NICFA

---PLEASE BROADCAST FAR AND WIDE---
FDA Raids Amish Farmer Dan Allgyer
Please take action (see ACTION at end of notice)

Kinzers, PA At 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday April 20, Amish farmer Dan Allgyer went outside to begin milking his small herd of dairy cows. On the normally quiet Kinzer Road in front of his farm, just a few miles from the Nickel Mines Amish massacre of 2006, several unfamiliar vehicles drove slowly past. Two months prior, on February 4, FDA agents had trespassed on Allgyer's farm, claiming to be conducting an "investigation." Allgyer had suspected they would be back at some point, because many other small dairy farms around the country have been similarly treated by the FDA. Following is Dan's account of Tuesday morning's events:

I became aware of the cars as soon as I walked out on the sidewalk as part of my morning routine around 4:30 a.m. and immediately said to myself something is going on, there is too much traffic on Kinzer Road. I was watching and noticed three cars were cruising down Kinzer Road right behind each other, and immediately thought, hey, that looks like trouble. I watched and pretty soon one car came back and parked on my neighbor's farm, on private property, just as the FDA agents had when they came on my property in February; it was exactly the same place.

A couple minutes later, the other two cars pulled up and joined the first on my neighbor's property, where the occupants appeared to be in conference with one another. Shortly after that, they turned their headlights on and drove in my lane - this would have been at about 5:00.

I stood back in the dark barn to see what they were going to do. They drove past my two Private Property signs, up to where my coolers were, with their headlights shining right on them. They all got out of their vehicles - five men all together - with big bright flashlights they were shining all around. My wife and family were still asleep. When they couldn't find anybody, they prepared to knock on the door of my darkened house. Just before they got to the house I stepped out of the barn and hollered at them, then they came up to me and introduced themselves. Two were from the FDA, agent Joshua C. Schafer who had been there in February and another. They showed me identification, but I was too flustered to ask for their cards. I remember being told that two were deputy U.S. Marshals and one a state trooper. They started asking me questions right away. They handed me a paper and I didn't realize what it was. Agent Joshua C. Schafer told me they were there to do a "routine inspection." At 5:00 in the morning, I wondered to myself? "Do you have a warrant?" I asked, and one of them, a marshal or the state policeman, said, "You've got in your hand buddy." I asked, "What is the warrant about?" Schafer responded, "We have credible evidence that you are involved in interstate commerce."

They wanted me to answer some questions, my name, middle initial, last name, wanted to know how many cows we have on the farm. I answered those questions and some more. Finally, I got over my initial shock and said I would not be answering any more questions. They said O.K., we'll get on with the "inspection."

I went to go talk to my wife. As I walked away, they held a quick excited conversation and I heard one of them say, "I'll take care of him." At that point, apparently, they had designated one of the marshals to stick close to me and dog my footsteps. He followed me as I walked toward the house. I went in the house quickly and told my wife a few words to let her know the situation, then immediately came back out of the house before the marshal had time to follow me in. When I came back out, they were inspecting all the coolers sitting out. They spent about a half hour digging through the packed coolers filled with milk and other food - all private property - taking pictures.

At one point during the cooler inspection the state trooper said to me, "You have a nice farm." I responded, "We're trying to be sustainable, but they don't want to let us."

While they inspected the coolers, I read the warrant. Among other things it said that any search was to be conducted "at reasonable times during ordinary business hours." When I exclaimed, "Ordinary business hours!" and pointed this out to the marshal who was dogging me, he said, "Ordinary business hours for agriculture start at 5:00 a.m." I challenged him that the warrant does not say agriculture hours, it said ordinary hours. He replied, "That's what the government told us."

Then they started looking around, as though in search of something in particular. They went up to one door that had a clear No Trespassing sign on it, specifically including government agents, and they did not go in the room, though they shone their flashlights around in it. Then they asked me, "What is on the other side of the door in that [same] room?" Agent Joshua Schafer asked this. I looked him in the eye and did not answer. When they saw I was not going to answer, the other FDA agent said, "Okay, come on," to agent Schafer, and they went into the room and through the closed door on the opposite side. I had another one of those signs on my walk-in cooler adjacent to my freezer, so they went through that door also. They spent probably another half hour rooting around, like a couple of pigs, in the freezer and cooler area and took many pictures.

