NAIS site and more

[Gabe Ayers]

This is an interesting site, maybe some on the board have heard of it. A little cumbersome to sign up, that that may be just me…computer challenged for sure. Since I was asked to spread it around, here it is……

And send this one around……
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_nais
voting is open again. ” This idea is currently in 17th Place and needs 1046 more votes to be part of the final 10 ideas presented at our event in Washington, DC “
Let’s get it up there!

[ngcmcn]

Jason,

What is the best place for good info on NAIS.

Thanks

Neal McNaughten

[Gabe Ayers]

Neal,

I think this Liberty Ark has good information on this issue.

This is a link to a video about it, which I thought I had posted earlier:

http://www.libertyark.net/NAIS-new/NAIS%20Clip/#

Hope this helps, we have some many battles to keep our rights in this land of the free. I think it means one must be very brave to remain free….

[jen judkins]

I got an email today, urging folks to weigh in on the NAIS proposal at :

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=3DDocketDetail&d=3DAPHIS-2007-0096

I guess comments will be allowed till 3/16. Just put the docket number APHIS-2007-0096 in the search box. You can read other comments and add your own.

Time to step up folks and make our voices heard. Jennifer.

BTW, the Farm Bureau News recently published an article about the NAIS program and it was surprisingly sugar-coated, which makes me alittle nervous about their stand on the issue. http://www.fb.org/newsroom/fbn/current_issue.pdf

[Lane Linnenkohl]

My understanding is that the national Farm Bureau has been in favor of NAIS for quite some time.

[dominiquer60]

Perhaps the National has been for it but individual states like NY are against NAIS. The following is a message a friend sent, I can’t make it, I am flying back to FL in the morning, but if any of you can make it this is a good person to talk to, she has been published in the Small Farmers Journal a few times.
Hi All,
I know many of you don’t have animals, but I know you all are concerned with our food systems, so I’m passing along this info. NAIS is an active issue. This is not going away, and is a very real concern for everyone concerned with farming.
Mary Zanoni, Ph.D., past employee of Cornell, and Exec. Dir. of Farm for Life, has been an outspoken critic of NAIS and an activist for farmers. She is speaking this Friday 3/6, at the Real Food Market on Rt.203 across from the Chatham Fair Grounds. The times are 12:30 for farmers and 7:00pm for consumers.
Her website is: http://www.citizensforaconstitutionalrepublic.com/zanoni.
Please pass this along to anyone that you think would be interested.
This is in Chatham, NY.

Erika

[Lane Linnenkohl]

@dominiquer60 6666 wrote:

Perhaps the National has been for it but individual states like NY are against NAIS.

Agreed, but who do you think will have a more prominent voice at the national discussion table?

Some state Farm Bureau’s are for it, some against it.

I was just commenting on Jen’s comment about the Farm Bureau article.

[jen judkins]

I’ve had friends and aquaintances ask me ‘Whats the big deal with NAIS…isn’t it about food safety?’

This artical was passed around from NOFA today and I thought is worth sharing as it describes what’s happening in a very simple way. A good one to pass around to those who may not be invested in farming…or don’t know what they stand to lose.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Goodbye-farmers-markets-C-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-090303-287.html

[near horse]

I worked for some years as a support cientist in both beef cattle nutrition and meat science. It has been pretty well documented that THE #1 issue w/ food safety is improper handling and preparation by the consumer. Unfortunately, the govt. can’t regulate how citizens handle food so go after the producers.

I don’t know if it’s still being considered but there was a movement to feed large doses of Vitamin E just before slaughter (antioxidant should increase shelf life….). The result was meat that stayed red longer (looked good) but had oxidized lipids and bacterial loads similar to the no Vit E group. Bottom line – it takes away the one thing the consumer had to determine whether the meat was “fresh” (color). I know they put the packaged and sell by dates on but those were going to be extended if Vit E was used.

Sorry about the diversion but it just came to mind.

Originally, I had a problem making a comment on the NAIS proposal – it wouldn’t open up. Maybe I am more computer challenged than you Bio Woodsman.:o You can read other comments and see who some of the supporters are (some of the groups stand to benefit by making themselves more important). In fact, the Animal Science Department at our nearby land grant school has graduate student(s) working on “how to get producers to accept NAIS”. They have some ideas about getting carcass data back to the producer since presumably they’ll know which carcasses came from which producers all the way back down the line.

[near horse]

Neil,

Here’s another site w/ less govt gibberish RE: NAIS stuff. http://nonais.org/

[Jim Ostergard]

NAIS is a terrible idea and threat to us all. However there is another movement by the USDA which will really threaten farmers. In the guise of food safety USDA (in conjunction with large agri-business in California developed socalled Good Agriculture Practices or GAP. They use a score sheet for each farm and according to Russell Libby of MOFGA no farm in Maine would make the grade. One provision is no livestock within a mile of the market garden or food crop. Farmers in Cal. Are cutting down all hedge rows, using posion in farm ponds in order to reduce the likely hood of salmonella getting into the leafy greens. All the while large feed lot operations operate up stream. Not much logic in that, eh?
In one of my other lifes I did a lot of food safety work and know that this will not address the problem, only help the largest farms look good.
Recently I heard (have not seen) that Hannaford Super Markets have sent a leter to supliers that they will have to meat the USDA GAP’s. It this is the case, we will see very little local food in the big markets. Maybe not a bad idea.
There are some alternative ideas being considered but unless we get a public outcry the big guys will rule.
Jim Ostergard

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