by SUSAN MANN
It isn’t clear if heritage Shropshire sheep breeder Montana Jones will receive any compensation after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confiscated and euthanized a number of her sheep on suspicion they may have scrapie.
And now Jones, owner of Wholearth Farmstudio located near Hastings in Northumberland County where for the past 12 years she has been breeding Shropshire sheep to maintain a heritage bloodline tracing back to the late 1800s, is fighting to save her farm. She wants the operation to continue as a heritage breed organic farm that’s opened to the public. It would in part educate people on the need for sustainability and agricultural diversity.
But Jones says she has received the first step towards a foreclosure notice from her bank. “If I am able to stop that (the foreclosure), that is my hope and then turn the farm around.”
On Sunday, Jones and others will host an outdoor gathering on her farm to raise money to save her operation. More information on this event is at: http://LifeStock.ca .
As for how much money she hopes to raise, Jones says “I have no idea. It’s so hard to tell.” She also couldn’t say how many people may turn out for the event but “people have been so supportive and encouraging.”
The proceeds “will go directly to the bank so that I get on my feet,” she explains.
In organizing the event, one of the goals of Jones and raw milk advocate Michael Schmidt, who has spoken out against the CFIA’s killing of the sheep, is to form a non-profit organization and board to be a voice and to host future fundraising events to raise money for farmers faced with unjust government treatment. Currently there isn’t a group like this in Canada.
“We think we have choices as far as food and farming and agriculture go but it has been eye-opening to see how little choice we do have and how much the government is controlling things for us,” she says.
Jones figures the CFIA owes her more than $40,000 in compensation but the genetics she’s lost are irreplaceable. The compensation is entirely at CFIA’s discretion and they can “say you get nothing,” she explains.
CFIA declined to talk about compensation for Jones. Suzi Beck, CFIA media relations coordinator, says in a Sept. 27 email that due to privacy reasons “we are unable to discuss the specifics on any case including compensation.”
But in general terms CFIA bases the compensation amounts for animals ordered destroyed on the animal’s market value to a maximum amount stipulated in the Compensation for Destroyed Animals regulations, Beck says.
The farm was placed under quarantine almost two years ago after a sheep that originated from Wholearth and was sold to an Alberta farmer tested positive for scapie. Another sheep that died on the farm this spring also tested positive. There aren’t any human health risks associated with scrapie but it has serious impacts on sheep and goats and CFIA aims to eradicate it from Canada. The sheep and goat industry fully supports that goal.
Jones says there are questions about where the scrapie-positive sheep that originated from her farm contracted the disease. About the second sheep that tested positive, Jones challenged those results.
CFIA officials returned to the farm Sept. 22 and took four lambs and euthanized them because they were deemed to be genetically susceptible for scrapie. These lambs weren’t tested because they are under 12 months of age and there isn’t a valid test for animals under 12 months old. Nine sheep were also removed and euthanized by the CFIA in late April. They all tested negative for scrapie.
She used to have 75 animals. Now she has eight ewes, three lambs and two rams.
Jones’ troubles are further complicated because she says she may be facing charges under the Health of Animals Act, including obstruction, removing an animal in quarantine and conspiracy, in connection with the disappearance of 31 sheep from her quarantined farm in April just before they were to be euthanized. A group calling itself the Farmers Peace Corp claimed responsibility in a hand-written note left in the barn and also said the sheep were taken without the owner’s knowledge or consent.
Twenty-six of her sheep and 11 lambs were later located at a farm near Chesley in Grey County and all were euthanized. They all tested negative for scrapie. Five sheep of that group of 31 are still missing and Beck says CFIA hasn’t located them.
The investigation is ongoing so CFIA cannot comment further, Beck says in a Sept. 28 email.
In early August, the farms of Jones, Schmidt and two others were searched and a number of items were seized. Jones says from her farm, officials took things that were outside of the scope of their search warrant, such as personal tape recordings of her dad and her before he died, along with other items within the warrant such as her computer and sheep related records from March 23 to Aug. 2.
Beck says Jones’ farm remains under quarantine until she cleans and disinfects it to address the risk of scrapie transmission from the environment. BF
Comments
Susan Mann, as a sheep producer I appreciate that you made some attempt to talk to the CFIA. But it is common knowledge that these cases are confidential so it should be no surprise they couldn't discuss this case. However, Ms Jones herself is the one who made this public. Therefore anyone can make truthful comments or post their opinion without fear of Ms Jones's repeated threats of defamation lawsuits.
So if you really look for it, you can find people you could talk to to get the other side of this story, and the facts that are repeatedly left out because they don't suit "the cause." The information is there, but you need to look for it. An outrageous number of media outlets have repeated Ms Jones's propaganda without checking its accuracy or veracity. Until this incident, I had no idea how easy it was to get the media to say whatever you want them to say. It is very disappointing.
