******Local Farmer asking for help from you

This is from Sam a local farmer:

The NAIS (National Animal Identification System) is up for discussion in committee on the hill. We need folks to pressure their Washington representatives to reject the NAIS plan. Please pass this along to any one who owns animals or loves to support local, small-scale farmers.
Here's all the info you need to do an effective job...

USDA Comment Period Ends March 16
In January, the USDA proposed a rule to require farms and other properties where animals are raised to be registered in the federal NAIS database for existing federal disease control programs. The rule also sets the stage for future mandatory animal identification. If you haven't already submitted comments on this proposed rule, please be sure to do so before March 16! An easy way to comment online is through the Organic Consumers Association's automated system, at http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26665
Please be sure to personalize the letter! It can be as easy as a couple of sentences at the beginning stating who you are (for example, a farmer, consumer, property rights proponent) and why you care about NAIS.
Congressional Hearing on NAIS, March 11
The U.S. House Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry will hold a hearing on "animal identification programs" on Wednesday, March 11, 2009. This is the first time in several years that any Congressional Committee will hear testimony about NAIS! It is critical that the thousands of farmers and consumers who oppose NAIS make their voices heard in this process!

STEP 1: Before the Hearing
At the end of the alert is a list of Subcommittee members. If one of the Subcommittee members is from your state, call that member. If your state does not have any representation on the Subcommittee, contact your own Representative and ask him or her to approach the Subcommittee to urge them to oppose NAIS. If you're not sure who represents you, go tohttp://www.congress.org
When you call, ask to speak to the staffer who handles agricultural issues, and talk with them about your concerns about NAIS. Use a brief personal story to explain how NAIS would impact you. Emphasize that you want them to ask hard questions of both the industry and USDA representatives, and to make sure that people representing those who oppose NAIS are also heard at the hearing.
STEP 2: AT THE HEARING

If you are in the DC area, please try to come to the hearing!
WHEN: Wednesday, March 11th - 10:00 a.m.WHERE: 1300 Longworth House Office Building (go tohttp://www.aoc.gov/cc/cobs/lhob.cfm for maps and parking information)WHAT: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry -- Public hearing to review animal identification systems.
The subcommittee will hear invited testimony only, so you won't be able to speak at the hearing. But it is still good for the subcommittee to know that a lot of people care enough about this issue to show up in person!
Immediately after the hearing, we encourage you to visit the Subcommittee members' offices. Be polite and concise during your visit. Let them know that you were at the hearing because you are against NAIS. Briefly bring up one or two points that you felt weren't covered at the hearing that show the problems with NAIS. Keep your visit short and thank them for their time.

