What does the USDA’s National Animal ID System–or NAIS– have to do with the Real-estate market? More than you would think.

As more farmland is being sold for development or is just changing hands as retiring city dwellers seek the quiet country life, the USDA’s permanent and binding Premise ID system may get in the way of clear, simple transactions. And this isn’t just related to farmland.

Say an urban homeowner has a few chickens to help reduce his or her kitchen scraps, lay a few eggs and provide fertilizer for the zinnias. They hear of NAIS and feel the government knows best and are duped into registering their premise and chickens, as it’s the “right thing to do”.

Later they decide to move and sell the house, forgetting to disclose the protected, so called “private” premise ID residing in the USDA’s national database (we’ll forget for the moment that the USDA is in the process of forcing individual states to do their unconstitutional dirty work).

A new owner buys the house, not knowing it is a registered premise under the USDA system and buys a goat or two to help keep the lawn in check during the summers.

Unknown to the new owner their property is already registered into the Premise ID database system whether they wanted to be or not. Now, ignorance is no excuse under the law, but they remain in the dark. That is, until one day they are met with a knock at the door from a USDA agent wanting to know why they haven’t been filling out their paperwork.

They then find that the agent asked around the neighborhood and found out the goats escaped and wandered the neighborhood several times–each a reportable offense under NAIS–and that the owners took one of the goats to the veterinarian to have a neighbor’s panties removed from its stomach after it ate the washing off the line–also a reportable incident.

The vet logged the visit in his database but a corollary report was not filed by the goat owners, prompting the visit by the USDA agent. This is the first the goat owners have heard of NAIS. Feeling harassed and facing fines and penalties these new homeowners decide to sue the realtor and previous property owners for non-disclosure.

When the property was first entered, albeit willingly, into the Premise ID database system–a system third parties have no access to for determining ID status–certain encumbrances were placed upon it–like a 15 digit permanent ID code that carries forward no matter who buys the property.

Such encumbrances devalue the property because people who object to NAIS will be unwilling to purchase the property, thereby reducing the market of potential buyers. This may also lead to devaluation of nearby properties.

The opposite effect is also possible. States that have repealed NAIS, or have a weaker interpretation of it, may well see a realty boom with buyers flooding in from other states. Property and prices in these states will be at a premium, while collapsing in the stricter, NAIS-compliant states. This could well spell a disaster for the national real estate market.

The USDA’s NAIS is an ill-considered one-size-fits all program that will impact citizens on a number of levels, not just in the real estate markets.

As costs of registering, tagging and tracking premises–farms or not–and livestock (and some day even pets)–are realized, many small producers will be forced out of the market. Farmers, homesteaders, and hobbyists will no longer be able to afford to farm, keep livestock or pay for their operations.

The property market may one day be flooded with unwanted real estate and demand for smaller places nearer to jobs will be in demand. Retirees looking for the quiet life in the country won’t sell their townhouse because the overburdening regulations make it impossible to live their life’s dream of owning a few quiet acres, some chickens, goats and selling produce at the farmer’s market.

The citizens of every state, including real estate agents and, indeed, everyone who eats, keeps animals or sells or buys at farmer’s markets, needs to speak out against the USDA’s corporate-driven animal ID system. Please let your friends know about NAIS; contact your State Senators and Representatives and speak out. Visit nonais.org to find out more.

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