Moran is indeed against all of this, but I need to have my say. I don't like the feeling that people that don't ever have anything to do with their food except to eat it, are making these decisions. That Lobbyists for Monsanto had a heck of a lot to do with these programs (a rep is married to one).

Under HR 2749, the HHS Secretary would have the power to prohibit ALL MOVEMENT of ALL FOOD within a geographic area. No court order is needed to exercise this power. The Secretary only has to notify the appropriate official of the State(s) affected and issue a public announcement. [7a]

• [7a] Section 133(b)–pp. 98-99

HR 2749 requires the HHS Secretary to issue “science-based performance standards . . . applicable to foods or food classes.” The Secretary is to “identify the most significant foodborne contaminants and the most significant resulting hazards . . . and to minimize to an acceptable level, prevent or eliminate the occurrence of such hazards.” [8a] FDA would have the power to make pasteurization of all raw milk a performance standard. Based on both its public statements and its record of taking enforcement actions against farmers, FDA is vehemently opposed to the consumption of raw milk and would like to ban its distribution.

Even if FDA does not issue a performance standard requiring pasteurization, the likelihood is that if HR 2749 passes into law, the agency will be increasing its enforcement actions against raw milk producers whose products cross state lines. FDA has indicated that raw milk is a priority item with the agency; with the passage of HR 2749, it would have much greater resources to go after raw milk than it did before. FDA could take enforcement action directly or through state agencies funded by FDA.

You can sign a petition here if you want. I would greatly appreciate it, as this will affect my business.

Attention PA, WA, TX, AL, KY, CT, CO Residents

The following was sent in an email.


USDA Announces Locations for Listening Sessions on NAIS

The USDA is holding seven listening sessions about the National Animal
Identification System (NAIS). The NAIS would impose severe hardships on
small farmers, and impact anyone who owns even one livestock or poultry
animal, even those raising animals for their own food or as pets. While
benefiting Big Ag's export market, NAIS could cripple small farmers
providing grass-fed meats, eggs, and dairy to local consumers.

Key Congressional leaders have called for a mandatory NAIS, and
Secretary Vilsack has indicated that he plans to push forward with some
sort of program soon. It's going to take a lot of people speaking up
loud and clear to keep a mandatory NAIS from being imposed on every
livestock owner in America! These listening sessions are a critical
opportunity to get media attention on NAIS and demonstrate the level of
opposition to the program.

Please go to these meetings! You can have an impact simply by being
there and showing that a lot of people are opposed to NAIS!


TAKE ACTION #1 - Go to the Meetings!
Start making your plans NOW to go to the listening session
nearest you, and spread the word!


May 14 - Harrisburg, PA
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center
2300 N. Cameron St.
Map this Location


May 18 - Pasco, WA
Trac Center
6600 Burden Blvd.
Map this Location


May 20 - Austin, TX
Embassy Suites Hotel Austin Central
5901 N. IH-35
Map this Location


May 21- Birmingham, AL
Cahaba Grand Convention Center
3660 Grandview Parkway
Map this Location


May 22 - Louisville, KY
Crowne Plaza
Louisville Airport
830 Phillips Lane
Map this Location


May 27 - Storrs, CT
University of Connecticut, Storrs Campus
Bishop Center
One Bishop Circle
Map this Location


June 1 - Greeley, CO
TBD
We will let you know as soon as this information is available.

The meetings will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

* If you want to speak, plan a short statement (3-5 minutes). We
will send sample talking points in our next alert.
* You can also bring written comments. It's best to bring two
copies one to hand to USDA staff and one to keep so that you
have a record of what you submitted.
* The USDA coordinator has stated that the afternoon will consist
of facilitated sessions, where the attendees will be divided
into groups to develop solutions. Be prepared to politely
disagree with the facilitator. If they claim that a consensus
has been reached with an answer that you don't agree with, say
so!

REGISTRATION

If you want to speak in the morning or participate in the afternoon
sessions, you must register.

Pre-registration:

* Send an email to NAISSessions@aphis.usda.gov In the subject line
of the e-mail, indicate your name (or organization name) and the
location of the meeting you plan to attend. If you wish to
present public comments during one of the meetings, please
include your name (or organization name) and address in the body
of the message.
* Call 301-734-0799 to register by phone.

On-site registration: From 8 am - 9 am on the day of the meeting.

You can also check the USDA's website for more information.


