By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

May 4, 2006 - With corporate farming growing throughout America, farmers in Texas and around the nation need a voice, according to Judith McGeary, an attorney and the executive director of the newly-formed Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA).

FARFA is a nonprofit organization that intends to work on farmers’ behalf and address issues like the National Animal Identification System.

“For several years, the small farmers and ranchers that I know have discussed the need for an organization that can represent them, both in the legislature and the courts. Many farmers and ranchers have felt that the laws and regulations were being made based on the needs and interests of large agricultural companies, not the people who actually raise animals and grow crops,” said McGeary, a registered Texas lobbyist and small farm owner.

“When people learned about NAIS (National Animal Identification System), it became clear that farmers and ranchers could not afford to simply talk about the need for representation anymore – we needed a voice in the legislature and courts right now.”

The group, which officially formed at the beginning of April, is a membership-based organization. People can join online (www.farmandranchfreedom.org) or print and mail a membership form. Membership fees range from $35 to $1,000, depending on the level of membership. Since the formation of the group, McGeary said more than 30 people have joined, and several more have inquired. She said membership dues and donations will fund the group’s various activities.

“The money will be used for a variety of things: creating and distributing informational materials; paying the executive director to research, organize, and lobby; creating and broadcasting public service announcements in newspapers and on TV; hiring additional lobbyists; and bringing a lawsuit if need be,” said McGeary, who has made the group a priority.

“FARFA will work year-round to represent our members,” she explained. “One avenue will be through public meetings, whether sponsored by other entities (such as town hall meetings or cattlemen’s meetings), or by sponsoring our own meetings to share information and learn more about farmers’ and ranchers’ concerns.

“We will work with administrative agencies in the regulatory process and we will be involved in lobbying activities, both at the Texas Legislature and before Congress. If necessary, we will bring cases in court to protect our members’ interests.”

McGeary, 33, said that first and foremost, FARFA will focus on NAIS, the issue that prompted the formation of the group.

According to the group “NAIS poses a serious threat to all farmers, ranchers, livestock owners and companion-animal owners, whether they are organic or conventional, small or large, involved with animals for business or for pleasure.”

The group would like to see the stipulations of NAIS changed.

“We will be lobbying the Texas Legislature to get legislation to limit the program to a voluntary program only and to require the agency to provide full disclosure to every person whose premises they wish to register, including the fact that the program is voluntary, the full scope of the program, the possible uses of their information, and every entity or person to whom that information could be given,” she explained.

In addition, McGeary said the group hopes to convince Congress to stop federal funding for NAIS that allows grants to be given to groups to implement the system. “The free market should decide if animal identification is worthwhile,” she said.

Also, FARFA plans on dealing with several issues in the future that affect non-corporate agriculture. The group foresees tackling problem areas that relate to land use regulations, land value issues, eminent domain, protection of Constitutional rights, research funding and marketing regulation.

“Our priorities will be based on the concerns of our members – what they consider to be the biggest problems facing them, as well as the changes that would create the greatest opportunities,” explained McGeary. “The issues can be placed in two categories: existing regulations that burden our farmers and ranchers unnecessarily and new regulations that add even more unnecessary burdens.

“We cannot tackle every issue, of course, so we will set priorities based on our members’ input.”

In addition, the group will closely follow the legislative process to have an influence before legislation is adopted.

“We want to know what is happening before legislation is adopted, so that we can inform our farmers and ranchers and represent their interests,” said McGeary. “We want to make sure that people have all of the information they need to understand what is happening and take action.”

McGeary said the purpose of the group is not to address or influence a few pieces of legislation, but to preserve something larger.

“While our country and our state have deep agricultural roots, we have become increasingly urbanized, with many people losing their connections to the land and animals. The livestock industry has become increasingly vertically integrated in the hands of a few large corporations,” she said. “Yet in the face of this increasing industrialization, there has been a growing movement back to the land and animals. Third-generation ranchers have withstood the economic pressure and held on to their land and their independence; other people have moved away from the cities and begun farming for the first time in their lives.

“We want to protect and encourage this connection to the land and to animals, protect our traditional way of life, and protect our food security through supporting independent farmers, ranchers, and homesteaders.”

 More information on the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance can be obtained at www.farmandranchfreedom.org.