Oregon Health Department Food Nazis Assail Lemonade Stand!
Seven-year-old Julie Murphy of Oregon City still smiles about her enterprise despite running afoul of county inspectors for an unlicensed lemonade stand at Last Thursday.
UPDATE: Multnomah County chairman tells inspectors to stand down and apologizes to Julie and her family.
It's hardly unusual to hear small-business owners gripe about licensing requirements or complain that heavy-handed regulations are driving them into the red.
So when Multnomah County shut down an enterprise last week for operating without a license, you might just sigh and say, there they go again.
Except this entrepreneur was a 7-year-old named Julie Murphy. Her business was a lemonade stand at the Last Thursday monthly art fair in Northeast Portland. The government regulation she violated? Failing to get a $120 temporary restaurant license.
Turns out that kids' lemonade stands -- those constants of summertime -- are supposed to get a permit in Oregon, particularly at big events that happen to be patrolled regularly by county health inspectors.
"I understand the reason behind what they're doing and it's a neighborhood event, and they're trying to generate revenue," said Jon Kawaguchi, environmental health supervisor for the Multnomah County Health Department. "But we still need to put the public's health first."
Julie had become enamored of the idea of having a stand after watching an episode of cartoon pig Olivia running one, said her mother, Maria Fife. The two live in Oregon City, but Fife knew her daughter would get few customers if she set up her stand at home.
Plus, Fife had just attended Last Thursday along Portland's Northeast Alberta Street for the first time and loved the friendly feel and the diversity of the grass-roots event. She put the two things together and promised to take her daughter in July.
The girl worked on a sign, coloring in the letters and decorating it with a drawing of a person saying "Yummy." She made a list of supplies.
Then, with gallons of bottled water and packets of Kool-Aid, they drove up last Thursday with a friend and her daughter. They loaded a wheelbarrow that Julie steered to the corner of Northeast 26th and Alberta and settled into a space between a painter and a couple who sold handmade bags and kids' clothing.
Even before her daughter had finished making the first batch of lemonade, a man walked up to buy a 50-cent cup.
"They wanted to support a little 7-year-old to earn a little extra summer loot," she said. "People know what's going on."
Even so, Julie was careful about making the lemonade, cleaning her hands with hand sanitizer, using a scoop for the bagged ice and keeping everything covered when it wasn't in use, Fife said.
After 20 minutes, a "lady with a clipboard" came over and asked for their license. When Fife explained they didn't have one, the woman told them they would need to leave or possibly face a $500 fine.
Surprised, Fife started to pack up. The people staffing the booths next to them encouraged the two to stay, telling them the inspectors had no right to kick them out of the neighborhood gathering. They also suggested that they give away the lemonade and accept donations instead and one of them made an announcement to the crowd to support the lemonade stand.
That's when business really picked up -- and two inspectors came back, Fife said. Julie started crying, while her mother packed up and others confronted the inspectors. "It was a very big scene," Fife said.
Technically, any lemonade stand -- even one on your front lawn -- must be licensed under state law, said Eric Pippert, the food-borne illness prevention program manager for the state's public health division. But county inspectors are unlikely to go after kids selling lemonade on their front lawn unless, he conceded, their front lawn happens to be on Alberta Street during Last Thursday.
"When you go to a public event and set up shop, you're suddenly engaging in commerce," he said. "The fact that you're small-scale I don't think is relevant."
Kawaguchi, who oversees the two county inspectors involved, said they must be fair and consistent in their monitoring, no matter the age of the person. "Our role is to protect the public," he said.
The county's shutdown of the lemonade stand was publicized by Michael Franklin, the man at the booth next to Fife and her daughter. Franklin contributes to the Bottom Up Radio Network, an online anarchist site, and interviewed Fife for his show.
Franklin is also organizing a "Lemonade Revolt" for Last Thursday in August. He's calling on anarchists, neighbors and others to come early for the event and grab space for lemonade stands on Alberta between Northeast 25th and Northeast 26th.
As for Julie, the 7-year-old still tells her mother "it was a bad day." When she complains about the health inspector, Fife reminds her that the woman was just doing her job. She also promised to help her try again -- at an upcoming neighborhood garage sale.
While Fife said she does see the need for some food safety regulation, she thinks the county went too far in trying to control events as unstructured as Last Thursday.