STEP 3: AFTER THE HEARING
You can submit written testimony to the subcommittee before the hearing, at the hearing, or up to 10 days after the hearing. Send your testimony to the Hearing Clerk, Jamie Mitchell, at Jamie.Mitchell@mail.house.gov Be sure to put "March 11 Hearing - Animal Identification Programs" in the subject line. Keep your comments clear, polite, and concise.
We will send out some guidance after the hearing for key points to make in your testimony, based on what is said at the hearing. If you are submitting comments before the hearing, you can draw ideas from the "Reasons to Stop NAIS" posted on the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund's site athttp://www.ftcldf.org/nais.html (scroll down past the news items and lawsuit information) or from the comments submitted by FARFA on the USDA's proposed rule for NAIS, posted at:http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/files/090202_FARFA_Comments_USDA_rule.pdf
SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Below are the Subcommittee members, their party and state, and phone numbers. You can also send an email by using this format: firstname.lastname@mail.house.gov We strongly recommend that you make at least your initial contact with the ag staffer with a telephone conversation.
Mike Rogers (R-AL),
(p): 202-225-3261, (f): 202-226-8485 Dennis Cardoza (D-CA),
(p): 202-225-6131, (f): 202-225-0819 Jim Costa (D-CA),
(p): 202-225-3341, (f): 202-225-9308Joe Baca (D-CA),
(p): 202-225-6161, (f): 202-225-8671 Betsy Markey (D-CO),
(p): 202-225-4676, (f): 202-225-5870 David Scott (Chair), (D-GA),
(p): 202-225-2939, (f): 202-225-4628 Leonard Boswell (D-IA),
(p): 202-225-3806, (f): 202-225-5608 Steve King (R-IA),
(p): 202-225-4426, (f): 202-225-3193 Walt Minnick (D-ID),
(p): 202-225-6611, (f): 202-225-3029 Frank Kratovil, Jr. (D-MD),
(p): 202-225-5311, (f): 202-225-0254 Adrian Smith (R-NE),
(p): 202-225-6435, (f): 202-225-0207 Tim Holden (D-PA),
(p): 202-225-5546, (f): 202-226-0996 David P. Roe (R-TN),
(p): 202-225-6356, (f): 202-225-5714 K. Michael Conaway (R-TX),
(p): 202-225-3605 or 866-882-3811,
(f): 202-225-1783Randy Neugebauer, Ranking Minority Member (R-TX)
(p): 202-225-4005 or 888-763-1611,
(f): 202-225-9615Bob Goodlatte (R-VA),
(p): 202-225-5431, (f): 202-225-9681 Steve Kagen (D-WI),
(p): 202-225-5665, (f): 202-225-5729
For more information about NAIS, go towww.FarmAndRanchFreedom.org

Here is what I wrote in as testimony to Jamie Mitchell -- but others need to write too...
If the committee wishes to stimulate entrepreneurial growth, and sustainable farming practices that lead to good stewardship of the land and environment, then they will reject the NAIS program.
Here's the deal -- I'm a small farmer. There are already way too many costly, confusing and inappropriate regulations and conditions that keep farmers from farming the land. The average age of a Florida farmer is 57 years old. New people are not coming into farming because it's not profitable on a small scale -- especially with all of the regulations.
Identifying animals on the farm will not lead to a safer food supply. Tell me, would identifying all the individual peanuts that the Peanut Corporation of America added salmonella to have ensured safer peanut products? That was this year's food safety issue (1/17/2009)-- last year's was the Grande Produce issue (7/19/2008) that killed tomato growers even when the culprit was peppers and avocados. The previous "big case" was in February of 2006 when Westland/Hallmark (2/1/2006) mistreated animals at the slaughterhouse. Where are the incidents that can be prevented by tagging animals on the farm? Will we ask the Chinese and other foreign producers who produce food for Americans to tag and track their animals from farm to slaughterhouse?
The problems happen in the processing plants, distribution and the CAFOs. Look back on all the cases of food poisoning or food safety issues related to animal products -- they all broke down at the processing plant or the distribution chain from the processing plant to the consumer. Mad cow disease symptoms -- if displayed in humans -- show up years after eating the tainted meat. NAIS will not make the food system safer for consumers.
NAIS will make it safer for big corporations who want to push small farmers into the corporate system or out of business altogether. If your goal is to have a corporate-run, gas-guzzling, centralized food system that treats workers and animals inhumanely, degrades the country-side, pumps hormones and antibiotics into the American consumer, continues to increase the incidents of heart disease, cancer and other "diseases of Western society", and create a "new" tracking industry that will benefit very few (it's biggest proponents are the guys that make the tracking equipment and big agribusiness is exempt from the individual animal tagging requirement..); then go ahead and pass NAIS.
If your goal is to improve food safety, the environment, reduce fuel dependency, eliminate animal waste pools caused by CAFOs, infuse the American consumer with healthy, better for you food; spark new business that harnesses the beauty of the environment, create middle class incomes for farmers, de-centralize and inject regional flavors into the American food system, and help more Americans avoid the diseases of Western society -- then please, reject NAIS.
May the farm be with you,
www.cognitofarm.com