This is an email I recieved today
Also read this PDF for more info.
A show on RFD-TV called The Cattle Show today featured Dave Larson, the Exec. VP of Cargill (Nutrena Feeds). It was all well rehearsed propaganda supporting the USDA’s National Animal ID System plan. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns admitted that the USDA has already spent about 100 million dollars on the NAIS! Guess whose money that is? Guess who received it? Not us! That is OUR tax dollars! The big dogs received it to sell you this stupid plan to benefit themselves! The importer/exporter huge corporate ranches as well as some livestock membership associations. You are members of some of these associations and have no idea that your voice doesn’t count! Find out which the private companies that you buy feed and other items from before you give them anymore of your business! I just wrote Nutrena and told them I will no longer purchase their products because of their stance on this issue.
I just read an email post from the Texas Animal Health Commission that “supposedly” dispels “myths”, “rumors” and “misinformation” regarding the Texas Premises registration rules and the USDA’s proposed “National” Animal ID System plan. The TAHC makes claims that some small ranchers, livestock or horse owners may be generating these alleged myths.
First of all, the Texas Animal Health Commission will not say how many farms and ranches that supposedly already “voluntarily” registered their premises, did so unwittingly. They are touting that over 14,000 farms have already registered their premises so you will think that the majority of livestock owners are actually “for” this plan. I personally know livestock owners who were told that the personal farm and livestock information they gave out was supposedly only for the express purpose of a farm survey. They did not know that they were actually registering their farms, nor did they want their premises registered. The TAHC and other paid agents also went around for months falsely telling people they were required by law to register their premises, or be in violation of the law if not registered by July 1, 2006. Now these citizens are stuck and cannot be removed from the TAHC premise registration tax role! Talk about “misinformation”! I also know ranchers that were given only a small portion of one-sided information at meetings and said they now wished they had had time to study and review more about what they were being told.
Secondly, I have not spoken to a single person that wants to record every movement they make with their horses. I know of no one that wants the government tracking them period! I know of no small rancher that wants another expense and less profit. I know of no animal owner that wants to be “turned in” for non-compliance by a visiting veterinarian or by a disgruntled neighbor. Some non-microchipped animals could even suffer and die on family farms due to the owner’s fear of being “turned in” by veterinarians instead of seeking medical attention.
The Texas government will actually be putting livestock owners in the same category as Texas sex offenders, registering and tracking every movement! Who else in Texas but a sex offender is required to register his premises (where he lives and where he/she is going)? It should not be a crime to own animals! Connect the dots and you will see where this can and will lead in the future.
The only way to quell your fears about being “turned in” would be to sell all of your livestock or horses. How convenient for the big corporate ranches. No competition. Down the road, what and who will they be tracking after they gain control of farmers and ranchers and push most of them out of business? Free country? Yeah right! Hitler started small too.
What really needs to be dispelled is the false fear being generated by the USDA and the TAHC concerning disease. Disease has been on this earth for millions of years and the majority of disease is spread through insects, wild animals or simply through the air. The NAIS is about nothing more than government control, money and power although they want you to believe it will help stop the spread of disease. The “big money” tentacles are so far-reaching that we cannot grasp the depths of influence for this controlling, political, pork-laden boondoggle. They want us to believe that we should trust them and we should go ahead and comply and be good little people for our own good. Don’t worry they say, you won’t get fined up to $1000 per day until after you get a warning at a administrative hearing. That should give you time to gather money for an attorney and put you out of business anyway! Everyone wins except the small family farmer and rancher. The lawyers, the veterinarians, the corporate ranches, the microchip manufacturers, the list goes on and on!
Don’t worry, they say, we won’t make you microchip your chickens, just a wing band or leg band will suffice, at your own expense of course. Don’t worry you “may” not have to report every movement with your horse “yet”. Did you hear about any studies on the effects of microchips in your horse’s necks? Don’t worry about your children’s 4-H projects. As long as the parents register, you won’t be in trouble. Dogs and cats? Not yet. Let the USDA get their foot in the door first.
The TAHC is telling us that we shouldn’t mind the costs of micro chipping, tagging, banding and keeping more records. Never mind that good records and stop measures are currently in place and working. They are saying we really won’t mind being tracked or paying more taxes and incurring more expenses.
The TAHC and the USDA sure won’t mind if all the small farmers and ranchers throw in the towel. The fact is, the USDA and the TAHC will go to any lengths to make the public as well as all livestock owners think this is all a “good” thing. Keep in mind the fact that several groups and associations are getting paid to tell you this is all good for us. You may belong to one or more of these associations. Stop and think how much money these associations may profit later by using your membership. Some of the people heading up these associations are the big corporate ranch owners that are doing all the exporting! Did they ask you or their general membership for a vote? They don’t care! If the corporate ranch owners think it will help them to export more beef and want to microchip their animals voluntarily, then let them go for it! I certainly don’t want any part of imported beef but that is another avenue this is leading us down.
I’m not even scratching the surface about the profiting that will occur at our expense and the freedom we will lose. They either want you to go to sleep on this issue or they will keep telling you anything to make this sound okay and that there’s nothing to worry about. They want you to think that it will be easy, painless, cheap, keep you from getting a disease, not cost you even more later, or that it won’t develop into a “snitch program” or raise food prices.
So, what if the only beef you can buy in the future is genetically altered and laced with hormones and antibiotics from some big corporate feed lots? As long as the NAIS helps the big corporate ranches with exporting and brings in billions of dollars to the government then it’s all good for the rest of us. The government can’t track illegal aliens but they will be more than happy to take our money and say they can track every animal! Don’t even think about all of the wild animals that spread disease! Just send them your money, tell them where you are located and the government will take care of you. Sounds wonderful doesn’t it?
The USDA and the TAHC’s talk about the NAIS being postponed and will not happen this year or next is not a comforting thought either. They just want you to forget about it and allow them to push it through Congress through influence by big company lobbyists. They are postponing it with the hopes the family farmer and rancher will tire of the issue. I hope they have, once again, misjudged the response of the American people and our independent spirit. They are saying don’t worry, trust us, we are postponing this until a later date….....well, I can read between those lines and I say, “NEVER” is the only acceptable date for my family!
Myths they say? I think not. Valid concerns from average citizens that value their family farms, ranches, rights and freedom that many brave soldiers fought and died for!
It’s almost election time. Please research every candidate’s stance on the NAIS plan through phone calls, e-mails and websites and vote responsibly! We, the “silent majority” need to be heard! Also write and call your incumbent officials today! Tell them how you feel. Many people are unaware that this is happening or they don’t believe it’s real. Tell friends, neighbors and relatives even if they don’t own a farm! Ask them to speak out too! You can direct them to www.farmandranchfreedom.org or www.texasanimalhealthcommissionwatch.com to learn more and everyone can sign up for free e-mail alerts here: http://www.farmandranchfreedom.org/action.html Our freedom and life as we know it on the American farm depends on you! Please stay informed and please pass this on! Thank you!
~ An American Rancher’s Wife
In order to contact Nutrena or Cargill you have to go to their website. Let them know what you think of them putting money into this.
Contact Nutrena here
Contact Cargill here
Also another webite to check out is NoNais