Investigative journalism based on truth and facts are a necessary balance in an electronic world of communication.
The fact that so many animals have been put down only to find they tested negative is rather shocking especially if there is such (historical) genetic significance assembled in this herd.
One also has to wonder if the significance to some of these health issues is a genetic predispossed weakness to disease thereby hosting a risk to many millions of dollars of livestock.
The commaradity of association with Micheal Schmidt and his self prescribed ethics and boundaries of health standards is a scary alliance for most to get behind or support and greatly clouds the more relevant facts of the story.
Stick to the facts based on science. If there are no positive results found these animals should be as qualified to live as any others. Factual disease testing and control should be the only guiding principal, not witch hunts of personal family effects outside a warrant.
ps don't worry too much about what you say here ...bf will censor it
Please remember, there were two scrapie-positive ewes born on this farm. That's why this whole thing happened in the first place. Two ewes born there had scrapie, and the owner's way of dealing with it was to say, "It's not true." But it is. That's a fact based on science. Simply put, --- End of story.
Unsigned comment modified by editor
no..in fact, there has been no substantiated evidence of any scrapie cases on Wholearth farm. Let's assume for the benefit of the doubt that the scrapie case found on Patric Lyster's Alberta farm was indeed from Wholearth in Ontario, though there was no identifying pink traceability tag number submitted with the tissue...despite it being law to submit that tag. Experts agree the positive coud have been infected at any point enroute as in the livestock dealer's truck, or on the Alberta farm. As for the other ewe..it doesn't appear likely..all points to the liklihood of it being staged so the court case woud be null and void... If there was supporting "science", as you say..why won't CFIA give it up for re-testing by a third party independent lab?
Yes, in fact, there has been substantiated evidence of scrapie on Wholearth farm. A dead ewe tested positive. Just because you refuse to accept it doesn't change the outcome. The Alberta ewe was born on Wholearth, that's why she had the tattoo WHE 24S in her ear. And the law stated, at least then, that the tag was to stay with the carcass, so that's where it stayed. Funny how that tag number is so important now but
"Experts agree....." Most experts would agree that the ewe most likely picked up scrapie at a very young age, from her mother (who died pretty young too, as did her grandmother), or from her birth environment. So whose experts are right?
, did anyone ever think to ask why? Why the government is supposedly trying to wipe out the Shropshire breed? They're not trying to deal with illegal immigrants, terrorists, the poor, gangs, no, they're sitting there in their little conspiracy group saying, "We've got to rid Canada of these terrible Shropshire sheep." Yeah, sure.
Comment modified by editor
There are two things everyone needs to be aware of regarding all these animals that tested negative.
1) A farm that had 19 sheep from the Wholearth flock called in the CFIA to genotype and test their sheep because they had had seven unexplained deaths.
2) Of the 31 sheep "stolen," only 26 were recovered.
This means 12 sheep were never tested. Think about that.
...fact is the farm that had seven 'unexplained' deaths were first time sheep owners, and most were lambing mortalities, perhaps due to inexperience or management issues. Nor did all their sheep come from the Wholearth flock. 2) What makes you think only 26 were recovered? Were you there? Oh right....you read it online so it must be true.
The fact is, they didn't need to. Only one did. If just one had scrapie, and lambed there carrying a QQ lamb, that's all it would take to spread the scrapie. And that is precisely what the uninformed public is missing. That is the reason the CFIA asked for trace information, that is why they go to the buyers' farms and genotype. Because all it takes is one. That is why the sheep producers of this country expect anyone with a scrapie positive to follow the rules- to protect each other from spreading this disease. Jones didn't want to do that.
Actually this is yet another false statement. IF there were scrapie on a premises, the ARQ/ARQ do not automatically get it, no more than if you or I would automatically catch a cold if someone in the room sneezed. Why didn't the scrapie positive farm of Coyote Acres and Patric Lyster "follow the rules"? You are also incorrect about Jones..she was most cooperative and wished to accomodate CFIA and agreed to keep the flock monitored, stay in quarantine, and even offered to sacrifice 30 of the sheep to CFIA that they wanted dead and tested. Turns out now they were in fact all negative. You need to be clear instead of spreading false rumours...she always wanted to do that- CFIA refused and instead Minister of Agriculture pretends to be interested in preserving heritage genetics.
Well, if those five missing sheep, reported as never found right here in this very article, have been found, please tell us! Where are they? Where were they found? Have they been destroyed and tested? Something tells me..... not. But if I am wrong, please elucidate.
They should be responsible for removing semen and eggs from the slaughtered animals for artificial insemination... well that is what they should have done if they had the conscience and the smarts... but they seem to be bullying not protecting our interests which is what they are hired to do...ie protect our interests! This was not just a crime against the owner and the sheep, it was a species genocidal crime.
Post new comment