Wisconsin State Journal
WED., APR 25, 2007
NATHAN LEAF 608-252-6126
nleaf@madison.com
Citing the need for religious sensitivity and freedom from government, some Wisconsin farmers are pushing back against a state law requiring farmers to register their animal herds.
The premises registration law requires that farmers enroll with the state and is similar to the federal National Animal Identification System, which is a voluntary program.
But Family Farm Defenders, an advocacy group in Madison, called on the state to halt the registration in a statement released Tuesday. "For the Amish, being assigned a number is a fundamental violation of their religious beliefs," the statement reads. "For many others premises registration as the first phase of NAIS constitutes an unprecedented extension of state control, government surveillance and an unwarranted invasion of privacy."
According to the group, about 200 Amish farmers rallied in Cashton last week in opposition of the law. And farmers will meet with officials at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection today to discuss the law.
The regulation was signed into law in spring 2004 after the first case of mad cow disease in the United States and went into effect in January 2006. But Donna Gilson, a spokeswoman with the department, said the state has been slow to enforce the law until now.
"We knew this was going to be an educational process so we cut people some slack," she said. "We're nearly a year and a half into it and we thought that was enough slack."
The state recently sent a letter to dairy plants telling them that their producers' failure to register could result in production licenses not being renewed. Gilson said about 1,300 of the 14,000 dairy farms in the state have not registered with the program.
Family Farm Defenders, which is run by John Kinsman and John Peck, said Tuesday withholding licenses would be an unfair tactic.
"(DATCP officials) have now chosen to enforce this measure specifically against dairy farmers, threatening the loss of their milk license if they are not registered by May 1," the group said in a statement. "As a result, some Amish farmers have already sold their animals in order to avoid risking a confrontation with the government, while others have found themselves registered against their will by milk haulers and dairy processors fearing loss of their suppliers."
Gilson said today's meeting will hopefully clear up misconceptions about the program such as requiring that animals be implanted with tracking devices.
"All we have asked people to do, if you have any kind of livestock from chickens on up, is to go fill out a form saying what species you have on this property, where is it and who is in charge of them," she said. "The ultimate goal is to, when we have a disease outbreak like we did with the (recent) pseudorabies outbreak in Clark County, that within 48 hours we could trace all the potential exposures."
Gilson said DATCP does not have the ability to make any exceptions.
If you go
WHAT: Public meeting on the state's premises registration law with Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Officials.
WHERE: DATCP building, 2811 Agriculture Drive.
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. today.
WEB: www.familyfarmdefenders.org.
