To see why the Washington State Department Health Services in Olympia wants a list of chicken farmers in our state.

No chicken farmer list here, sorry guys.

UPDATE: 1-1-2008:

In what appears to be a Cooperative Agreement the Washington Department of Health is on the hunt for poultry farmers:

DOH

Anyone know of a company specializing in camo for chickens so our chickens can safely cross the road?

It is going to be a sad day indeed if chickens become a thing of the past and no more chicken jokes to share.

From the trenches,

Celeste

Happy New Year Y’all!!!

Welcome to 2008! WSDA has begun uploading or downloading, whatever the case is the final decision by the Director on the proposed regulations held on November 30 and December 20th.

Problem is when a person hits Sheep and Goats (under the spanking new 2008 Washington State Register index) one gets Bovine and Bison.

I wonder if WSDA could correct the problem so that those of us with sheep and goats know the *law*?

If WSDA can’t even post their own laws correctly how do you think they will fare with the burdensome and excessive federal and state NAIS program????

Enjoy your last night of 2007 y’all and let’s roll up our sleeves for 2008.

From the trenches ,

Celeste

http://www.rfidproductnews.com/issues/2007.09/raincatsdogs.php

“And with an expected spending increase from $160 million in 2007 for domestic and livestock tagging (which is already three times the amount spent on case and pallet tagging) to $1.178 billion in 2017, standards will need to be set to maximize profit and gain. So don’t get too used to having the bed to yourself just yet. ”

The players for pets:

There are approximately five major companies with their own databases tagging animals:

• American Veterinary Identification Devices (AVID)
• Schering-Plough under the HomeAgain name
• Pethealth Inc. under the 24PetWatch name
• Crystal Tag
• The American Kennel Club (AKC)

For livestock we can now add:

• USDA (Incorporated…for profit ) & Company (Associates, Collaborators, Third Parties, ad infinite)

From the trenches,

Celeste

From the American Veterinarian Medical Association

(Just a little favorable towards microchipping but a good reference for those of us presenting information to our public officials and other policy makers)

Microchip Backgrounder

From the trenches,

Celeste

The documents below are from the diligent work of Dr. Katherine Albrecht. I hope they assist you in the work you are called to do in in helping our animals remain safe and free.

Fibrosarcoma

Liposarcoma

Fibrosarcoma

Subcutaneous soft tissue turmors

Histological Reactions to Microchip Implants in Dogs

Tissue Reactions in Lab Animals and Pets

Dr. Albrecht’s Comprehensive Review of Microchip-Induced Tumors in Laboratory Rodents and Dogs:

Dr. Albrecht’s Synopsis

Other Harm

Chips in Swine

http://www.invisio.nl/antichip/fotos-eng.htm 

If anyone runs across other peer journals on the subject of cancer linked with microchip implants please pass the links or articles to Dr. Albrecht or to NoNAISWA and I will forward them to Dr. Albrecht. If you have a personal story to share on this topic please consider sharing it.

From the trenches,

Celeste

Western WA Vets

From the trenches,

Celeste

Remember the ol 1960 Green Acres TV show with Zsa Zsa Gabor? The couple moved out to the country to experience good ol country living. Each week the couple encountered different experiences that one would find only living the rural lifestyle.

Fast forward to the year 2007, almost 2008. We find an increasing trend to urbanization as counties across America adopt high density living space. In turn, this creates vast amounts of rural land.  The question that ought to be asked is will that land be accessible or is off limits? Here in Washington State we have vast tracts of land where only 12 domesticated heartbeats can be on the land at one time. Some tracts of land access is denied entirely with gates, warning signs, and surveillance cameras barring entry to our land. Public land is our land and we should have access to it.

I once call my DC Representative about a large parcel of land that was going to have limited access. When I relayed my disapproval to the Legislative Aide I was told that I had to support it. I asked why. The aide elaborated that if I didn’t support this Wild Sky Wilderness Area that the President had it on the docket to be sold. I asked if that meant to a foreign county? To which she responded, “Yes”.

Will our children and grandchildren hace access the our beautiful and vast country? Will they be able to hike wilderness areas or fish in remote lakes? Will they have opportunity to go rock hunting and look for mushrooms? Will they be able to look up a tree the size of the redwoods with awe and wonder?