When they came out, they asked me where I keep my containers and jugs for milk, and I refused to tell them. I figured they could look for themselves. Then they were walking all over the farm, checking everything out, everything except the house. Agent Joshua Schafer even opened my dumpster and inspected inside it, as though he thought I was hiding something in it. At that point I went and started milking my cows - it was way past milking time.

When I was just about done milking, Schafer and the other agent came in the barn and wanted me to answer some more questions. I told them I would not. The second agent said, "Are you gong to deliver those coolers to Bethesda and Bowie Maryland?" I just looked at him. Then Schafer made a gesture and said, "The stickers with those towns names are on the coolers," as through to say, you might as well tell me.

I replied, "I told you I won't answer any questions." After that they said, "We are done for today. You'll be hearing back from headquarters."

Then they got in their car and left. The state trooper and the marshals had left already.

They came in the dark, shining bright flashlights while my family was asleep, keeping me from milking my cows, from my family, from breakfast with my family and from our morning devotions, and alarming my children enough so that they first question they asked my wife was, "Is Daddy going to jail?"

THE NEXT MORNING Allgyer received an overnight, extremely urgent Letter of Warning from the FDA stating that "Failure to make prompt corrections could result in regulatory action without further notice. Possible actions include seizure and/or injunction."

ACTION: Please call and write the number and address below. Express yourself. Tell them that you support Dan Allgyer. If you drink fresh, unpastuerized milk tell them that. Tell them that more people every day are drinking fresh milk and this is going to increase. It's not going to stop no matter how many farmers they persecute. Tell them the government has no place between individuals and the farmers from whom they get their food.

Philadelphia District Office
Serves Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Customhouse
Second and Chestnut Streets, Room 900
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 597-4390 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time)

Yours for food freedom,
Deborah Stockton, Executive Director
National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA)
www.NICFA.org
nicfa@earthlink.net

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.
A Local Foods Feast for Congress
Farm Food Voices DC 2010
NICFA's Fourth Annual
National Small Farm and Ranch Grassroots Lobby Day & Legislative Reception
Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Lobbying 10:00 - 3:00 (Individuals meet with Legislative Aides)
Local Foods Reception 4:00 - 6:30 Room SD-106, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC

Lobby Training Conference Calls

Joel Salatin, Emcee

Congressman Ron Paul of Texas and Congressman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia will address the reception along with our fine group of speakers.

     Speakers:
     Doreen Hannes - Truth Farmer Radio & NICFA Director of Research
     David Gumpert- The Complete Patient Blog
     Joan Veon - Women's Media Group
     Spike Gjerde - Chef/Owner Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore

The Food Safety bills in Congress threaten the viability of all local food production - the safest food available and our country's most important economic engine.

Be the face and voice of the local foods movement to Congress. Join NICFA, its state affiliates, and others from around the country to lobby Congress and serve the LOCAL FOODS FEAST OF THE YEAR, featuring food from small independent farmers prepared by local chefs. Let's again show Congress that local food is the best Safe Food System, highlighting the benefits available only from community based agriculture -- prosperous local and national economies; health and nutrition for people, land and animals; and low energy impact from minimal transportation, processing and distribution.

ACTION:
Please make an appointment now to meet with your legislators' agricultural aides on March 10.
(If you can't be in DC please still call, your voice matters!).

Steps:
1. Call your Representatives or Senators
2. Ask to speak to the Agriculture Aide.
3. Tell the Aide you will be in Washington DC on March 10 for this grassroots lobby day and you would like to schedule a meeting.
4. Invite the Aide and the legislator to come to the reception and experience the beauty of local food. Any legislator who attends is welcome to speak.

New to lobbying? Fret not. We will provide a lobby training conference call and Talking Points.

Yours for food freedom,
Deborah Stockton, Executive Director
National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA)
www.NICFA.org
nicfa@earthlink.net

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.
.....

