Department of Agriculture Proposal Said To Violate Free Exercise Rights

In 2004, largely in response to concerns about Mad Cow Disease and Foot-and-Mouth Disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began to implement the voluntary National Animal Identification System. In April 2005, the Department of Agriculture issued a Draft Strategic Plan and Draft Program Standards that propose making the system mandatory beginning in 2008. Yesterday, the Magic City Morning Star (Millinocket, Maine) ran a guest column written by Mary Zanoni, Executive Director of Farm for Life. She argues, among other things, that the NAIS proposal violates the First Amendment free exercise rights of some farmers. The religious beliefs of Old Order Amish (and similar groups) preclude them from registering their animals or farms in the NAIS program.