TAKE ACTION #2 - Submit Written Comments
You can submit your comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal

Although the USDA did not specify a deadline in its notice, a USDA
official has stated that the deadline is Monday, June 1.

We will provide sample comments in our next alert. If you want to
comment before then, you can get ideas from the sample comments posted
here.


USDA's Statement
In the Federal Register notice announcing the meetings, USDA
specifically asked for input on the topics listed below. These questions
will most likely form the basis for the facilitated sessions in the
afternoon of each listening session. Do not feel limited by these
questions in preparing your oral or written comments!

Cost. What are your concerns about the cost of the NAIS? What steps
would you suggest APHIS use to address cost?

Impact on small farmers. What are your concerns about the effect of the
NAIS on small farmers? What approaches would you suggest APHIS take to
address the potential impact on small farmers?

Privacy and confidentiality. What are your concerns regarding how the
NAIS will affect your operation's privacy and/or the confidentiality of
your operation? What steps or tactics would you suggest APHIS use to
address privacy and confidentiality issues?

Liability. What are your concerns about your operation's liability under the NAIS? What would you suggest APHIS consider to address liability
concerns?

Premises registration. Do you have any suggestions on how to make
premises registration, or the identification of farm or ranch locations,
easier for stakeholders? How should we address your concerns regarding
premises registration?

Animal identification. Do you have any suggestions on how to make animal
identification practical and useful to stakeholders while simultaneously
meeting the needs of animal health officials who must conduct disease
tracebacks?

Animal tracing. Do you have any suggestions on how to make the animal
tracing component practical, in particular the reporting of animal
movements to other premises, while meeting the needs of animal health
officials who must conduct disease tracebacks?

The USDA Federal Register notice is posted here.

USDA contact for more information: Dr. Adam Grow, Director, Surveillance
and Identification Programs, National Center for Animal Health Programs,VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 200, Riverdale, MD 20737; 301-734-3752.



For more information about NAIS, visit and support LibertyArk.net

IMPORTANT!!!!! READ NOW!

Obama is taking input and NAIS has made it onto the board. They're asking all of us to write in and comment on both the official web site and their personal one (addresses below with directions). I am cut/pasting the email:

Change.Org - Voting Ends Today for this one!

The private website, www.change.org, will present the "Top 10 Ideasfor America" to the Obama Adminsitration on Inauguration Day. The first phase of the voting ends today, and the top 3 ideas in eachcategory will be selected for the second round of voting. "Stop NAIS"is currently in third place in Agriculture, and the voting is very close! A few votes may make the difference between the Stop NAIS message making it to the next round, or not!

Step 1: If you are not already signed up for the site, register at: https://www.change.org/admin/sign_up

Step 2: Go to http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_nais Be sure to click the box labeled "vote!" to the left of the Stop NAIS! Simply leaving a comment does not count as a vote.and also:

Change.Gov

The Obama Transition Team has set up a section calld "Open for Questions" on the official website. They have not specified the deadline for submitting or voting on questions, but said they willrespond to the top issues "in the new year."

Step 1: Go to http://change.gov/page/content/openforquestions20081229/
Step 2: Type "animal identification" into the box next to "Search Questions" There are currently 8 questions that involve NAIS that can be found by searching those terms.

Step 3: Click on the checkmark by the question to vote "yes". If you are not already signed in, you will be asked to, with a link at the top of the box.

Please help us stop NAIS. Feel free to copy and past for your own blog. Thanks to Small Meadow Farms for the heads up.

Let's try not to confuse the situation, shall we?

NAIS ( for those of you new to my blog, this is the National Animal Identification System) has been getting a bit of press lately. according to Feedstuffs, there has been press about NAIS being stopped altogether. I however have not seen such articles, What I have seen is the Suspension of Effective Date for the proposed new Privacy Act system of records.
According to Feedstuffs, NAIS remains fully functional . And yet another article by Feedstuffs says that school meat purchases will be NAIS only registered farms. Apparently this will somehow help with recalls from downed cows. Wait, here is were I get confused. According to the USDA, large feedlots do not have to purchase individual tags for their cattle. So if one cow that has the same lot number as thousands of other cows, goes down, is processed then sold, wouldn't you still end up having a massive recall of the beef? You will not know which package of ground chuck was the downed cow. How does this make us safer? Nothing really changes except I will have to spend more money that I don't have to buy useless tags for all my animals, and into a system that I don't think will work, nor do I want, by way of taxes. There is no National Herd, there are ranchers that are kind enough to keep us fed. One would think that you would need to keep these ranchers happy is you want to eat. But what do I know. What I do know is that ion my own state only a few head honchos from the Cattlemen association wants NAIS so that selling overseas (read Japan) will be easier. It has nothing to do with food safety for their own country men. The other's that are against it are afraid to stand up because they would be losing all that cattlemen money. They gritch and moan behind their backs, and it makes me sad.