"As far as Last Thursday is concerned, people know when they are coming there that it's more or less a free-for-all," she said. "It's gotten to the point where they need to be in all of our decisions. They don't trust us to make good choices on our own."
-- Helen Jung
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
US Senate Candidate Chuck Purgason... the Longest Missouri Filibuster!
The State Senator who has already proven that he will stand against immense political pressure to compromise freedom principles, is taking a tremendous stand right now. He ran the NAIS constraining legislation in Missouri and took unbelievable flack from proponents of NAIS and would not back down. Now he won't back down on a deceptively named bill that has had a lot of political intrigue behind it.
The "Manufacturing Jobs Act" is a bill that tries to bribe Ford Motor Company to stay here, even though Ford hasn't asked for a bribe, nor have they testified for the bribe. This is a Missouri attempt at following Federal economic policy, and Purgason is filibustering in this special session "till he drops" to stop this bill. What that means, is he went for more than 20 hours.
A little history on this bill indicates that there must be some push from on high in the Republican leadership in Missouri. In regular session, this bill was filibustered and dropped. At nearly the end of session, Missouri's Democratic Governor, Jay Nixon visited the President Pro Tem of the Senate at his office for a 45 minute closed door meeting with armed guards stationed outside. After that meeting, there was a Special Session called by the Governor.
Now,I am not clear on all the rules regarding irregular legislative processes, but I know enough to recognize untoward party and leadership pressure. Purgason was removed from his Chairmanship of the Government Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee by the President Pro Tem of the Senate because Purgason wouldn't bring the bill to a vote.....Remember this bill died in regular session.
Prior to removing Purgason as Chair and installing himself as Chair, the President of the Senate, Charlie Shields had a 45 minute meeting at the end of regular session with Democratic Governor Jay Nixon, who really wants this bill....Neither one of them, nor the armed guards outside of Shields' office, said what transpired in the meeting. But a Special Session was agreed upon.
During the Special Session, on the House side of things, House President Pro Tem, Bryan Pratt (who referred to the bill as a bail out bill) and Representative Kraus were removed and replaced from the Committee the bill had to go through to make it to House floor.
So, strong arm tactics with leadership in both parties pushing hard for the same legislation that is highly questionable, seems indicative of something seriously wrong in the General Assembly at least.....It would be my guess that if one were able to follow the money, it would go back to the powers behind the parties. It would take a good long while to chase that bunny down the trail, but the behaviour of the leadership strongly suggests that there is a bunny to run down.
The "Manufacturing Jobs Act" is a bill that tries to bribe Ford Motor Company to stay here, even though Ford hasn't asked for a bribe, nor have they testified for the bribe. This is a Missouri attempt at following Federal economic policy, and Purgason is filibustering in this special session "till he drops" to stop this bill. What that means, is he went for more than 20 hours.
A little history on this bill indicates that there must be some push from on high in the Republican leadership in Missouri. In regular session, this bill was filibustered and dropped. At nearly the end of session, Missouri's Democratic Governor, Jay Nixon visited the President Pro Tem of the Senate at his office for a 45 minute closed door meeting with armed guards stationed outside. After that meeting, there was a Special Session called by the Governor.
Now,I am not clear on all the rules regarding irregular legislative processes, but I know enough to recognize untoward party and leadership pressure. Purgason was removed from his Chairmanship of the Government Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee by the President Pro Tem of the Senate because Purgason wouldn't bring the bill to a vote.....Remember this bill died in regular session.
Prior to removing Purgason as Chair and installing himself as Chair, the President of the Senate, Charlie Shields had a 45 minute meeting at the end of regular session with Democratic Governor Jay Nixon, who really wants this bill....Neither one of them, nor the armed guards outside of Shields' office, said what transpired in the meeting. But a Special Session was agreed upon.
During the Special Session, on the House side of things, House President Pro Tem, Bryan Pratt (who referred to the bill as a bail out bill) and Representative Kraus were removed and replaced from the Committee the bill had to go through to make it to House floor.
So, strong arm tactics with leadership in both parties pushing hard for the same legislation that is highly questionable, seems indicative of something seriously wrong in the General Assembly at least.....It would be my guess that if one were able to follow the money, it would go back to the powers behind the parties. It would take a good long while to chase that bunny down the trail, but the behaviour of the leadership strongly suggests that there is a bunny to run down.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Farmer's Killing Themselves --
The article below brushes the surface of the problems faced on the farm. Farmers are the most pro-life bunch of people you will encounter. The hopelessness resulting from market control and lack of access to viable markets is multiplying....Be a revolutionary and buy direct from a farmer. ....
