Farmland is an integral part of foxhunting. Without farmers, many of us would not have a venue of hunting.
With that in mind we must work tirelessly to help maintain and preserve the freedom to farm with out burdensome mandates and regulations that strangle farmers to the point of harvesting the last crop...the sale for development.
Conservation efforts only lead to state owned and regulated open space. That does not increase or protect existing farmland, to give incentive for others to farm and profit from their effort.
One website has explained the issues well.
National Animal Identification System
One of the deadliest regulations for farmers, WHICH ALSO AFFECT YOU, the HORSE OWNER,
an issue right now in Congress, is NAIS, the National Animal Identification System.
The USDA wants to microchip every Cow, Pig, Chicken, and Pony ( and more) in the United States. That means if you have a two acre plot and a pony, you are considered a "Farm", must give GPS coordinates to USDA and have a PREMISE ID number on your home in a Government Databank. Then, they microchip your animal and TRACK its EVERY movement. From Birth to Slaughter. From School pet show, to trail riding to Vet visit, to butchering of the pig in the pen in the woods destined for your freezer. After Tracking is in place ENFORCEMENT is the final step..with up to a $1,000 fine for "non-Compliance " , per incident , per day.
Follow the links below to learn more about it.
Take an active interest in the local farms in your area. Support as many local farmers as you can and encourage as many new farmers as you can. If you have the land and inclination, try your own hand at it, whether it is vegetables, hay, or livestock.
See how many local dairies are in operation, and see if they are possibly going to convert to a full service creamery to sell locally, bypassing the middleman, this may be the only way the future of dairy will make it. If any creameries or small dairy farms are near you..support their efforts. Those Dairy cows support ALOT of hayfields, corn fields, and soybean fields.
Some examples are:
A good connection to local small farms in your area is