Onto other things. I watched a program that seemed to be promising the other day. (off the grid) It claimed to be on homesteading, a family purchases land in the backwoods and has 3 months to get it together before winter. This family doesn't have deep pockets and are on a tight budget. So I watched it. Turns out the family is Les Stroud's , you know Survivorman. I am sure the Discovery Channel pays him decently and you could tell when he had all these experts showing up on site. I was a little annoyed listening to him go on about this being real life and that they didn't have a lot of money. And the ads going on about how seemingly poor he was. He does not live paycheck to paycheck like most people do. This farm we are going out to, unless I can pay big bills, no one and I mean no one will come out to it. It is too far from any town. Experts wouldn't even think about coming out to this farm, not unless I had the Discovery Channel on my side. If I was to be really impressed with a documentary on homesteading, it would be a little truer to real life. Homesteaders are a broke bunch of people. Savings disappears with the first major illness. Give me a documentary about the family that lives paycheck to paycheck and are trying to homestead. Oh wait, that's what I do everyday.

I am sure things are difficult for the Stroud Family, but boasting about how little funds one has and yet making major purchases (solar, wind turbines, composting toilets, and a pre-made log cabin that the experts put up, having a helicopter move the lumber in and so forth) doesn't real life make.

Get your gun!

Before I go on with today's post, Caroline in NH left me a link yesterday. Some interesting news for all you No NAISers out there. If you haven't read about it yet Farm to consumer legal defense fund has sent a letter of intent to sue to the USDA over NAIS. You can read the intent here on Farm to Consumers Legal Defenses website. You know I will be watching this one closely.

I had a massive head cold yesterday, so it was good thing that for once no one had any questions. If you had, my answers might have sounded a little drunken. But I digress. My husband came home after work yesterday and we were talking a bit in the living room, suddenly my husband jumps up and runs into the bedroom. I look out the window and there in our field was that fox that had been killing our good neighbors chickens. I, in the drunken head cold state I was in, was a little slow to the point. "Get your gun! it's a fox." Of course by the time I said that, my husband was flying out of the room with our antique bolt action riffle.

The fox with what looked like a bird, in it's mouth was to far off to be shot at safely. So we watched where it went. Hoping to find it's home close by. Within a few moments one of the neighbor kids called my oldest son to tell him he just saw a fox. My oldest said yep, we saw it. My dad was going to shoot it. Now this statement might not seem like a problem, but it is. This kid's mom has no livestock. They live in the country just to live in the country. They want all the animals to be free to roam and live. There will be backlash on us for this wanting to shoot a fox. But here is the problem. Turns out that the the fox lives closer to the river then to us. It is stealing rather then hunting and it does so in the middle of the day. This fox has been found in chicken pens. The good neighbor did not have his gun on him, so screamed at it to scare it off. It had killed most of his chicks.

If this fox was hunting rather then stealing, we would leave it well enough alone. Not only are there small children playing out here, but goats are getting ready to kid. We can't afford to lose anything to a lazy/sick fox. If they are hungry enough, they will take down a kid or a calf. Before owning livestock, I too would have said live and let live, but between the fox, human thieves and dogs, I am tired of losing my birds. I will be doing all my chores today with that rifle strapped to my back.

In happier news, my veggies are doing well and I have peaches this year!

Windy Day!

Congratulations to the State of Illinios!

State feels the heat, drops ID requirement for livestock exhibitors -- for now
by Brian Boyer
Apr 15, 2008

Feeling pressure from farmers groups and the Illinois legislature, the state Department of Agriculture will not enforce a new rule requiring livestock exhibitors, including youth showing animals in 4-H fairs, to register with the state. Continues>>>>

but . . .