Need a Real Sponsor here
July 26, 2009, 8:17 AM ET
The Human Toll: Farmer Suicides on the Rise
Fluctuations in oil prices over the last couple years have received no shortage of headlines, but they’re not the only commodity that has seen an increase – followed by a collapse – in prices. The same has happened in agriculture, and the impact of sharply lower prices combined with weak demand and tight credit is taking a devastating toll on farmers.
http://online.wsj.com/media/dairy_D_20090726081231.jpg
In Colorado, for example, 14 farmers and ranchers took their lives last year, double the rate five years ago, according to the Denver Post. In Maine, the Bangor Daily News has reported of at least three known farmer suicides so far this year. Two dairy famers in California have taken their lives in the last six months. The Iowa-based “Sowing the Seeds of Hope” hotline, which serves farmers in seven Midwest states, has fielded about 11,000 calls through April, a 20% increase from the same period a year ago, according to the Post and the Iowa Independent.
“The increase in calls really started with the change in dairy prices, as they fell last fall,” Mike Rosmann, a clinical psychologist and farmer who heads the hotline jointly sponsored by AgriWellness and Iowa State University Extension, told the Post.
Scott Hoese, a Minnesota dairy farmer, described the industry’s struggles in testimony before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy & Poultry on Tuesday.
“Dairy farmers of all sizes and across all regions of the country are enduring an unprecedented disaster,” he said. “Equity is rapidly disappearing, market prices remain at 1970 levels, creditors are cutting off producers - yet there is no relief in sight.”
“As quickly as dairy prices peaked last year, they have just as quickly collapsed and have been well below the cost of production,” he said. “Our latest data shows consumers paying $4.99 for a pound of cheddar cheese while the farmer receives less than $1.00; farmers receive $0.97 out of the $2.99 consumers pay for a gallon of fat free milk. At a time when more consumers are eating at home, thereby increasing retail dairy product sales, producers are losing money on every gallon of milk sold.”
The global nature of the current downturn has also taken a toll, he said, wiping out other nations’ demand for U.S. agricultural exports. “Time is of the essence for dairy producers. Many continue to lose $100-$200 per dairy cow per month with no immediate increase in the market on the horizon,” he said. “As a producer, it has been frustrating, to say the least, to weather one of the worst economic periods in 30 years yet it seems as though our society as a whole has not grasped how desperate our situation is.”
Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Need a Real Sponsor here
July 26, 2009, 8:17 AM ET
The Human Toll: Farmer Suicides on the Rise
Fluctuations in oil prices over the last couple years have received no shortage of headlines, but they’re not the only commodity that has seen an increase – followed by a collapse – in prices. The same has happened in agriculture, and the impact of sharply lower prices combined with weak demand and tight credit is taking a devastating toll on farmers.
http://online.wsj.com/media/dairy_D_20090726081231.jpg
In Colorado, for example, 14 farmers and ranchers took their lives last year, double the rate five years ago, according to the Denver Post. In Maine, the Bangor Daily News has reported of at least three known farmer suicides so far this year. Two dairy famers in California have taken their lives in the last six months. The Iowa-based “Sowing the Seeds of Hope” hotline, which serves farmers in seven Midwest states, has fielded about 11,000 calls through April, a 20% increase from the same period a year ago, according to the Post and the Iowa Independent.
“The increase in calls really started with the change in dairy prices, as they fell last fall,” Mike Rosmann, a clinical psychologist and farmer who heads the hotline jointly sponsored by AgriWellness and Iowa State University Extension, told the Post.
Scott Hoese, a Minnesota dairy farmer, described the industry’s struggles in testimony before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy & Poultry on Tuesday.
“Dairy farmers of all sizes and across all regions of the country are enduring an unprecedented disaster,” he said. “Equity is rapidly disappearing, market prices remain at 1970 levels, creditors are cutting off producers - yet there is no relief in sight.”
“As quickly as dairy prices peaked last year, they have just as quickly collapsed and have been well below the cost of production,” he said. “Our latest data shows consumers paying $4.99 for a pound of cheddar cheese while the farmer receives less than $1.00; farmers receive $0.97 out of the $2.99 consumers pay for a gallon of fat free milk. At a time when more consumers are eating at home, thereby increasing retail dairy product sales, producers are losing money on every gallon of milk sold.”
