4.            Take Action on the Farm Bill

Take NAIS Out and Protect Competition! 

The Senate members of the conference committee have been named.  The final list overlapped with the "probable" list, but not completely.  We have updated the information in the alert below to show the named Senate conferees.  The House members still have not been named, although meetings are already happening.

 Regardless of where you live, please call the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Committees.  Then, if you live in a state with a named Senate or probable House conferee, take a few minutes to call that person as well.  Contact information and suggested talking points are below. 

Take Action 

 Below is a list of the named Senate members and probable House members of the conference committee.  Call or fax any member who comes from your state. 

 Ask to speak to the staffer who handles agricultural issues.  Start with a clear, basic message:

 I want Senator (or Representative) _____  to work to take NAIS and Section 10305 out of the Farm Bill because it implies approval of USDA's implementation of NAIS.   Section 10305 also provides false reassurance that the information in the databases will be confidential, when experience has shown that information in databases is vulnerable to both hackers and marketing misuse.  NAIS should not be in the Farm Bill.  Except for the NAIS provision, I support the competition provisions in the Livestock Title.

Then have a conversation with the staffer.  Ask them the Congressperson's position on NAIS, and try to address the reasons they may support NAIS or why they're on the fence.  Give them personal stories about how NAIS will impact you and your community, along with solid facts about the flaws with NAIS.  We can provide follow-up information to address these issues - just email [log in to unmask] or call 866-687-6452

 

Some reasons NAIS needs to be stopped, not encouraged:

• There is no evidence that it will improve animal disease control

• It will not increase food safety, because food contamination happens at the slaughterhouses and processing plants

• It will cost billions of dollars that individual farmers and our economy cannot afford

• USDA's implementation of the program, through funding of state programs, has resulted in fraudulent and coercive methods being used to increase registrations.

• Regardless of whatever regulations are adopted, having the government or private entities compile this information leaves us open to harassment or worse by people who hack into that database or use the information for purposes other than what is intended.

For information and talking points on the competition provisions, go tohttp://www.sustainableagriculture.net/fb08conf.php.

Conference Committee Members

 All phone and fax numbers are in the (202) area code.  Please take a few minutes and call or fax any member who is from your state, as well as the Chairs and the Ranking Members.

 Named Senate members:

 Chair, Senate Ag Committee: Tom Harkin, IA, (p) 224-2035, (f) 224-1725

Ranking Member, Senate Ag Committee: Saxby Chambliss, GA, (p) 224-3521, (f) 224-0103

Blanche Lincoln, AR, (p) 224-4843, (f) 228-1371

Charles Grassley, IA, (p) 224-3744, (f) 224-6020

Richard Lugar, IN, (p) 224-4818, (f) 228-0360

Pat Roberts, KS, (p) 224-4774, (f) 224-3514

Debbie Stabenow, MI, (p) 224-4822, (f) 228-0325

Thad Cochran, MS, (p) 224-5054, (f) 224-9450

Max Baucus, MT, (p) 224-2651, (f) 224-0515

Kent Conrad, ND, (p) 224-2043, (f) 224-7776

Patrick Leahy, VT, (p) 224-4242, (f) 224-3479

 Anticipated House members (still not named):

 Chair, House Ag Committee: Collin Peterson, MN, (p) 225-2171, (f) 225-8510

Ranking Member, House Ag Committee, Bob Goodlatte, VA, (p) 225-0029, (f) 225-0917