FDA Agents Invade Amish Farm in PA

Kinzers, PA - At 9:40 a.m. last Thursday, February 4, only a few miles from the scene of the Nickel Mines Amish massacre of 2006, another drama against the Amish began as agents of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) came onto the property of Amish farmer Dan Allgyer, without permission, claiming to be conducting an investigation. Agents Joshua Schafer and Deborah Haney, from the Delaware FDA office, drove past Allgyer's "No Trespassing" signs and up his driveway almost to his barn, where Allgyer happened to be outside. Allgyer approached the car, the agents got out and Allgyer asked them why they were there. They produced a piece of paper, asked Allgyer if he was Dan Allgyer, which Allgyer confirmed, asked him his middle initial and phone number, entered the information on the paper, told Allgyer they were there to do an inspection and started reading the paper to him, saying it gave them jurisdiction to be there.

The agents - Schafer did most of the talking - said they had a right to be there because "you produce food for human consumption." Dan asked why they believed that and they said, "Well, you have cows. You cannot be consuming all the milk you produce." They further stated, "If you get a milk truck in to move all this milk you sell milk to the public, therefore we have jurisdiction."

Dan said, "This is a private farm, I do not sell anything to the public."

As they continued to harass him about doing an inspection, Allgyer said, "You can sit in your car. I will call my lawyer." The agents remained standing.

Allgyer called his attorney who advised him to have the agents call him. When Allgyer told them to call his attorney Schafer replied, "You are the owner and you have to speak for yourself."

They pressed him to talk and Schafer asked, "Are you refusing us an investigation? Allgyer replied, "That's not what I'm saying." They kept repeating, "Are you refusing an investigation?"

Allgyer kept saying, "Call this guy" - meaning his attorney.

Allgyer said they must have asked him six times.

One of them said, "Even if you do not say so, you are still refusing an investigation."

Eventually Schafer said, "If you refuse an investigation will you answer some questions?"

Allgyer said, "I'd rather not."

When the agents continued to push him Dan said, "Is that a question?

Sheepishly, they said. 'Yes."

Allgyer said, "What did I say about questions?'

They replied, "Well we're going to write this up as a refusal to have an investigation and give it to our higher officials."

Dan felt they were threatening him at this point.

After that, they got in their car, drove out the driveway and parked on the neighbor's property watching Allgyer. A visitor, Ivan, who had been on the farm, though not part of the conversation, left in his truck soon after, and the FDA agents proceeded to follow him in their car, even when he stopped at a convenience store to use the facilities. After forty or fifty miles, Ivan called 911 and told the police he was being followed.

The state police - in two cruisers - pulled the agents over. Ivan pulled over as well.

Ivan said the police told him that the agents explained they were FDA agents and they had the right to follow him because they were conducting an investigation on the farm he left. They thought he had product and they wanted samples of the product.

Ivan responded by opening the back of the truck and revealing it was empty. The agents photographed the inside of the empty truck and gave Ivan a paper, claiming they had a right to inspect his truck. He told them they were harassing him. The state trooper said they had a right to follow and pull him over but they were in an unmarked car so Ivan would not have had to pull over.

As with Allgyer, the agents asked Ivan some information which they wrote on the paper they produced, then handed it to him.

Ivan asked them, "Why are you writing up a paper on me when you have no cause?"

They said, "We have a cause, because you left the farm."

They claimed he had a load off the farm and they wanted samples.

Ivan said, "I didn't know who you were."

An agent replied, "You saw us at the farm."

Ivan said. "That doesn't make any difference, I didn't know who you were."

Ivan pointed out that he was at the farm but did not hear what they said. He was twenty feet or more away from them and was not involved in their conversation.

Ivan said the police told him they would record that the agents had been following him.

A spokeswoman for the FDA (reached at the phone number on the paper the FDA agents gave to Allgyer) said the FDA has no comment at this time because it is an ongoing investigation.

Dan Allgyer will meet with his county sheriff in the near future to apprise him of this incident.

We will update this story as needed.