The global nature of the current downturn has also taken a toll, he said, wiping out other nations’ demand for U.S. agricultural exports. “Time is of the essence for dairy producers. Many continue to lose $100-$200 per dairy cow per month with no immediate increase in the market on the horizon,” he said. “As a producer, it has been frustrating, to say the least, to weather one of the worst economic periods in 30 years yet it seems as though our society as a whole has not grasped how desperate our situation is.”
Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Consolidation GMO's and Food Control--The Theater we are in
Please go to the Center for Responsible Technology and download the non-GMO shopping guide. Jeffrey Smith has done the most work on this and you can benefit from the tremendous amount of work he has done. I don't agree with him that the Obama Administration is going to 'do the right thing' with labeling, or constraint of market control on ag at all---But his work is STILL the best out there. So get the Non GMO shopping guide at the bottom of the linked page.
Also, please support my weekly radio show. As you can tell from reading my blog, I am much more comfortable with duct tape and hammers than internet technology, but that lack of ability in techno crud doesn't stop me from being able to access information and process it....it just stops me from being able to disseminate that information as well as I would like. I'm going to continue to try to get the info out there, but I'm a little needy and need to know that people are getting it. So please listen to the show when you can and call in with your thoughts from time to time. Here's the link to my most recent broadcast of Truth Farmer on Liberty News Radio
Tomorrow morning from 8-9 Central I will be on Republic Broadcasting networks Capitol Forum, and Monday at 8pm Central I will be on Devvy Kidd's show.
I do this stuff full time for free---all in the hope that we may continue to be able to eat and to stand in the gap so that tyrranny has a harder time bringing us to their Brave New World. I like my Brave New World better as fiction. How about you?
Also, please support my weekly radio show. As you can tell from reading my blog, I am much more comfortable with duct tape and hammers than internet technology, but that lack of ability in techno crud doesn't stop me from being able to access information and process it....it just stops me from being able to disseminate that information as well as I would like. I'm going to continue to try to get the info out there, but I'm a little needy and need to know that people are getting it. So please listen to the show when you can and call in with your thoughts from time to time. Here's the link to my most recent broadcast of Truth Farmer on Liberty News Radio
Tomorrow morning from 8-9 Central I will be on Republic Broadcasting networks Capitol Forum, and Monday at 8pm Central I will be on Devvy Kidd's show.
I do this stuff full time for free---all in the hope that we may continue to be able to eat and to stand in the gap so that tyrranny has a harder time bringing us to their Brave New World. I like my Brave New World better as fiction. How about you?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Name Games with the USDA (again)
©Doreen Hannes
On May 11th, the USDA held the first of three public meetings on their "New NAIS" program "Animal Disease Traceability". The meeting began at 8am with three power point presentations. California State Veterinarian, Dr. Richard Breitmeyer gave the first presentation. This was the same presentation he gave at the mid-March NIAA (National Institute of Animal Agriculture) meeting, also held in Kansas City.
A little history is in order to understand the progression of this idea for animal traceability. In the US, the first notable plan for identifying animals was the NFAIP, along with FAIR, those being the National Farm Animal Identification Program and Farm Animal Identification and Records. Then under the Bush Administration there was the United States Animal Identification Plan, with the NAIS, National Animal Identification System hot on it's heels. Now, they have "killed" NAIS, but are moving forward with the Animal Disease Traceability plan, the ADT. The main difference here is that the USDA is going to make a rule on the ADT to prescribe the "performance standards" for traceability that the states MUST meet to engage in interstate commerce with the ADT.
Breitmeyer's presentation focused on the difficulties around tracing the contacts of tubercular (and suspect) cattle in the state of California and other states without the aid of an interoperable database covering all animals and all movements. According to his presentation, the state of California has approximately 57,500 known live cattle imports from Mexico per year. This is significant in that more than 75% of all tuberculosis in cattle is of Mexican origin. Breitmeyer lamented that when he began as a vet 25 years ago, the US had nearly eliminated TB except for in small areas of northern Michigan and northern Minnesota where the soil make up continues to keep TB in the wildlife and therefore occasionally in cattle. Breitmeyer's presentation was actually quite a good illustration of many of the failed policies of the USDA in disease control, the lack of quarantine at the borders chief among them. Of course, he is a proponent of a NAIS style system because having all that data available would make his job easier…At least on paper.