USDA IMPLEMENTS KEY STRATEGY FROM NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM BUSINESS PLAN


WASHINGTON, April 15, 2008--The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced that it has implemented a key strategy from its Business Plan to Advance Animal Disease Traceability by providing National Animal Identification System (NAIS) compliant "840" radio frequency (RF) eartags to animal health officials for use in the bovine tuberculosis (TB) control program.

Continues>>>


The first snake of the season was caught yesterday.

My husband did the cultivating in our field and the good neighbors.

But because of the 49mph winds, he got something in his eye and it scratched up his lens and inner/upper eye lid. He was not feeling to well. The neighbor across the way is a nurse. So I called her and my husband went over there for her to look at it. She had some antibiotics and an eye patch. Did him up right, and he feels a lot better today.

Because of the winds it was hard to get too much done, so that short, but tiresome list I gave you yesterday was not fully completed. But I did promise pictures.

This is my real quickly banny box.

Feel free to compliment me.

Here are the Colombians. (yes Columbine was a sleepy typo)

Today I use the tiller. Please wish me luck and that I don't lose a limb.

What to tell ya

My father would say that whenever there was a lull in a conversation. That was usually my cue to ask something or say goodbye.

Same ole same ole around here. We have had a first round of severe storms of the seasons. Nothing too nasty. I hope my Plano, Tx readers are ok.

I got a phone call yesterday from an orginization that is raising money to get more politicians into government that are pro-organic foods. If started his speil an I interupted, knowing wat he was going to say about what the USDA is allowing to be organic. I feed him back the info, before he could say it and he seemed surprised that I knew. He actually said that most people didn't get it. We chatted a bit more, and soon I was the one lecturing him. I got him interested in NAIS and he asked questions. By the end of the conversation he thanked me for teaching him something.

Speaking of NAIS:

DeLauro, who is a longtime advocate of a mandatory program pointed out there are mandatory ID programs in European Union, Canada, Argentina, Brazil and Australia. When the U.S. program was originally announced by USDA in 2001 it was to be mandatory, she recounted. "Early on USDA recognized NAIS would help the U.S. in world competition." Read the entire article here.

Also from Feedstuffs

Last week USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) released a draft Business Plan to further the implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). AMS encourages participants in voluntary marketing programs such as the USDA Process Verified, the Quality Systems Assessment and the Non-Hormone Treated Cattle Programs to meet the inherent animal identification requirements by using NAIS. Entire article here>>>

It's beginning to look a lot like spring around here. Our fruit trees are in bloom.

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Potato Boobs

It's that time of year once again ladies and gentlemen. If you live in my zone (and don't ask me which zone because 3 different sources have me in 3 different zones. But I think it is now 6) to start digging up the ground. Potato time is here.

I can hear your excitement.

We have a problem here that consists of a man, a tractor and taking away the top soil. We have been working the ground, attempting to get it back to it's once glorious farm roots. The tiller will not go deep enough, so now we are out doing it all by hand. And I have to keep reminding myself that I chose to live this way, get over it.

Tools needed for this: a potato fork

And some good boots attached to the husband.

Then dig and flip, dig and flip, until you 1200 square feet of potato beds are complete. And you only have 2 weeks to do it in. Did I mention that some mornings you will get up and the ground is frozen? Just wait until the afternoon and it will thaw. And don't forget that peas, onions and your cabbages need to be going in soon as well. (I am so sore this morning)

I touched a boob!

Yes, I am once again talking about cows. Edie was in the stanchion yesterday morning and I was allowed to, let's call it caress just so google can list me in the naughty pages, her udder. No complaints. In case you missed their background, the ladies come from a beef herd, so they have never really been dealt with like this. I thought it would take more time, but with Edie, things are going quicker then expected.

There is an interesting article here, about the Australian version of NAIS.

The Best anti-depressant? Cow.

I have not felt this good in years. I am not too sure what it is, but ever since the ladies got here, I have not been sulking or too hard on myself. Was this the challenge I needed? Has all my years of being Chronically, sorry they changed the term, clinically depressed is because of the lack of a cow in my life. I have trained dogs, and cats, and have deal with many other animals. Yet there is something odd about this whole cow thing, and I like it.

Edie is a fast learner. I have heard it reported and I never doubted that cows have the same intelligence level as dogs. Edie surpasses all the dogs I have ever dealt with.

