AREA FARMERS REFUSE TO REGISTER FARMS
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 -- 12:06 PM
Many area farmers are refusing to comply with a state regulation that they register their premise.The Wisconsin Premises Registration Act required anyone who "keeps, houses, or co-mingles" livestock to register their premise by January 1, 2006. But the Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection says dozens of Clark County farmers haven't complied.
DATCP recently contacted Clark County District Attorney Darwin Zwieg.
"It would be a last choice-type of thing, prosecution," Zwieg says. "(We'll) just see if we could find any way to bring these people into compliance. We can see how much DATCP can do on their own. I think there's been some movement in that direction."
Zwieg believes Old Order Amish families operate most of the 47 farms in question. Some believe the registration could be related to the Biblical "mark of the beast".
"They believe that DATCP is looking to control them, and this is a step in that direction," Zwieg says.
DATCP says the premise registration is simply a means to combat disease outbreaks, such as the pseudorabies outbreak that hampered the state's hog industry over the summer.
Zwieg plans to discuss the matter with local Bishops.
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