Yours for food freedom,
Deborah Stockton, Executive Director
National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA)
www.NICFA.org
nicfa@earthlink.net

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.

NICFA's Doreen Hannes on The Knowledge Congress:   Food Bills Seminar Webcast - November 18

Press passes available for credentialed media representatives.

WHAT: Webcast Seminar on the Food Bills
WHEN: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. (ET)
WHERE: KnowledgeCongress.org, by registration only
WHY: To provide information on the food bills from a variety of perspectives

Doreen Hannes, NICFA's Director of Research, will represent NICFA on a panel of experts about the food bills in a webcast seminar, held by The Knowledge Congress. This "webinar" provides CLE/CPE hours (continuing education) for attendees. Please encourage your state officials, a representative of your group, and other industry and business leaders to register and attend so they can learn the enormous impact these bills will have on American farmers and agriculture, food security and sovereignty.

Register and learn more about this event and the panel members: http://www.knowledgecongress.org/event_2009_Food.html

Panelists include:

DLA Piper
Kimberly K. Egan
Partner

SuperValu, Inc.
John Hanlin
Vice President, Food Safety & Quality Assurance

Crowell & Moring LLP
Steven M. Niedelman
Senior Consultant

National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association(NICFA)
Doreen Hannes
Director of Research

USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service
Kathleen A. Staley
Food Safety Officer Fruit and Vegetable Programs

NOTE: Though there is a registration fee for this seminar, Doreen Hannes and NICFA will not receive monetary compensation for participating.

"The Knowledge Congress was established in November 2005 with the mission to produce unbiased, objective, and educational live webinars that examine industry trends and regulatory changes from a variety of different perspectives. The goal is to deliver a unique multilevel analysis of an important issue affecting business in a highly focused format." [from http://www.KnowledgeCongress.org]

For more information, please contact:
Deborah Stockton, Executive Director
National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA)
nicfa@earthlink.net



Pasco Washington Listening Report - http://www.heraldnet.com - Published: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Peeved ranchers lambaste federal effort to ID herd animals By Shannon Dininny - Associated Press
PASCO -- Five years after the federal government started a program to trace livestock in the event of a disease outbreak, just 36 percent of ranchers are taking part.

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials found out why Monday, when 75 Western livestock producers gave them an earful during a meeting. The "listening session" was one of seven scheduled around the country in May and June to hear ranchers' concerns, with the goal of increasing participation in the program.

Those concerns haven't changed much in five years: The cost is too high for small farmers. The regulations amount to bureaucratic suffocation. The program neither prevents nor controls disease. And what's in a farmer's pasture is nobody's business. Read entire article and comments

NICFA Secretary Liz Reitzig Testimony before U.S. Secretary of Agriculture - April 15, 2009
"The United States Department of Agriculture claims that the Animal Health Protection Act of 2002 authorizes it to implement a National Animal Identification System (NAIS). However, nowhere in the AHPA is the USDA authorized to assign a federal, permanent 7-character number to private land. Neither is it authorized to require application to any animal of an '840' prefix tag indicating the animal is US born, and it is not authorized to require RFID devices, like implantable microchips, or RFID tags, on a privately owned animal. Further, the AHPA does not authorize the USDA to require reporting movements, vet visits, or any of the 23 'reportable' events listed in NAIS documents. The AHPA authorizes the USDA to track shipments of animals that have been imported. Any assertion beyond that is an extrapolation by the USDA". Read the entire testimony.

NICFA NAIS Report:
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has spent considerable taxpayer money and physical resources on the "National Animal Identification System" (NAIS), acting without Congressional mandate and creating widespread opposition from farmers, ranchers, livestock owners, homesteaders, consumers and agriculture supply businesses' a massive grassroots response that NAIS is a bad idea, unwanted, and not grounded in the reality of farm life, animal husbandry or healthy food. Read more....

California Raw Milk Hearing: Four ICFA Members Testify on Panel
Read Testimonies

Read Joel Salatin's Testimony before the United States Congress; April 17, 2008; House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Subject: After the Beef Recall: Exploring Greater Transparency in the Meat Industry.

