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a “custom slaughterhouse” to in-state consumers. The bill would not over, the USDA document handed out at the
legalize the sale of such meat, but would leave it to each state to decide September meeting included imposing this new
whether and how to allow meat processed at custom slaughterhouses to federal requirement intra-state, even if the cattle
be sold to individuals and businesses within their states. If the bill can never cross state lines! While not as broad or
gain sufficient support (as evidenced by a strong co-sponsor list), it stands all-encompassing as NAIS, this proposal would
a chance of being added as an amendment to the Farm Bill. impose significant costs, burdens and govern-
WAPF will be doing email action alerts with more details and specific ment intrusion on small farmers who are raising
talking points early in 2018, please watch for them! Your activism truly cattle for their local communities.
makes a difference. At the agribusiness conference, USDA
stated that it would publish its findings and
ANIMAL ID recommendations in the Federal Register in
In the last issue of Wise Traditions, I wrote about the USDA’s public October. But as of December 4, when this ar-
meetings in the spring and summer of this year. The current Animal ticle goes to print, it has not done so. Viewed
Disease Traceability (ADT) program requires some form of official optimistically, this delay might suggest that the
identification when adult cattle (over 18 months) are moved across state agency is reconsidering its position based on the
lines; the identification can be a traditional low-tech ID like a metal brite pushback it got at the meeting and afterwards.
tag. This limited, low-tech approach was put it in place after a massive The more likely explanation is simply that the
grassroots campaign against the National Animal Identification System bureaucracy moves slowly.
(NAIS), which called for electronic ID and tracking of all livestock ani- USDA also has a track record of publishing
mals in every state. bad documents around the holidays—often the
When ADT was adopted, USDA indicated that there would be a day before Thanksgiving, Christmas or New
second phase, in which the requirements for low-tech forms of ID when Years. This tendency is shared by many govern-
cattle are moved interstate would be extended to cover younger cattle, ment agencies, presumably because it reduces
those under 18 months of age. That “Phase Two” of ADT was supposedly the chances of any media coverage and makes
the topic of these public meetings when they were first announced. But it it more difficult for grassroots groups that op-
quickly became clear that USDA and its agribusiness allies had different pose the agencies to get the public’s attention.
plans, namely to try to revive significant portions of NAIS. So please watch carefully for action alerts right
I attended the meeting in Texas, and worked with people in multiple at the end of the year.
states to ensure that the voices of a range of livestock owners were heard. The good news is that, unlike NAIS, we
At the Texas meetings and others, there was strong pushback against any are aware of the issue and organized early in
attempt to mandate electronic ID. the process. We beat the program back once
Yet, at an agribusiness conference in late September, when USDA before, and we can do it again.
unveiled its “summary” of the meetings, it claimed that there was a
general consensus to support moving ahead with electronic ID. More-

CHILDREN AT WISE TRADITIONS 2017

Rosie Ueng teaches sauerkraut making at the Allison Evans and Kelly Love, with her daughter, of Branch
Wise Traditions children’s program. Basics which donated cleaning supplies for our hotel stay.

WINTER 2017 Wise Traditions 89