Page 84 - Spring2008

thirteen failed bills may sound discouraging, the CONCLUSION
grassroots movement actually made incredible Stopping NAIS is a long-term battle,
strides in 2007. And now, in 2008, more states are and winning it will require the efforts of both
introducing anti-NAIS bills! There are some suc- consumers and farmers all over the country.
cess stories, most notably Nebraska’s adoption The Weston A. Price Foundation sends out
of a law limiting NAIS to a voluntary program action alerts at many of the critical moments,
only. And even where bills have failed, they are and it’s important that everyone take action in
gaining more support than they did in 2007, response! If you are willing and able to devote
showing the growing strength of the grassroots a little more time to help in the fi ght, there are
movement. numerous things you can do to: (1) put out edu-
The exact kind of bill that’s introduced var- cational materials at your local farmers’ market,
ies from state to state. That’s because each state is feed store, or riding stable; (2) collect petition
starting from a different position. In some states, signatures; (3) have a face-to-face meeting with
pro-NAIS forces pushed through legislation to your state legislators, and ask them to sponsor a
create a mandatory NAIS before most people bill to stop NAIS; (4) organize a public meeting
were even aware of the issue. In those states, to educate your community. You don’t need to
people face the prospect of their state agency do all of these things. What’s important is to do
implementing a mandatory program whenever something! You can fi nd materials to help with
it feels like it! all of these efforts at www.farmandranchfree-
In other states, the pro-NAIS forces weren’t dom.org.
as organized, there is no law authorizing NAIS,
and therefore the grassroots community has Judith McGeary is an attorney and small farmer
a little more breathing room. Each state also in Austin, Texas, the Executive Director of the
differs in the strength of its organic and local Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, and a local
foods movement, as well as the strength of the chapter leader of WAPF. She has a BS in Biol-
pro-NAIS forces (the feedlots and meat packers, ogy from Stanford University and a JD from
the technology companies and the industrial ag- The University of Texas at Austin. She and her
riculture associations). Depending on the exist- husband run a small grass-based farm with
ing laws and the strength of the pro-NAIS forces, Quarter Horses, cattle, sheep, and heritage
the citizens of each state have to make a decision breeds of poultry.
about the best strategy for their state at a specifi c
point in time. We support everyone’s efforts to
stop NAIS and protect our food supply.
To borrow a comment from a Texas activ-
ist: “I understand the argument about the camel’s
Stopping nose under the tent. But with NAIS, the camel has DAMAGED JOURNALS
If your journal arrives torn up and
NAIS is a already moved into the tent and is re-arranging damaged, please call the office right away
the furniture. Whatever we can do to push him
long-term back out is good.” The big industry and govern- and we will send a replacement.
Usually about a dozen journals get
battle, and ment players have spent 20 years developing damaged with each mailing—out of a total
winning it will and implementing NAIS, and it is going to take of over 10,000. It is more cost effective
a long, hard fight to push them back. Each bill,

require the each battle, sets the stage for the next one. and environmentally responsible for us to
replace damaged journals than to put all
efforts of both See page 83 for the status of the state NAIS of them in envelopes, an effort that would
consumers legislation as of February 15, 2008. You can fi nd add at least $1,000 to the cost of each
out more information on each state by going to
mailing.
and farmers http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/state- So, if you receive a journal that has
all over the updates. been through the wringer, just give us a
call to let us know and we’ll put another
country. one in the mail to you pronto.

84 Wise Traditions SPRING 2008