The USDA's New Strategy for NAIS and a New Texas Program of Cattle "Tuberculosis ID Requirements" Click here for the full article.

WE WILL NOT COMPLY Click here for updates and more information on Greg Niewendorp and Mark Nolt, two NAIS resistors who are leading the way.

Click here for more information on Richard Bean's and Jean Rinaldi's arrest.

Read Anti-NAIS Talking Points document for your use and to distribute.

Read Additional Anti-NAIS Talking Points document for your use and to distribute.

Read the Cooperative Agreement between Virginia Department of Agriculture and the USDA on implementaion strategies for NAIS for your use and to distribute.

Read the Virginia Tech RFID research agreement for your use and to distribute.

Read the rebuttal to Booby Orrocks letter on NAIS legislation in Virginia for your use and to distribute.

Mary Zanoni Articles on NAIS.

See movies from Farm Food Voices DC 2007 and read the reports.



HR2749 - The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 - Read the Bill
To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to improve the safety
of food in the global market, and for other purposes. [emphasis added]
The End of Small Farms and Local Food
This bill passed the House, 283-142, on July 30. It now goes to the Senate.
Let's stop it there.


ACTION:
Please work with your Senator to STOP this bill. Call and speak with the Agriculture Aide. Explain the problems to the Ag Aide and refer them to the NICFA website for more information. The Senate is on State Work Period from August 10 - September 7. The most effective action is to meet in person with your Senator or Senator's aide during this period. A face to face meeting has more effect than you can imagine. It is worth the time and energy to do it. Senate contact info: http://www.Senate.gov.

BACKGROUND:

By treating all food produced in this country as exports to be under international regulations, this bill will:
* Authorize NAIS-style traceability on food
* Drive small farms into regulatory nightmares
* End local food by regulating growers out of existence
* Require many farms, no matter how small, to pay annual fees of $500 or more to exist
* Concentrate livestock and food production into fewer, larger industrial farms

TALKING POINTS

1. Farms and producers that only sell locally and domestically will be regulated like exporters, yet the United States is a net importer of food. Americans import more beef, for instance, than we export.

2. Restaurants and stores that buy from any but the largest industrial distributors could lose their sources. Organic farms will not be immune to the effects of this bill.

3. Exceptions for small farms and local sales listed in the bill are superceded by language that requires even the smallest farms to have the kind of record-keeping and inspections that could put them under the same regulations as huge industrial, exporting businesses.

4. The term "harmonize with international standards" used throughout the bill, means that international standards will be imposed by regulation. The USDA will coordinate with the FDA on this Act. These requirements are so burdensome and costly with penalties at $20,000 to $1,000.000 per infraction and up to 10 years in prison that a farmer could lose everything for a simple mistake.

5. NAIS is not mentioned by name, but "harmonizing" with "traceability" requirements in the international guidelines and standards authorizes the components of NAIS, so it authorizes the program without using the name.

6. The biggest threats to food safety, and the USDA agrees, are centralized production, centralized processing, and long distance transportation. This bill will make those problems worse by eliminating smaller farms and local production and concentrating food production further into large industrial farms.

7. The "Administrator" created by this bill is given authority for unwarranted search and seizure; quarantining and stopping movement of food if they think there is cause, they do not have to prove it; authority to require any farming and management practices they choose on any farm; and more, all without accountability or judicial review.

Further information: See "Welcome to the Global Plantation," for more information and page number references in the bill for all the facts stated above.

U.S. MARSHALLS TO SEIZE FARMER'S HOME FRIDAY - June 26, 2009
Farmer Herman Schumacher disputed big packers, loses home
NEWS CONFERENCE FRIDAY, JUNE 26 1 p.m. Central Time
WHERE: Herman Schumacher's front lawn: 102 6th Ave. NW, Herreid, S.D.
WHAT: R-CALF USA news conference to stop U.S. Marshals seizure of Herman Schumacher's home after Schumacher sued Tyson.
BRIEF: A federal jury unanimously sided with Schumacher, but then a three-judge panel for the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the jury's decision. The judge did not dispute the jury's findings that the Tyson et al had violated the Packers and Stockyards Act, but instead decided it wasn't enough for Schumacher to prove that the packers had violated the law, the plaintiff must show that a packer intentionally committed unlawful conduct. Read more

