NAIS is gaining ground and must be stopped for sustainable food. Plese read the following and take action quickly lest NAIS become a part of your life permanently!

NAIS Alert!
Protect Your Right to Farm and the Food Supply!

The USDA has proposed a rule to require all farms and ranches where
animals are raised to be registered in a federal database under the
National Animal Identification System (NAIS) for existing disease
control programs. The draft rule covers programs for cattle, sheep,
goats, and swine. It also sets the stage for the entire NAIS program
to be mandated for everyone, including anyone who owns even one
livestock animal, for example, a single chicken or a horse.

It is critical that the USDA and Congress hear from the hundreds of
thousands of people who will be adversely affected by the NAIS
program. This includes not only animal owners, but also consumers who
care about local and sustainable foods, taxpayers who object to
wasteful government programs, and advocates for a safer food system.


Take Action


STEP 1: Submit comments to USDA online or by mail. The comments must
be received by USDA by March 16, 2009.

Submit comments online at:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0096
Click on the yellow balloon under "add comments."

Or mail two copies of your comments to USDA:

Docket No. APHIS-2007-0096
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS
Station 3A-03.8
4700 River Road Unit 118
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238

Clearly state that your comments refer to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0096.

Click here to download sample comments, or copy them from the end of
this alert.

STEP 2: Send a copy of your comments to your Congressman and Senators.

You can find who represents you, and their contact information, at
www.congress.org

Background and More Information

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been working for over
five years to force a National Animal Identification System (NAIS)
onto American animal owners. NAIS is designed to identify and track
each and every individual livestock and poultry animal owned by family
farmers, hobby farmers, homesteaders, and pet owners across the country.

USDA claims that NAIS is a disease tracking program, but has refused
to provide any support for its claims. In reality, NAIS will:

* Replace states' existing, well-functioning disease response and
brand inspection programs with an unproven, expensive, and unreliable
system;
* Impose high costs and government surveillance on every farmer
and animal owner for no significant benefits, and will likely force
many small producers out of business.

NAIS does nothing to improve food safety for consumers or prevent
animal diseases. This program is a one-size-fits-all program
developed by and for big Agribusiness. NAIS will increase
consolidation of our food supply in the hands of a few large companies
and put the brakes on the growing movement toward local food systems.

Despite promises to the contrary, the USDA's new proposed rule would
make portions of the NAIS mandatory for thousands of people in every
state. Anyone who participates in federal disease control program
for cattle, sheep, goats or swine will have their premises registered.
The NAIS Premises Identification Number (PIN) will become the only
form of premises identification acceptable for USDA animal health
purposes, with no opt-out provision.

The proposed rule would also limit official Animal Identification
Numbers to the NAIS-compliant 840-numbering system, laying the
groundwork for future regulations that would limit people's options on
the types of tags they could use.

The proposed rule is not final yet. You can help stop it by making a
comment in the Federal Registry. Go to:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0096
and click on the yellow balloon under "add comments." And send a copy
of your comments to your elected officials, letting them know how you
feel about NAIS.

The grassroots movement has already successfully stalled USDA's plans
for NAIS, which originally called for the entire program - premises
registration, animal identification, and tracking - to be mandatory by
January 2009. The proposed rule is an opportunity to get thousands
of objections in the formal record, and have an even greater impact.
It is imperative that people speak up to protect our right to farm and
our food supply!

For more information, go to www.FarmAndRanchFreedom.org