NIAA: PR versus Reality—What You Can Do
by Judith McGeary

The government and industry officials have spent more than a decade developing their plans for NAIS. The grassroots movement opposing NAIS started to gain momentum just this year, and has a long way to go. The government’s PR materials issued over the last year are designed to undermine the opposition so they can proceed with their plans. If we want to stop the NAIS, we have to do more.

Writing your state legislators and congressmen is a great first step. You can multiply your effectiveness by helping build a bigger grassroots movement. Give copies of this article and other information about NAIS to your neighbors. Put stacks of flyers at your local feed stores and auction barns. Help organize a local meeting and bring in a knowledgeable speaker. You can get materials and information online at Liberty Ark Coalition and Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance.

Vote with your pocketbook. If you belong to an organization that supports NAIS, take your membership to an organization that opposes it. Patronize local farms and businesses that speak out against this program. Make your money work for you. After all, what will it cost you if the government implements the NAIS?

Judith McGeary is an attorney in Austin, Texas, and the executive director of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, an organization representing independent farmers, ranchers, livestock owners, and homesteaders. This article appeared in the Holiday 2006 issue of Rural Heritage.