National Animal Identification System A Report by the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association ... Read More


BeefMagazine.Com ran a poll on NAIS in early June. Final results below. Thank you everyone who voted! -- Total Votes: 30737
Should USDA�s National Animal Identification System (as currently proposed) be:
* Mandatory: 19%
* Voluntary: 4%
* Scrapped : 76%


Harrisburg NAIS Listening Session - Darol Dickinson
Harrisburg, Pa---the first of a series of NAIS Listening Sessions was held today at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, Harrisburg, Pa. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack stated, "I encourage individuals and organizations to voice their concerns, ideas and potential solutions about animal identification." And---voice concerns they did!

The Pennsylvania location was a choice spot for this first national effort by USDA. The Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture has been mellowed by USDA with $2,127,411 of cooperative agreements directly for the purpose of NAIS property enrollments. The state's generous grants were successful in energizing one of the highest percentages of farm enrollments of any state, not counting Massachusetts, who according to USDA records have a 227.1% enrollment.

Pennsylvania should have a very high percentage of favorable NAIS listening session enrollees, but it didn't happen.

Those responding to the invitation to "voice their concerns" requested formal speaking time up to 2 weeks in advance and signed up a second time this morning on arrival. Each hopeful speaker got to speak up to 3 minutes if their name was drawn. A total of 187 people requested to speak and 36 actually were successful.

The beginning agenda allowed for senior USDA staff to cajole the perceived merits of NAIS for a scheduled one hour period. Staff members Jere Dick, Neil Hammerschmidt, and John Weimer defined the goals and theory of the troubled program.

Crowd control was a consideration. Due to the "touchy" nature of this USDA effort up to eight law enforcement officers were positioned on perimeters of the Expo meeting room. Farmers and ranchers are normally law abiding country folk, so fortunately no arrests or altercations took place. USDA staff member and blue group leader, Larry Miller, requested speakers have a "respectful attitude" at all times during the process.

As approved presenters rapidly verbalized their three minute allotment, USDA staff were true listeners with seldom if any comment. Their reaction was somber regardless of the charged efforts of livestock producers, with many far from polite, and seasoned with colorful barn yard vernacular in many cases.

A large Amish delegation were represented offering passionate pleadings against mandatory NAIS. Others of faith expressed major concerns. Two livestock producers from Ohio attended, one lady from Oregon and most from within a five hour drive of the eastern Pennsylvania area.

Of the successful speakers, 27 were clearly opposed to NAIS and 4 spoke in favor. Three indicated they were enrolled in NAIS without their knowledge and one indicated they had enrolled by mistake and wish they had not. One lady said her husband enrolled against her will and now he understands.

Afternoon attendees were divided into three break-out groups with the assignment from Secretary Tom Vilsack (not present) "discussions will be less about concerns and more about ideas and solutions to create a NAIS that we can all live with." Each group was to study seven questions and focus to identify workable solutions. The seven questions centered around, cost, impact on small farms, privacy and confidentiality, liability, premises registration, animal ID, and animal tracing. These are considered the most concerning objections to NAIS.

The three break-out groups recorded the following concerns:
* "There is no problem that NAIS will fix."
* "Drop the program."
* "Don't use the word premises. I own property, not a premise."
* "Trace only international imported and export animals."
* "It is obvious enforcement is big with USDA by the looks of the police guards present here today. We are scared of your enforcements of NAIS mandatory on our farms."
* "Leave us alone! I am just here to say, NO!"
* "We don't trust USDA."
* "USDA has a tarnished reputation of raiding family farms without cause. NAIS is designed to make farm raids more prevalent."
* "If a government program isn't worth doing, it is not worth doing right."
* Statement to the break-out moderator, "Thank you for listening. The longer you listen---NAIS won't be mandatory."
* "NAIS is OK with me except for just one part-----MANDATORY."
* "You have not been honest with us about the enrollment numbers for NAIS."
* "USDA are amateur liars. I like to be lied to professionally."
* "NAIS has a trust issue. We don't trust NAIS."
* An R-CALF USA eight point proposal for an alternative animal health program was recommended six times during the break-out session. (It was the only alternative solution offered.)
* "The country is in serious economical trouble. It is not the time to add more costs to farm production."
* "Over 90% of farmers are opposed to NAIS. Will you still demand mandatory NAIS regardless of listening session results?
* "The USDA animal health program currently is effective, NAIS is not needed."
* "Don't call me a stakeholder. I am a land and horse owner. I am insulted by calling me a stakeholder. I am not holding the stakes for others."
* "USDA should be working on vaccines to prevent disease instead of NAIS trace back."