Jo Bonner, AL, (p) 225-4931, (f) 225-0562

Joe Baca, CA, (p) 225-6161, (f) 225-8671

Dennis Cardoza, CA, (p) 225-6131, (f) 225-0819

Marilyn Musgrave, CO, (p) 225-4676, (f) 225-5870

Leonard Boswell, IA, (p) 225-3806, (f) 225-5608

Jim Moran, KS, (p) 225-2715, (f) 225-5124

Mike McIntyre, NC, (p) 225-2731, (f) 225-5773

Bob Etheridge, NC, (p) 225-4531, (f) 225-5662

Robin Hayes, NC, (p) 225-3715, (f) 225-4036

Charles Rangel, NY, (p) 225-4365, (f) 225-0816

Frank Lucas, OK, (p) 225-5565, (f) 225-8698

Tim Holden, PA, (p) 225-5546, (f) 226-0996

Randy Neugebauer, TX, (p) 225-4005, (f) 225-9615

Helpful Hints for Contacting Legislators

 If you are calling, and don't have unlimited long-distance, here are some toll-free numbers for the Capitol Switchboard:

866-340-9281

800-417-7666

877-851-6437

866-220-0044

 

Remember to ask to speak to the staffer who handles agricultural issues.  If he or she is not available, leave a detailed voice mail message, including the fact that you are a constituent and your phone number.

 

If you prefer to write a letter, it is best to FAX the letter to your Senator or Representative.  Because of security measures, letters mailed to DC take weeks or months to get there.  If you can't fax, then either mail a letter to the local district office or use email.  With email, we recommend that you follow up with a call, to make sure the email does not simply get overlooked.  (Or just use the talking points above and call.)

 

Sample Letter:

 

Dear _________:

 

I oppose Section 10305 of the Farm Bill because it implies approval of the USDA's National Animal Identification System (NAIS).  NAIS has never been approved or even debated by either branch of Congress and few members of the Senate or House know the details of the program.  The USDA has not provided any scientific basis for this "feel good" program that will cost farmers and taxpayers billions of dollars, resulting in irreparable harm to independent agriculture in this country.  Although USDA claims the program is voluntary, it has funded coercive and misleading methods used by both states and private entities to force people to  participate.  

 

I urge you to remove section 10305 from the Farm Bill and to hold hearings into how the USDA has been implementing NAIS despite the objections of thousands of animal owners.

Sincerely,

Name

Address

City, State Zip

Double Your Donation as a New Member!

 A generous donor has provided a $1,000 matching donation for new members!  That means that, when you donate to FARFA for the first time, your donation will be doubled!!

 Join at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/join-farfa 

 Please consider becoming a member today!  The more members we have, the more the legislators will pay attention to what we have to say!!  And, of course, we need money to keep doing this work.  Printing costs, the website, telephone, mailing costs, exhibits at conference, and travel for lobbying are not free. 

 Please help us to protect your rights and your food supply.  Join today! Working together, we can make our voices heard. 

Sincerely,

 Judith McGeary

Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance

www.farmandranchfreedom.org

866-687-6452

5.            Full Time Summer Intern Position in Leelanau County, MI

 

We are looking for a full-time summer intern to work with us this summer.  We have two of our past workers returning, but can use more help.  Here's our info:

 

 Sweeter Song Farm

 Jim Schwantes and Judy Reinhardt, Farmers

 80 acre farm in beautiful Leelanau County

 Certified Organic

 114 member CSA, 100 paid shares, 6 work shares, 4 community shares

 Also sales to Oryana, the Fresh Food Partnership, and Funistrada Restaurant

 

We work hard to share our knowledge and experience with our interns as well as pay $8.00 per hour for basically a 40 hour week (might be more at times).

We do have a small but equipped trailer on the property that can be used if necessary and that is free.  We ask for resumes and recommendations and, if possible, an on site visit.

 

That's about it.  We would appreciate it if you would post this info or pass it along to someone who might be interested.  If more (or different) info is needed, please let me know.

 

 Thank you for your help.

 

 Judy Reinhardt and Jim Schwantes

 4955 S. Schomberg Rd.

 Cedar, MI 49621

 231-228-7301

 

Vicki Morrone

Organic Vegetable and Crop Outreach Specialist

Michigan State University

C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

303 Natural Resources Bldg.

East Lansing, MI 48824

517-353-3542

517-282-3557 (cell)

517-353-3834 (fax)

For information on organic agriculture production please visit: http://www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu/

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