Mama is a bully, plain and simple. She is the "herd" leader. She is in the stanchion first, while Edie is left to complain. I have to tempt mama with a little more grain to get her out of the stanchion. She doesn't scare off, or even respond to the tap on the rear that all the homesteading books say to do. Edie and I have it all figured out. After Mama has been brushed down (which by the way she loves, she'll lean into it) I leave the barn and grab a small bit of the grain. Edie will then walk to the back end of the corral and wait for me. I drop the grain on the ground, and Edie and I both wait for the selfish Mama to come and gobble it up. She does indeed get there rather quickly. Then Edie will rush past her, running to the barn and the stanchion even before I am running down the other side of the fence line. I grab the feed bucket, set it in the stanchion, tell Edie she's a good girl, as I run around the backside of her to lock the gate. The first time we did this, yesterday morning, Edie would look up at Mama threatening her from behind the gate. Last night however, she didn't look up at her once. She caught on quickly. Mama, however is tricked by food. She might catch on soon, but I am hoping she catches on to the fact that she wasn't called, there for she doesn't get to be in the stanchion.

Yesterday I got all my chores done before 10 am. I am feeling that good.

And my husband has started overturning the soil for the potato beds.

Thank you all for your help with looking for cow labor. It looks as though Edie's udder has begun to fill out. I spotted some mucus dribble, and my husband compared cow privates (I still don't trust getting that close behind them) He says there is noticeable difference in the two. But I will guess that we really won't know until it happens. This is our first time ya know.

I am going to leave you today with a little NAIS. Let's start with Radio Iowa, who reports that One livestock expert says the recent recall of more than 240,000 pounds of ground beef, the nation's largest-ever such recall, could have been prevented or greatly minimized through better cattle tracking methods. Dr. Randy Wheeler, an assistant state veterinarian at the Iowa Department of Agriculture, says programs to follow a cow's progress from the barn to the slaughterhouse are already in place, but they're voluntary. continues>>>>

Then head over to see why Henry Lamb wants to know where the USDA inspectors were, and that NAIS wouldn't have helped in this case.

The biggest meat recall in the history of the world topped the domestic news this week: 143-million pounds of beef, processed over the last two years, now scattered throughout the nation's schools and fast-food joints – all recalled. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had little choice. An animal rights group released videotape of "downer" cows being pushed around by a forklift and being dragged across filthy floors before joining healthy cows on the hamburger highway.

The big question raised by everyone is: Where were the USDA inspectors? continues>>>>

Shriveled Old Carrot

Those of you near Russellville Ark, might be interested in this:

Animal Producers set meeting
The Arkansas Animal Producer’s Association (ARAPA) will hold a state-wide meeting from 3-6 p.m. March 2 at the Atkins High School auditorium. The public is invited to attend. Continues here (you will need to scroll down)

We have 4 new residents, (no not the cows. The weather has stopped behaving badly, so we might just be able to get out there this week) 2 goslings and turkey chicks. I am hoping that we can get more eggs with the goslings. None of the eggs that my goose laid last year hatched. We will try again with her this year. But until then, we have the new duo.

Sexing geese is an interesting event. Marina and I were discussing this once upon a time. I am surprised that I can remember it. But we were chatting through IM when the discussion turned to geese and how one must sex them. None of my bird books really said how one does it or what one is looking for. Marina grabbed her book and the side hurting laughter began. It didn't help that it was the middle of the night and both of us were giddy from lack of sleep. Marina informed me that a gander will have a shriveled carrot. What!?! The technique is similar to sexing chicks, something I am still working on. Luckily for me Marina's book also talk about sexing without flipping. Look at the birds carriage, the lower it carries itself to the ground, the more likely it is female. This happened to be true with my other 2. But this group. . . At the store they looked to be female, but as they grow (we have had them a week) their carriages seem to be rising. Well, I guess we have Christmas dinner.

Some weekly NAIS Highlights

DeLauro: USDA Failed Animal ID

By Jerry Hagstrom

WASHINGTON (DTN) -- House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., told Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer and other USDA officials Wednesday she believes the agency has "failed" to develop an animal identification program that could protect the nation's people and animals in the case of a communicable animal disease outbreak even though her subcommittee has provided $120 million over several years to do the job. Continues here>>>

This line here scares me a little about the thinking of some of the people we have allowed to be in charge: DeLauro said she was particularly offended that Agriculture Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Affairs Bruce Knight recently said if Congress does not approve the $24 million USDA has request Congress would be "'jeopardizing the nation's herd.'"

But DeLauro can be offended all she wants, from the way the article is written, she wants a national herd, she wants it mandatory.



