This week, the USDA announced that it is cancelling the National Animal Identificaion System (NAIS). This news was music to the ears of many American producers and pro-agriculture organiztions. Especially for family farmers, and any smaller scale producers, survival may rest on the death of NAIS. 
The NAIS program began in 2004 by the USDA. At the most basic level, the NAIS would have eventually required the registration of all farm animals (cattle, bison, poultry, swine, sheep, goats, deer, elk, horses, llamas...). The program began as voluntary, and never moved into the required stages.
The NAIS required producers to have a "premises identification" number that identified their particular farm or ranch. This identified the locations where an animal had been at one time or another. There would have also been an "animal identification" number, which would be specific to each animal. So, if a rancher had 100 cows, he would have only one premesis identification number, becuase that number referred only to his ranch. He would have 100 different animal identification numbers. The final requirement was "animal tracing" which would follow the movements of animals between locations. This information would be maintained in a database owned and managed by private parties.
There were several concerns about the NAIS program, and several producers and agricultural groups that strongly opposed the program. The concerns include:
- Confidentiality: The information maintained in the databases could have been sought by people under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or similar state statutes. They could be subpoenaed by a court in litigation. This would provide names, addresses, phone numbers, information about where animals are transported, housed, sold, etc.
- Liability: These records, if released, could lead to liabilty for producers in cases where an illness arose. Because they would track an animal at every location it might have ever been, producers who did nothing wrong, and then sold the animal could still have been subject to lawsuit. Even if they were eventually found to be free of fault, the cost of this kind of suit could be enough to put a producer out of business.
- Costs: The government requirements of keeping records, tagging animals and reporting statistics would have fallen entirely on the producer. This would have been seriously problematic for family operations. Many of these family operations involve several types of livestock, and the owners might have hundreds or thousands of animals. The costs of implementing the NAIS requirements could have been monumental.
The NAIS being cancelled is a great example of what can happen when producers ban together. People and orgnizations spoke out about these, and other, problems with the NAIS. It took six years, but the government listened. Producers need to be willing to make noise and oppose programs, regulations, laws....whatever is out there that is harmful for our industry. When we join forces, we can make positive things happen!
First, you get the chance to meet so many people and make so many friends from all over the state. To this day, some of my best friends are people I met through FFA. People are always amazed at how I know people from different places all over New Mexico. They ask how in the world I know someone from across the state, who lives in a town I've never been in. More often than not, the answer is FFA. I think that showing at State Fair was probably the best place for meeting people.....you would live in the dorms for a week with everyone, eat all of your meals with different people.....you developed friendships with the other kids, but also developed relationships with their parents and ag teachers, who became like your second families.
Second, you are able to travel all over the US. In high school, FFA allowed me to travel throughout the US going to judging contests, shows, and leadership contests. I know Louisville, Kentucky like the back of my hand! :) I was able to meet producers and and see livestock operations of all different types and scale.
Third, you learn to work hard, to compete, and if you're lucky, to win. My ag teacher always said that you had to learn to be winners....FFA gives you that opportunity. You learn so much more than to analyze livestock or identify chicken parts or give linear scores to dairy cows or to show a lamb. You learn a work ethic and to be dedicated to something. Constests teach you to memorize, to analyze, speak in public and think on your feet. Showing teaches you responsibility, about animals, and to manage your money (or occasional lack thereof!).
Next, is the family bonding that goes on because of FFA. I really think that my brother and I owe a great deal of our success in FFA to our parents. They spent countless hours helping us with all of our FFA activities. Dad making us practice our speeches or the creed until we were ready to scream, my mom proofreading bibliographies and helping with math for record books, all the hours spent at the show barn....a family really does become close because of all these things. Of course, it's not all roses---there are the occasional father grabbing son by the neck on the wash rack, mom threatening divorce if one more stock show was added to the calendar, and the ever present brother/sister battles that usually end with someone being struck with either a pig bat or a scotch comb. Even when we were fighting, we were still doing it together. Oh, and let's not forget the great family photos from the fair....
Now, you need to understand why this is such a big deal for me (beyond the fact that it's a big deal for any woman to be in the same room as George). This was my first real concert. Seriously. Of course I'd gone to the ones after the rodeo at State Fair, but never saw anyone very big. And of course in college at OSU I frequented the Calf Fry stage, but again, not the same thing.
You know how your parents would tell you that you'd appreciate things more when you really want them for a while, work for them and pay for them yourself? I always thought it was a line because parents didn't want to buy you the mustang on your 16th birthday. Turns out, maybe there is something to the line. The fact that I've loved George (and Reba) for literally over 20 years and have always wanted to go to the concert made it all that more exciting to finally go. The fact I hadn't been to a million concerts to where this was just another one on the list made it that much more exciting. In fact, when George walked out, I was so excited my hands were shaking too bad to take a picture! I managed somehow to balanace the camera on my knees to get one.
Anyway, my point is, that even though it was just watching a concert, it was pretty cool to be able to do something I had wanted to do for so long. That's the whole point of the bucket list I think......it makes you think about doing these things, and reminds you that the clock is ticking, so when we get the chance, we better take it!
The song might be about a girl, but let me tell you....he'll leave you with a smile himself! 
And Reba rocked as well...she's just awesome. Sidenote....her hair is SO red in person!
Her finale was awesome. You thought she was done, she left the stage and everything. My cousin and I looked at each other and said "I can't believe she didn't play Fancy!" Well, about that time, the video for Fancy comes up on the jumbotron...you know where she's the rich lady in the cab going back to the shack? In comes a cab......and Reba in her red dress!
And I saved the best for last. Here is a video of George doing my favorite, and what he said last night was his favorite, song ever.....Amarillo By Morning!
We happened to come up on the back of the church. This is what we see.
And the coverage on NBC does a great job of showing all the great stories----the adorable couple skating together in pairs, the guy on the podium who almost walked away from skiing, the underdog stories galore, the first Canadian gold on their soil dedicating the win to his brother with cerebral paulsy......there's always a story!
