As if it wasn’t enough that the Colorado Pork Producers Council decided to “unilaterally disarm” on the subject of using gestation stalls, now the state legislature is getting in the mud on National Animal ID. This story goes back to last year’s Colorado State Fair, where some students were disqualified for not obeying expo rules regarding having their premises registered. So here’s my concern: I’m not necessarily of the opinion that requiring Freddy 4-Her to register his premises as a prerequisite to showing is a good idea, but regardless, if that’s the rule, that’s the rule. There are a number of rules that you or I may or may not agree with, understand, or like in general, but the rule is the rule is the rule. To whit, the State Fair officials simply followed through on what should have been an implied and understood promise that the students would be disqualified if they did not comply.

Here’s my even bigger concern, however: in the reporting on this issue, the headline is never about State Fair Officials enforcing policy. Instead, the mostly misinformed journalists twist the story into the evil monolithic National Animal ID System “heavy-handed bullying… the kids.” Regardless of what happens in the actual case in point, the overall situation is a public relations nightmare for Animal ID, which, I should remind everyone, is voluntary and only premises, not individual animal, registration. I just have to wonder what’s in the water out there, and where the common-sense producers are to stand up and tell the story… correctly.

Tip o’ the hat to Darol Dickinson for the story from the Rocky.