USDA's John Weimer was asked about the results of the letter writing effort to USDA with a designated comment period about NAIS several months ago. Where were the results published? He did not recall the comment effort and did not know what happened to the hundreds of communications USDA received.

In the blue break-out group all speaking participants (43 total) were clearly opposed to NAIS. USDA's group leader Larry Miller continued to redirect the emphasis from NAIS concerns, over to solution issues to make mandatory NAIS a palatable program. One dairy farmer said, "We have answered your questions. You are not listening. There is no way NAIS will work. No part of it will work. All seven questions are not solvable. Any people who want to do NAIS should be able to volunteer, but mandatory NAIS will cause bloodshed in the streets. We will refuse to surrender."

Future USDA listening meetings on NAIS will be held at Pasco, WA, Austin, TX, Birmingham, AL, Louisville, KY, Storrs, CT, and Loveland, CO. Comments for those who may not be able to attend should be sent to the Federal eRulemaking Portal.

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in Swoope appears in this episode of Nightline.
Swine Flu Outbreak: The Facts.


The EPA is considering regulations to tax farmers for owning livestock, $20.00 per hog; $87.50 per beef cow, and $175.00 per dairy cow. This would, of course, drive most small to medium farmers out of business.

Listen to Tim Young of Georgia Independent Consumers and Farmers Asso. address this on a Fox televison interview

Contact Tim Young at tim@naturesharmonyfarm.com
See Tim's farm at: www.naturesharmonyfarm.com

National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA)
P.O. Box 915
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902

Letter to Bruce Knight, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs 5 March, 2008

Dear Mr. Knight,

Thank you for meeting with us today to discuss issues of importance to the small farmers of America and the consumers, communities and economies dependent on them.

Earlier today, we hosted a reception for our federal legislators where we joyfully served food produced by independent unsubsidized farmers, from animals without Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, raised on open pastures on grass--not subsidized GMO grain, on private properties without Premises Registration numbers, with soils enriched by ecologically harmonious amendments like sea salt, compost, and natural mineral sources.

In short, we are not part of the industrial agriculture system.

We are the rich tradition of heritage farming. We are your local community family farm. We are your neighbors. Some of us are organically certified, some of us are beyond organic.

The USDA's proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS), and its concomitant Premises Registration, is in direct conflict with our way of life and our ability to maintain responsible, safe farming methods. The people of America demand the food we produce. The Real food, Local food, or Heritage food movement, is growing every day. Beyond organic, the real food movement is farmers, and other artisan producers, selling directly to customers, neighbor to neighbor, generally without interference from local, state, national or international regulation.

As the industrial food system continues to generate incidents like the recent recall of 143 million pounds of ground beef, more and more people will turn to the food we produce, food made by their neighbors, food they trust. We will continue to meet this growing demand.

You, as an administrator of the USDA, have already encountered this movement in the form of farmers who will not comply with behavior not fit for a free people.

We are the face of this movement. We are the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association and all state affiliates. All efforts to push NAIS will only strengthen our movement.

We will not participate in a program designed by and for international agencies and globalist industrial agriculture that persecutes independent traditional farms. We will not comply with the NAIS.

Yours respectfully,

Deborah Stockton, Executive Director
National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association,
on behalf of all people, farmers and consumers, who oppose the NAIS and support unrestricted domestic trade.