We seem to be following the lead of the UK in many areas. Will land access be yet another area where we follow the leader?

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/cl/accessopen/index.htm

From the ‘rural’ trenches,

Celeste

If the result of the new proposed regulations do go into effect and you decide NOT to comply then there are a couple of things you might want have ready for January 3rd. I am not an attorney but gleaned this information from the quarantine documents provided to us by WSDA. Always consult licensed legal counsel regarding your unique legal situation. Begin soon. I can attest that this is a very complex situation. Getting an attorney up to speed on the NAIS situation, much less your own unique situation, will be difficult to achieve.

The following is for informational purposes only:

You will want two addressed and stamped envelopes to WSDA:

WSDA

PO Box 42560

Olympia WA 98504-2560

In addition you will want to pre-write two requests for hearing(s):

I, your name, request an emergency hearing in regard to the quarantine of my property.

Signed and Dated (This notification must be sent within 5 days)

The second notification:

I, your name, request an Administrative Hearing on the quarantine of my property.

Signed and Dated (This notification must be sent within 30 days)

If you do not send in these requests for hearings you waive your rights and agree to the actions being taken by WSDA.

At this point you need to evaluate whether you you want to represent yourself at a hearing or secure an attorney. Time is short, if that is the direction want to go, start researching and securing an attorney now.

At the point any one of us incurs actual damages to ourselves or property (not *potential* damages) as a result of these proposed regulations or other WAC’s that violate US or the Washington Constitution at that point there is ground for redress within the judicial system. Keep in mind that our court system by its very nature is very slow by design. You may have consequences you will need to live with for some time. Consequences for failure to comply might be permanent.

Each person has their own line. As farmers and ranchers we are community. Respect each others boundaries. The choices each one of are going to make from here forward will be increasingly more difficult. Until we walk in another’s shoes try to avoid judgement calls. Helping out community during difficult times has always been the hallmark of the farming and ranching community.

Hopefully, each of us appreciates that WSDA is doing what it thinks best in protecting agriculture in Washington State. We may differ in opinion, or extent, by which our Constitutional rights are compromised. This is why we need to participate in our form of government and not sit idly by as our freedoms become erased.

Large battles can be won by a a few, even one individual, but that is not the ideal. One does not value what one does not work to attain. If you want your values to be known act on your beliefs. We all are going to do some things right and some things wrong. We learned allot last session and will learn allot this session also.

Determine your red line and stand firm, now!

From the trenches,

Celeste

Thanks to y’all turning out to participate in the recent WSDA hearings that were held on November 30 and December 20th. It shows a great commitment taking time out of your holiday season to voice your opposition to the proposed regulations. I am happy to report that 100% of those in attendance opposed the proposed regulations which included bovine, bison, poultry, sheep and goats.

Each of us was asked for contact information so that a summary report and the Director’s decision could be sent to us. We are taking WSDA at their word on this and not sticking our contact information into either the new Washington State NAIS database or the federal NAIS database.

Over the next week I will scan the documents I obtained and will be posting them.

We were informed that the Director would make her decision on what proposed regulations will become official by January 3rd. Upon notification, I will post whatever I receive.

From the trenches,

Celeste

Don’t be surprised to find a little extra in your mailbox this holiday season. Below is a letter that was sent to my friend on December 19th encouraging her to hand over her personal information regarding her farm. She was notified that if she filled out this ARMS Survey she would not have to fill out the dreaded 5-year NASS Census which was sent out the 28th of December.

ARMS Survey Letter

NASS Brochure

From USAHA:

“The government is mailing out Census of Agriculture report forms Friday, that, when completed by farmers and ranchers, will help gauge the number and type of farms in the U.S. By law, anyone who receives a form is required to respond, even if they didn’t operate a farm or ranch in 2007. Respondents may answer the survey by mail or online, using the census code in the mailing label of their census form. Completed forms are due February 4th, of next year. The results of the census will be released in February 2009. The information gathered every five years is used by federal, state and local governments, as well as agribusinesses, trade associations and others.

The census defines a farm as “any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the Census year.” The website address is “agcensus.usda.gov”.

Must I respond? By law you must respond and there are consequences for not doing so. And no the garbage can does not count as response. Just a suggestion, maybe one could respond by saying I stand on the 5th, the right to not incriminate myself.

From the trenches,

Celeste