THE HORSE GAZETTE
National Animal Identification System
fighting for your rights
By Karen L. Brown, © 2008
Herb’s Hat Shop
FARFA’s mission is to protect the ability of family farms to prosper as part of a local
independent agricultural system that benefits both rural and urban communities. A key part of
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that is protection from excessive, expensive, and often counter-productive government regulation.
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Giants such as Monsanto, Cargill, and ADM have the lobbying power to push for legislation that
improves their bottom lines while driving small operations out of business. The economies of scale
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allow these mega-corporations to absorb regulatory costs that can be insurmountable for medium FELTS & STRAWS
to small size producers.
The manner in which governmental agencies, in partnership with corporate interests,
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have chosen to force these programs onto the public has meant that the fight to protect independent
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agriculture has also become a fight for the Constitutional rights of every citizen. FARFA is the • Cleaning & Blocking • New Leather, Ribbon Lining and Feather • Brushing & Reshaping • Brim Cutting & Pencil Rolls
leading organization fighting the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), a program that
would require private individuals who happen to own livestock (including horses) to register their
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property, tag each animal, and report their movements to the government. This program intrudes
• Half Soles • Full Soles • Heels • Ladies Heel Taps • Patching • New Welts • Change of Type of Heel Base
on citizens’ privacy and property rights, is contrary to the religious freedom of groups such as the
Amish and Mennonites, and is being implemented without proper Congressional authorization.
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If an agency can require people to report daily movements to the government simply because they Shoe Laces • Shoe Cremes - All Colors • Dyes • Heel Taps • All Types of Cleaners
own animals, then what is next?
FARFA is working to achieve equitable policies on several other issues that can have a
4922 Rigsby - San Antonio, TX
tremendous impact on urban and rural consumers, as well as small farmers. One of these is USDA’s
9am - 6pm Tuesday - Saturday
program that allows chickens raised in the US to be shipped to China for processing, then shipped
back to the US for sale. 210-648-9242
GOVERNMENT POLICIES CATERS TO BIG BUSINESS
Of the 95 million beef cattle in the US, 80% are owned by four mega-corporations. The
same number of companies owns 65% of the pork and 50% of the poultry produced for consump-
tion. The stranglehold these companies have on the meat market enables them to manipulate the
prices paid at sales barns and feedlots to the detriment of the thousands of ranchers who raise the
animals being sold. This consolidation of our food supply is also bad for consumers who do not
have the choices (in both quality and price) that would be offered by a properly functioning market.
FARFA worked with a coalition of organizations to obtain reforms in the 2007 Farm Bill to increase
competition in the livestock industry, thus creating a more balanced market.
The Farm Bill included some important reforms, such as allowing meat from small, state-
is now accepting new lesson and training clients.
inspected facilities to be sold interstate and stopping huge corporations from denying farmers the
• Newly renovated indoor facility • Training from start to finish
right to their day in court for contract disputes. On a state level, raw milk farmers have been hobbled
by unwieldy regulations that do not improve food safety but simply create barriers to consumers
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who want a choice in their food supply. FARFA has joined with other organizations in a coalition
designed to make changes in these laws to provide fair access to the marketplace for these producers
and free choice for their consumers.
Another success story for FARFA is the change to the recently adopted Farm Bill which
originally contained a provision which would have preempted state and local regulation of ag-
riculture and food, thus preventing local governments from providing more protection than was
established by the USDA. Through the efforts of FARFA members and lobbyists, in coordination
with other organizations, this provision was removed before the bill was voted on by the US House
of Representatives.
These issues all share common themes. Most simply, they are about protecting the interests
of independent farmers and consumers to raise and purchase foods of their choice. But they share
another characteristic: challenging the corporate control of our food supply, which stems from the
corporate influence over the government agencies that are supposed to protect public interest.
This problem is also apparent in another high profile issue here in Texas, the Trans-Texas
Corridor (TTC) or NAFTA Superhighway. Because of TTC’s impact on rural Texas, FARFA has
also worked to support the efforts of groups such as Corridor Watch in stopping the TTC and ad-
dressing the problems of the “public-private partnerships” that benefit multinational corporations
at the expense of the public.
