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Latest News from National FAIR
Check back often to keep on top of the latest news and information concerning National FAIR and national animal identification!
December 2010... Advisory Committee on Animal Health Appointments Announced
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the members of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health. The following individuals will serve two-year terms on the committee:
Mr. Mazimiliano Fernandez, a cattle and sheep rancher from Washington state
Dr. John Fischer, a professor of wildlife disease from the University of Georgia at Athens
Dr. Andrew Goodwin, a professor of aquaculture at the University of Arkansas
Ms. Vicki Hebb, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe who raises cows, calves and bucking horses
Dr. Howard Hill, a veterinarian and pork production virologist from Iowa State University
Dr. Donald Hoenig, state veterinarian from Maine
Mr. Morris Johnson, a livestock farmer from Arkansas
Mr. John Kalmey, a dairy, corn and alfalfa farmer from Kentucky
Dr. Charles Massengill, former epidemiologist and animal health laboratory director for the Missouri Department of Agriculture and Animal Health
Dr. David Meeker, senior vice president of Scientific Services, National Renderers Association from Virginia
Ms. Judith McGeary, a sustainable farmer and attorney on agricultural law from Texas
Dr. Boyd Parr, state veterinarian from South Carolina
Ms. S. Gennell Pridgen, a small farm livestock producer from North Carolina
Dr. Willie Reed, dean for the school of veterinary medicine at Purdue University in Indiana
Dr. Charles Rogers, a livestock dealer and marketer from New Mexico
Dr. Philip Stayer, a poultry veterinarian from Mississippi
Mr. Gilles Stockton, a ranch operator and farmer from Montana
Mr. Brian Thomas, a cattle producer from the Duck Valley Reservation
Dr. Elizabeth Wagstrom, a swine veterinarian from Minnesota
Dr. Cindy Wolf, a sheep and cattle farmer and ruminant specialist from Minnesota
The committee will advise the Secretary of Agriculture on actions related to prevention, surveillance and the control of animal diseases of national importance. In doing so, the committee will consider the implications of public health, conservation of natural resources and the stability of livestock economies.
The committee will meet for the first time in January 2011. A Federal Register notice will be published containing all of the meeting details.
November 2010... New Video Shows Uses, Benefits of RFID Ear Tags
A new video recently produced by National FAIR gives U.S. dairy producers an inside look at how one dairyman is using RFID technology to increase efficiency and accuracy of identification and record keeping on his operation. Don Bennink, 2010 World Dairy Expo Dairyman of the Year, owns and operates North Florida Holsteins in Bell, Fla., milking over 4,000 Registered Holstein cows. RFID technology is utilized throughout his dairy, with calves being identified at birth with an RFID ear tag that stays with them throughout their lifetime. Aside from the identification aspect, RFID technology is especially useful in North Florida's fully-integrated milking parlor, recording milk weights on individual animals, in also in automated sort gates, saving time in a variety of herd management situations.
Watch this six-minute video to learn more about the technology and hear Bennink's thoughts on why RFID technology is working well for him, and also why identification programs are so important in the dairy industry.
October 2010... Industry white paper released
United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) and the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) held a Joint Strategy Forum on Animal Disease Traceability late August 2010 in Denver, Colorado. Following the meeting, they released a white paper "Reactions, Solutions and Consensus from the Joint Strategy Forum on Animal Disease Traceability."
August 2010... Additional USDA public meetings announced
USDA is hosting additional public meetings to discuss animal disease traceability.
Wednesday, August 18 Crowne Plaza Madison
4402 East Washington Avenue
Madison, WI 53704
Friday, August 20 Doubletree Hotel Atlanta Airport
3400 Norman Berry Drive
Atlanta, GA 30344
Tuesday, August 24 Red Lion Hotel
2525 N 20th Avenue
Pasco, WA 99301
Meetings will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time, with registration beginning at 7:00 a.m.
June 2010... Additional USDA public meetings announced
USDA is hosting additional public meetings to discuss animal disease traceability.
Thursday, June 24
Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel
150 West 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Thursday, July 1
Holiday Inn DFW Airport South
14320 Center Station Drive
Ft. Worth, TX 76155
Meetings will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time, with registration beginning at 7:00 a.m.
May 2010... USDA public meetings announced
USDA has announced a series of public meetings to discuss animal disease traceability more fully and to share the information from the March State and Tribal meeting with industry representatives. Additionally, USDA hopes to obtain feedback on the approaches that were discussed regarding the regulatory framework.
View Meeting Agenda
The meeting dates and locations are as follows:
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Holiday Inn Kansas City - SE Waterpark
9103 East 39th Street
Kansas City, MO 64133
Thursday, May 13, 2010
USDA Center at Riverside
4700 River Road
Riverdale, MD 20737
Monday, May 17, 2010
Crowne Plaza - Denver International Airport
15500 East 40th Avenue
Denver, CO 80239
The meetings will run from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. Doors will open at 7 a.m. Please note that there is a $4 charge for parking at the Riverdale facility. Alternatively, this site is within walking distance of the College Park Metro station.
Additional meetings will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
March 2010... By the Numbers
Current National FAIR enrollment stands at
31,000 farms in 49 states
8.2 million animals
Following its November 2009 launch, the on-line National FAIR Tag System has
130 orders processed
20,000 ear tags purchased
February 2010... USDA announces a new, flexible framework for animal disease traceability.
"Questions and Answers: New Animal Disease Traceability Framework"