Letter from Leigh Mills
Agriculture – August 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine
Dear Editor:
I am writing this letter to tell folks about the USDA’s draft strategic plan of the NAIS, National Animal Identification System, which was designed to create and implement a national database to store information about all livestock animals and their movements in the United States. Currently, the plan is voluntary, although some states like Wisconsin are making it mandatory. The USDA intends to make this plan mandatory January, 2009, if they do not get “full participation.”
The NAIS is another attempt by the corporate powers to control the American People. The plan will destroy small farming and simple sustainability. It will affect anyone who eats food, even vegans. I encourage EVERYONE to learn about the plan and contribute some of your energy to change the USDA’s current course of action. Prayer, letters to our Congressmen (state and national level), networking, and simply informing yourself about this plan all help to change it from tyranny to community. Since January, there have been lots of web sites created to inform the people about NAIS. Please inform yourselves! One website in particular is “Nonais.org.” It is filled with information. The sidebars have extensive lists of other sites to investigate, including the USDA’s NAIS site, and Walter Jeffries has updates everyday. From this site, I joined a yahoo group: Colorado Against NAIS. It is a great networking site for folks living in Colorado who want to learn more and participate on some level.
There are many folks who oppose the NAIS. Conversations have been started about non-compliance and the possibility of starting our own markets. This means buying very locally and knowing exactly who is growing your food. Farm and animal shares are a part of this idea. We can let the powers that aren’t know we are taking our power back.
Recently the USDA released a NAIS document that addresses the small farmer and non-commercial producer. This document is a result of the pressure being placed on the USDA from the people opposed to the plan. The document seems to resolve a lot of the main contentious issues, however, the vocabulary used leaves me thinking that there are too many holes for the noose to slip back through. Is anyone familiar with the term “doublespeak”? Most importantly there is still no guarantee that the program will remain voluntary. Mandatory registration is the Mark on the Beast. Are we next?
Please inform yourselves about the NAIS issue and support the folks who are starting to speak out against it. The power to grow our own food is at stake.
Blessings to all
Leigh Mills
Saguache