NAIS: ILLEGAL IN SOME STATES
Bo Phillips - Bulverde, TX
The fact that four states have enacted laws making NAIS illegal is positive proof that it
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210-332-2743
is still possible to win in the face of multi-million dollar
opponents and federal governmental bully tactics. Those
TEXAS H.O.R.S.E. COALITION NEEDS YOUR HELP
states won their battles by the sheer number of voices
that spoke out against the program. Organizations such as
TO HELP TEXAS HORSES...AND YOU!
FARFA are taking the lead and forging ahead with viable
plans, solutions, and alternatives that will be of benefit to
all agricultural interests and do not violate the founding
STOP THE FLOW OF HORSES & MONEY OUT OF TEXAS
principles of our nation.
But these organizations cannot continue to fight Each year, Texas loses thousands of horses and millions of dollars to surrounding states where money
this battle without help. They need more than your money;
and opportunities enhanced by these state governments are more abundant. Louisiana, Arkansas,
they need you to take action. Every time an opportunity
comes up to express your opinion about NAIS or TTC, you
Oklahoma and New Mexico's state governments want Texas horses, jobs and money in their states to
must take it. There will soon come a time when the only op-
pay for their roads and schools. The Texas horse industry, as a united group can work to level the
portunity you’ll have left will be compliance or jail time. playing field and keep our horses, jobs and money in Texas to pay for our roads and schools.
The voice is still mightier than the dollar. Let’s
make our voices be heard loud enough to drown out the self
serving desires of uncaring agri-businesses.
UNITED AND HISTORIC TEXAS HORSE INDUSTRY COALITION FORMED
When you become a member of FARFA and other
similar organizations you add your name to an ever growing
TEXAS H.O.R.S.E. - Horse Organizations for Racing, Showing and Eventing –
list that becomes more powerful simply by the volume of
is a new coalition of horse organizations in Texas united to introduce and pass legislation in the
names on it. Legislators look at money, but they also look
at numbers. Each name listed as a member of FARFA is a
Texas Legislature to help Texas regain its leadership position within the horse industry. It is time our
vote for any politician who stands against the insanity of
state government supported the Texas horse industry as our surrounding states support their horse
NAIS and TTC. When enough names are counted, these industries. Texas H.O.R.S.E. organizations are dedicated to supporting the entire horse
programs will go away.
industry: racing, showing and eventing.
Go to www.farmandranchfreedom.org to learn
more about this organization and how it is fighting to save
x American Quarter Horse Association x Texas Arabian Breeders Association
some vestige of your Constitutional rights. You will learn
what the USDA is doing to ensure that small farmers will
x American Paint Horse Association x Texas Paint Horse Breeders Association
be run out of business by monopolistic policies and how
x National Cutting Horse Association x Texas Horsemen’s Partnership
you can stop this madness with just a few minutes of your
x Texas Quarter Horse Association x Texas Thoroughbred Association
time.
NAIS
HIGHEST PURSES AND PRIZES SHOULD BE IN TEXAS
TEXAS H.O.R.S.E. IS:
1. Would create an unlegislated government
x Dedicated to Texas having the highest purses and prizes paid to racing, showing and horse
requirement for horse owners to microchip their events in the United States.
animals. x Committed to keeping the more than 1 million horses in the state which presently contribute
2. Violates the 1
st
, 4
th
, and 5
th
Amendments.
$5.2 billion directly to the Texas economy with a workforce of nearly 96 thousand employees.
3. Places excessive reporting and tagging ex-
penses on small farmers and horse owners, who
WHY SUPPORT THE TEXAS H.O.R.S.E. LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND GOALS?
have to individual identify each animal and track x Pursues a guarantee of racing opportunities at Texas tracks.
movements.
x Provides ample revenue to create healthy purses and a viable breeding industry in Texas.
4. Gives factory farms essentially a free pass by
x Creates and provides revenue to the history making Performance Horse Development
allowing them to use group identification.
Fund, which will distribute funds to the many non-racing horse organizations and events in
Texas. NO OTHER STATE HAS ANYTHING LIKE WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED.
x Provides a revenue stream to support equine research programs, equine adoption and
TTC
retirement programs.
x The legislation will NOT increase gaming locations but allow the state to regulate Video Lottery
Terminals only at the presently licensed horse tracks.
1. Is about money, not transportation.
2. Violates the 5
th
and 14
th
Amendments.
Visit the Texas H.O.R.S.E. website (www.texashorseweb.com) to learn more.
3. Does not solve urban congestion and traffic
problems.
4. Will physically divide rural communities.
5. Will force landowners to give up their homes
on a half a million acres of private Texas land.
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