Another kind of town hall took place around the country last spring. This one was regarding the USDA's proposed National Animal Identification System. This proposal is designed to help big beef producers gain greater access to export markets that require disease control. The controversy is that it's requiring that every single livestock animal in the country is registered and tagged - all the way down to your backyard chicken or pet goat. It's another USDA ruling that helps factory farming (the system that is at the root of creating disease in the first place) at the expense of small farmers.
Poet, philosopher, and small farmer Wendell Berry disagrees strongly. Check out this website to read the short text of his argument, and click the link to hear his voice. His words and tone are clear, thoughtful, carefully delivered and powerful. It's the kind of voice we should be listening for in public debates - because it's likely to be expressing the truth.
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