The second presentation was given by a very soft-spoken APHIS/VS (Veternary Services) representative, Dr. TJ Mayer. He stressed that the "theme" for the development of the "new" program is "collaboration". Those to be affected must be involved in the process of developing the solution for the lack of traceability that now exists--- particularly in cattle. Cattle are the primary focus for this new plan, and the methodology for bringing cattle to 95% traceability back to the point of identification in 2 business days is dependent on "collaboration" in developing the processes in our states. (Sounds familiar, doesn't it?) Mayer also illustrated that the desired traceability would be implemented gradually through partnerships of stakeholders and building upon the requirements outlined in the rule that is to be developed for criteria that states must meet for interstate commerce.
The third presentation was by Becky Brewer (Oklahoma State Vet) and the apparent lead member of the newly established "Regulatory Working Group". Dr. Brewer related the thinking of the Regulatory Working Group on the measurable outcomes of the 'traceability' standards to arrive at 95% of "all" animals traced back to the 'traceability unit' within 2 business days. Sounds just like the NAIS Business Plan, doesn't it? Brewer stated, "In government speak, "all" doesn't mean all." This may explain why the USDA kept insisting that when opponents of NAIS cited documents verbatim, we were "spreading misinformation". Evidently the English language is a linguistic and statistical anomaly in the hands and mouths of bureaucrats.
There were no question and answer sessions after the presentations. Instead every table was given a USDA facilitator and three segments of questions to answer regarding how we might achieve the desired outcome of getting animals id'd back to the 'traceability unit' within their timeframes. The tables were marked with species placards and there were at least five cattle tables, three swine, two poultry, one sheep and goat, and one "other species".
When I entered the room I noticed that Kenny Fox of R CALF USA was at a cattle table and I failed to notice the "other species" table so I sat at the sheep and goat table. There were no people at the poultry tables. The cattle tables were quite full, and all of the reporters were sitting at the 'other species' table, so I thought I would just sit at the empty sheep and goat table.
When the facilitating began, I was blessed with three USDA representatives at my table, where all the other tables only had one. I shared the table with one sheep broker from New Mexico. He deals in 20 to 30,000 head of sheep annually mostly exported to Mexico and was quite content with the Scrapie program. This program identifies breeding animals back to the flock of origin with a number assigned to the flock manager and not the land the animals are held on. It also allows for tattoos as an alternate form of official id for interstate commerce, and does not use RFID tags, although it could in the future.
The USDA representatives at my table were not particularly interested in hearing about how the failed agricultural policies have created a problem that the USDA would now like all of us to 'partner' with them to solve. They did take copious notes, and were quite proficient in 'mirroring' my statements while slightly adjusting them to fit their desired outcome more handily.
At the end of each of the three segments, a representative from each table stood and gave the 'report' from the table on that segment. The consensus of the cattle groups were that only breeders should be identified, RFID tags should be avoided, back tags should continue to be used for feeders and slaughter cows, and a NAIS styled system would not work at all.
The USDA is currently promoting the use of 'bright' tags for cattle. These are very similar to brucellosis tags in numbering and appearance. However, when the only question and answer segment of the day took place and Neil Hammerschmidt (one of the main authors of NAIS) gave most of the answers, he made it clear that the USDA still wants to 'aggressively' pursue the use of 840 tags.
The bottom line about the entire meeting is that the USDA will try to have a draft rule ready in June from the "Regulatory Working Group". This rule will define the "performance standards" that are to be met by the states to engage in interstate commerce. The USDA plans to publish this proposed rule in November or December of 2010, allow a 90-day comment period, and finalize the rule (make it law) from 8-10 months after the comment period is complete. There may be different requirements under these performance standards by species, and some potentially exempted sectors or movements. There is admitted concern from the USDA and their friends that incentives and disincentives for states must be expressed clearly and not be too "heavy handed". In other words, if a state meets compliance levels in hogs and not cattle, the hogs should not be refused access to interstate commerce.
It appears to me that we must proactively engage our state legislators to statutorily define requirements for interstate livestock movement and not allow the Departments of Agriculture the leeway to cooperate with the USDA to achieve the goals of the USDA as those goals are still NAIS oriented. The USDA will not dismantle the National Premises Repository although Hammerschmidt stated that if a state were to want to withdraw all of their participants, they could do so. Also, according to Hammerschmidt, they still want to move 'aggressively' to 840 tags as official identification along with electronic Certificates of Veterinary Inspection.
The onus of implementing the graduated Animal Disease Traceability program rests squarely on the individual states. Either the states will define those standards statutorily or the USDA will bring about their final desires incrementally through the regulatory process.==========
On May 11th, the USDA held the first of three public meetings on their "New NAIS" program "Animal Disease Traceability". The meeting began at 8am with three power point presentations. California State Veterinarian, Dr. Richard Breitmeyer gave the first presentation. This was the same presentation he gave at the mid-March NIAA (National Institute of Animal Agriculture) meeting, also held in Kansas City.
A little history is in order to understand the progression of this idea for animal traceability. In the US, the first notable plan for identifying animals was the NFAIP, along with FAIR, those being the National Farm Animal Identification Program and Farm Animal Identification and Records. Then under the Bush Administration there was the United States Animal Identification Plan, with the NAIS, National Animal Identification System hot on it's heels. Now, they have "killed" NAIS, but are moving forward with the Animal Disease Traceability plan, the ADT. The main difference here is that the USDA is going to make a rule on the ADT to prescribe the "performance standards" for traceability that the states MUST meet to engage in interstate commerce with the ADT.
Breitmeyer's presentation focused on the difficulties around tracing the contacts of tubercular (and suspect) cattle in the state of California and other states without the aid of an interoperable database covering all animals and all movements. According to his presentation, the state of California has approximately 57,500 known live cattle imports from Mexico per year. This is significant in that more than 75% of all tuberculosis in cattle is of Mexican origin. Breitmeyer lamented that when he began as a vet 25 years ago, the US had nearly eliminated TB except for in small areas of northern Michigan and northern Minnesota where the soil make up continues to keep TB in the wildlife and therefore occasionally in cattle. Breitmeyer's presentation was actually quite a good illustration of many of the failed policies of the USDA in disease control, the lack of quarantine at the borders chief among them. Of course, he is a proponent of a NAIS style system because having all that data available would make his job easier…At least on paper.
The second presentation was given by a very soft-spoken APHIS/VS (Veternary Services) representative, Dr. TJ Mayer. He stressed that the "theme" for the development of the "new" program is "collaboration". Those to be affected must be involved in the process of developing the solution for the lack of traceability that now exists--- particularly in cattle. Cattle are the primary focus for this new plan, and the methodology for bringing cattle to 95% traceability back to the point of identification in 2 business days is dependent on "collaboration" in developing the processes in our states. (Sounds familiar, doesn't it?) Mayer also illustrated that the desired traceability would be implemented gradually through partnerships of stakeholders and building upon the requirements outlined in the rule that is to be developed for criteria that states must meet for interstate commerce.
The third presentation was by Becky Brewer (Oklahoma State Vet) and the apparent lead member of the newly established "Regulatory Working Group". Dr. Brewer related the thinking of the Regulatory Working Group on the measurable outcomes of the 'traceability' standards to arrive at 95% of "all" animals traced back to the 'traceability unit' within 2 business days. Sounds just like the NAIS Business Plan, doesn't it? Brewer stated, "In government speak, "all" doesn't mean all." This may explain why the USDA kept insisting that when opponents of NAIS cited documents verbatim, we were "spreading misinformation". Evidently the English language is a linguistic and statistical anomaly in the hands and mouths of bureaucrats.
There were no question and answer sessions after the presentations. Instead every table was given a USDA facilitator and three segments of questions to answer regarding how we might achieve the desired outcome of getting animals id'd back to the 'traceability unit' within their timeframes. The tables were marked with species placards and there were at least five cattle tables, three swine, two poultry, one sheep and goat, and one "other species".
When I entered the room I noticed that Kenny Fox of R CALF USA was at a cattle table and I failed to notice the "other species" table so I sat at the sheep and goat table. There were no people at the poultry tables. The cattle tables were quite full, and all of the reporters were sitting at the 'other species' table, so I thought I would just sit at the empty sheep and goat table.
When the facilitating began, I was blessed with three USDA representatives at my table, where all the other tables only had one. I shared the table with one sheep broker from New Mexico. He deals in 20 to 30,000 head of sheep annually mostly exported to Mexico and was quite content with the Scrapie program. This program identifies breeding animals back to the flock of origin with a number assigned to the flock manager and not the land the animals are held on. It also allows for tattoos as an alternate form of official id for interstate commerce, and does not use RFID tags, although it could in the future.
The USDA representatives at my table were not particularly interested in hearing about how the failed agricultural policies have created a problem that the USDA would now like all of us to 'partner' with them to solve. They did take copious notes, and were quite proficient in 'mirroring' my statements while slightly adjusting them to fit their desired outcome more handily.
At the end of each of the three segments, a representative from each table stood and gave the 'report' from the table on that segment. The consensus of the cattle groups were that only breeders should be identified, RFID tags should be avoided, back tags should continue to be used for feeders and slaughter cows, and a NAIS styled system would not work at all.
The USDA is currently promoting the use of 'bright' tags for cattle. These are very similar to brucellosis tags in numbering and appearance. However, when the only question and answer segment of the day took place and Neil Hammerschmidt (one of the main authors of NAIS) gave most of the answers, he made it clear that the USDA still wants to 'aggressively' pursue the use of 840 tags.
The bottom line about the entire meeting is that the USDA will try to have a draft rule ready in June from the "Regulatory Working Group". This rule will define the "performance standards" that are to be met by the states to engage in interstate commerce. The USDA plans to publish this proposed rule in November or December of 2010, allow a 90-day comment period, and finalize the rule (make it law) from 8-10 months after the comment period is complete. There may be different requirements under these performance standards by species, and some potentially exempted sectors or movements. There is admitted concern from the USDA and their friends that incentives and disincentives for states must be expressed clearly and not be too "heavy handed". In other words, if a state meets compliance levels in hogs and not cattle, the hogs should not be refused access to interstate commerce.
It appears to me that we must proactively engage our state legislators to statutorily define requirements for interstate livestock movement and not allow the Departments of Agriculture the leeway to cooperate with the USDA to achieve the goals of the USDA as those goals are still NAIS oriented. The USDA will not dismantle the National Premises Repository although Hammerschmidt stated that if a state were to want to withdraw all of their participants, they could do so. Also, according to Hammerschmidt, they still want to move 'aggressively' to 840 tags as official identification along with electronic Certificates of Veterinary Inspection.
The onus of implementing the graduated Animal Disease Traceability program rests squarely on the individual states. Either the states will define those standards statutorily or the USDA will bring about their final desires incrementally through the regulatory process.==========
Monday, May 17, 2010
And by the way.....
Just in case anyone was curious, I write from time to time for News with Views and have a weekly radio show on Liberty News Radio every Saturday from 10 to 11am....In between, I do laundry, garden,dishes, cooking (although I would rather raise the food than cook it!) manage a farm, home school, bake bread, make cheese and fight for truth, freedom and fluffy pancakes.
And in my spare time, I try to figure out how technology can be used for good and not evil!
And in my spare time, I try to figure out how technology can be used for good and not evil!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Missouri Set to Get Ohio's Issue 2---Act now!
For those in Missouri, we need to get on this!
We have only a few days left in session at Jefferson City. We have a very, very negative bill looking to go through the Senate and we have got to get active against it or be faced with a myriad of committees acting like the "Milk Board" and telling us all what we have to do, how we must do it, and when in order to remain engaged in agriculture.
SB 795 is the Omnibus Ag Act, and it is compilation of a lot of good intentions gone awry. The good bits cannot be separated from the bad bits at this point.
This bill is a serious affront to anyone who loves freedom...To be ruled by non-elected unaccountable committees is actually a Soviet system of governance, and SB 795 sets that up in agriculture quite succinctly. While there are tremendous concerns with the food supply and it's safety for consumption, as well as the attempts by the HSUS to control how animals are raised (with their real intent to STOP all animal ownership as the final goal), the oversight to be established by LAW in Missouri via SB 795 is completely unacceptable. Warm fuzzy language aside, the establishment of committees dominated by corporate ag will hasten the destruction to independent agriculture that the policies employed by the USDA for decades have caused.
The bill does the following, with all of the agency authority to promulgate rules and regulations behind it:
Sets up a committee of major agribusiness proponents to establish 'acceptable' animal care standards. This is Ohio's Issue 2, just in Missouri instead.
Sets up a committee to oversee "Urban Agriculture".
Sets up a misdirected attempt to further local food producers access to market by establishing a "sustainable" "farm to institution" initiative ---WITH the authority to promulgate rules and regulations regarding the initiative. There is concern that the committee establishing the guidelines for 'animal care' will have oversight of this program as well and the group pushing for this initiative would like the bill killed as it has been 'adulterated'.
Establishes in law the 'right to own animals' so long as they are raised in accordance with 'standards' set by the University of Missouri. This section also seriously threatens local control and private property rights.
Establishes licensing requirements for egg selling.
Establishes very complex licensing requirements for 'blasters' with a highly specific exemption list that does -NOT- clearly preclude reloaders as exempt from licensing requirements.
It also establishes horse slaughter and provides highly specific requirements for engagement in that activity. One of the requirements is that should someone purchase more than 5 pounds of horse meat, the seller must take their name address and contact information and hold that for disclosure to an interested authority.
It also does a few other things, but overall, this bill is very unfriendly to freedom and it fails to meaningfully address the real issues that cause agriculture to be a difficult field to negotiate a viable living through.
If you love freedom or good food, or farming, you need to oppose this bill and oppose it quickly. The last week of session begins on Monday the 10th and the Citizens of Missouri would be better off with this bill being killed than if it passes.
Please call the Senate and tell them to vote NO on SB795 and stop all these committees and task forces from being established in statute and ruling how independent agriculture can conduct itself. Let's fight HSUS with facts instead of letting further consolidation of agriculture markets occur because we are afraid of this bunch of Horribly Sadistic Urban Sociopaths.
Find the Senate roster at and let's fill up the answering machines and continue to call all week until they vote SB795 down!
In Liberty,
Doreen
We have only a few days left in session at Jefferson City. We have a very, very negative bill looking to go through the Senate and we have got to get active against it or be faced with a myriad of committees acting like the "Milk Board" and telling us all what we have to do, how we must do it, and when in order to remain engaged in agriculture.
SB 795 is the Omnibus Ag Act, and it is compilation of a lot of good intentions gone awry. The good bits cannot be separated from the bad bits at this point.
This bill is a serious affront to anyone who loves freedom...To be ruled by non-elected unaccountable committees is actually a Soviet system of governance, and SB 795 sets that up in agriculture quite succinctly. While there are tremendous concerns with the food supply and it's safety for consumption, as well as the attempts by the HSUS to control how animals are raised (with their real intent to STOP all animal ownership as the final goal), the oversight to be established by LAW in Missouri via SB 795 is completely unacceptable. Warm fuzzy language aside, the establishment of committees dominated by corporate ag will hasten the destruction to independent agriculture that the policies employed by the USDA for decades have caused.
The bill does the following, with all of the agency authority to promulgate rules and regulations behind it:
Sets up a committee of major agribusiness proponents to establish 'acceptable' animal care standards. This is Ohio's Issue 2, just in Missouri instead.
Sets up a committee to oversee "Urban Agriculture".
Sets up a misdirected attempt to further local food producers access to market by establishing a "sustainable" "farm to institution" initiative ---WITH the authority to promulgate rules and regulations regarding the initiative. There is concern that the committee establishing the guidelines for 'animal care' will have oversight of this program as well and the group pushing for this initiative would like the bill killed as it has been 'adulterated'.
Establishes in law the 'right to own animals' so long as they are raised in accordance with 'standards' set by the University of Missouri. This section also seriously threatens local control and private property rights.
Establishes licensing requirements for egg selling.
Establishes very complex licensing requirements for 'blasters' with a highly specific exemption list that does -NOT- clearly preclude reloaders as exempt from licensing requirements.
It also establishes horse slaughter and provides highly specific requirements for engagement in that activity. One of the requirements is that should someone purchase more than 5 pounds of horse meat, the seller must take their name address and contact information and hold that for disclosure to an interested authority.
It also does a few other things, but overall, this bill is very unfriendly to freedom and it fails to meaningfully address the real issues that cause agriculture to be a difficult field to negotiate a viable living through.
If you love freedom or good food, or farming, you need to oppose this bill and oppose it quickly. The last week of session begins on Monday the 10th and the Citizens of Missouri would be better off with this bill being killed than if it passes.
Please call the Senate and tell them to vote NO on SB795 and stop all these committees and task forces from being established in statute and ruling how independent agriculture can conduct itself. Let's fight HSUS with facts instead of letting further consolidation of agriculture markets occur because we are afraid of this bunch of Horribly Sadistic Urban Sociopaths.
Find the Senate roster at and let's fill up the answering machines and continue to call all week until they vote SB795 down!
In Liberty,
Doreen
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