The USDA's Knight admits that the animal identification program's success depends on convincing often-cantankerous cattle producers that his agency has no ill intent.

The above was from an article, Cattle industry mixed on USDA tracking plan By Stephen J. Hedges |Tribune correspondent

I am going to have ask a friend of mine if he thinks he is cantankerous.

Oh! And you just have to love this ad/news from Digital Angel. You know that they are here to save us all? Don't you?

Digital Angel’s Livestock Tagging Products Help Secure Food Supply

“The nation’s demand for meat products is becoming more and more complicated because of the co-mingling of livestock required to meet this demand. Co-mingled livestock comes from many different producers in many different locations. This complexity reinforces the need for reliable systems to be able to accurately identify the source, age, and other important information on each animal in our food chain. The goal of tracing from ‘food production to fork’ of all beef produced in the U.S. is becoming increasingly non-negotiable. This major recall heightens the reality of this need.”

We Need to Talk

I have a few thing I want to discuss this morning, no worries, I'm not breaking up with you.

First, the Farm Bill. They still have yet to come to an agreement. Why? Oh various reasons, one person wants this, another that and no one wants to compromise. You know the story. The deadline is looming however, and if they do not pass something by March 18th the farm bill will revert back to the 1949 bill. Not necessarily a bad thing as that bill adjust for inflation. However it might be a better idea to extend the 2002 bill, as farmers have already lived with that one for awhile. Change can be scarey when it comes to farming. Why should any of this matter to us? Where do you get your food? The general public has seemed to forgotten about where it is that all that food you see sitting around the grocery stores have come from farms, and what effects the farmers will effect you, not just in prices but in quality and quantity. Which brings us to the next topic corn.

I use to not see the big deal when it came to ethanol. The corn they were using is feed corn. How would that effect us. Well, now that the US government is hading out huge subsidies to encourage farmers to grow corn, our wheat supply has gone down. The price of wheat is now 50% more then it was at the beginning of the year, and we are only in the 2nd month. This isn't good. I also discovered last night that it takes 1.29 gallons of gasoline to produce 1 gallon of ethanol. That ratio will never get us off foreign oil. When I heard about the wheat prices, I called my mother last night. Her reply to me was "it will cast a day's wages to by a loaf of bread." Farmers are choosing to raise corn because if the profit that is to be made. We can't blame them for that, but we can change the situation, don't buy ethanol. Our wheat supply is very low this year, hasn't been this low in a very long time, and it is worrisome.

But there is some good news coming out of South Dakota, from the Rapid City Journal;

House will debate bill opposing animal ID plan

A bill that would prevent the state of South Dakota from participating in the National Animal Identification System was approved 8-5 by the House Ag and Natural Resources Committee last week in Pierre. It is expected to be taken up by the full House this week. Continues>>>

Garden week 6

Usually it is time to transplant outside. Check back in a few days to see what happens to them next.

Yesterday was busy when it comes to the prep for the House Cow Quest. Lots of barn clean up.

Because of the new quest, the choose you homesteaders adventure will be placed on hold, however it was suggested the I spin wool. I would love to do that, and it is in the list of things to do this year. Check back in for the mistake, I mean adventure.

Also is anyone interested in learning how to make bread? I have one person, and thought I would extend the invite to everyone. We will do the class live on yahoo, not video, but IM. If you're interested please email me with your yahoo IM address and I will add you to the list.

I Would Love to Be Able to Attend

From Cattle Network,

R-CALF: Star Experts Stack Convention’s Animal ID Panel

Omaha, Neb. – R-CALF USA does not support the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) efforts to register premises under the agency’s National Animal Identification System (NAIS), and the subject will be a hot topic at the group’s upcoming annual convention here, Feb. 20-23, at the Holiday Inn Omaha Convention Center, located at 72^nd Street and Interstate 80.

“I’m very excited that our Animal ID panelists will have the opportunity to educate cattle producers on all the problems with NAIS,” said R-CALF USA Animal ID Committee Chair Kenny Fox. “Education is the key to fighting this battle, and each one of the speakers on our panel has helped us greatly in our fight. We hope everyone who’s worried about USDA’s efforts on this front will join us for the discussion at 1 p.m. CST on Thursday, Feb. 21.”

The article continues with the top 10 list in opposition to premises registration, compiled by R-CALF USA’s Animal ID Committee: