faq2

As stated on the previous page 'Who am I?', I value the opportunity I have right now to raise horses and study animal behavior. Not only do I value my own situation, but I truly believe that being exposed to farming and livestock has a tremendously positive effect on our society's children. I remember growing up in Portland, I always wanted a pony. This all started with my father placing me on a horse and leading it around when I was around 5 years old. Little did he know how profoundly it would affect me. My folks couldn't afford a pony for me, so I promptly went out and made friends with other kids who had horses.

Now, contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be independently wealthy to have a horse. We cleaned stalls to help pay the board on the horses, and would band together with other horse people to haul feed, and care for our horses. Then other kids were out getting into trouble, we were out caring for our horses, learning responsibility, and self reliance. That's what being around livestock will do to a lot of kids. You learn to work hard, you learn to be responsible, you learn to give of yourself, and in return have another creature give of itself to you. FFA and 4H are incredibly important programs for kids to be involved in because they promote exactly these values.

In addition to promoting a connection with the agricultural world, a connection that is becoming lessened every decade in our modern world, small scale farming is a large part of the agricultural community in Oregon. According to stats from the Oregon Department of Agriculture small farms made up 62.4% of farms in 2004. Farms of 1-9 acres comprised 23.4% and farms of 10-49 acres comprised 39.0% of the total farms in Oregon for that year. Small scale farms, and hobbyists are very important to the economy and well being of our state. They provide specialty meats and vegetables, organic foods, and nursery stock, in addition to 'open spaces' around cities. A great many horse based businesses are operated on small acreages and include breeding, boarding, training and show facilities in addition to people who keep their horses on their own property.

My own farm is located on just 6.67 acres.

NAIS, if implemented as planned on a national scale will create an unbearable burden on small scale livestock farmers and hobbyists like myself, both in time used in mandatory reporting, fees incurred through registrations, as well as discouraging customers from buying our livestock.

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