These are an amplification of my thoughts from the NAIS article in Small Farm Today, May 2006.

The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) that USDA is trying to foist onto small farmers is still going. Now USDA has a $33 million appropriations bill in the legislature—if they get it, they will be able to entice state governments to adopt the program because they will be able to provide funds to pay the states to join up.

We already have federal programs in place and working for poultry (National Poultry Improvement Plan), sheep (scrapies program), and cattle (brucellosis program). These already provide premise and animal identification. NAIS is at best, duplication, and at worst, a “power grab” to control the data.

We have certainly identified and found Mad Cow sources quickly enough without NAIS—so why do we need it? We have stopped feeding meat scraps to ruminants—this should control Mad Cow Disease, without the need for NAIS. If, in the future, we find this is not where it came from—after the cattle were eaten ten years before—the program will not have helped, anyway.

What a great government program to destroy the remaining agricultural infrastructure (small feed stores, veterinary clinics, and small equipment dealers, as well as small farmers) and wipe out agripreneurship, free enterprise, and your free choice to be or not be a farmer in one broad swoop—because you cannot afford it and the information may not be properly controlled.

With international airlines and truck traffic, disease can spread all over the country within 48 hours. Once it is spread, tracking it back to its original source is helpful for criminal proceedings, but not as much for controlling the disease.

Even as you read this, the program rules will be changing. Some of what I have written may no longer be accurate (although it was when it was written). As far as communication about the program, the USDA deserves an F. They are reaping what they have sown. Websites and articles are offering different answers (I have even found places on the USDA official website that have contradictory answers). My advice is to do absolutely nothing about implementation until someone in your area and in authority tells you exactly what the rules are and what you have to do. Lean on your elected officials—we need a better program (and it needs to be fairer to the small producer).

Do not forget to come to the 14th National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference^™. Joel Salatin, John Ikerd, Matthias and Andrea Reisen, Kelly Klober, Brook Elliott, George DeVault, and many other top speakers will be there on November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. We have not yet reached our goal of 10,000 small farmers in one place at one time. Come and invite all of your neighbors to help us reach the goal. Sponsor a young farmer in your area to come to the Show.