National Animal Identification System

Full Disclosure: This has nothing to do with dogs.
There is a proposed bill in DC right now, to have all farm animals chipped for identification purposes, so they can be tracked. Though this may sound like an excellent idea, given recent problems with disease outbreaks and contamination problems, as usual, there is a downside.
For big factory farms, the cost and additional time would be minimal. But for the small family farmer, it could be crippling. And I think we need to support and encourage the small family farm. With all the supposed focus on anti-terrorism, what do you think might be the most essential thing to have in the event of some really catastrophic event? I'm thinking a local food supply. Not depending on food items shipped from thousands of miles away.
If you're lucky enough to live where there still is local food being produced, I hope that you will make every effort to support it. The small farmer struggles constantly to keep it going. Here, we have two lively farmers' markets, and an online store where you can order local foods and pick them up at a central dispersal site. We have farm shares, and can even work on the farms to pay for part of them. People raise grass-fed beef and free-roaming chickens, organic vegetables, and even grains, which a local bakery is using to make its breads and pastries.
I hope Congress does not pass this proposed bill, at least not without a provision being made for small family farms.