CFIA test results are back…

ALL NEGATIVE for scrapie, as I knew they would be.

Killed for nothing, all those genetics gone.

I do not believe for a moment that the CFIA alleged 15S ewe was a true positive. She died here of toxemia, zero symptoms, in excellent body condition, assessed by CFIA vet Douglas MacLeod the day prior who concurred on her pregnancy related ailments.

CFIA desperately needed to claim a positive was in the flock to fight the judicial review about their actions against me and my flock. I and 5,000 other petitioners don’t buy it.

CFIA got their scapesheep in me, and in this beautiful flock.

CFIA thinks they’ve won because those sheep and their babies are dead.

But all of Canada has lost.

We’ve lost a huge part of our heritage livestock genetics, and we’ve lost even more faith in a government that is there to…to what?

This video was the last time I saw my flock alive {a few are still missing or dead} at Mirko Malish’s farm..I drove the 5 hours from Wholearth Farmstudio to see them.

At first the sheep did not see me there…I took this brief video by the fence, but was not allowed to go in or touch my own animals. Then a few turned when they heard my voice…I teared up when they recognized me, and my call, and came running to me out of the barn.

The sheep in the beginning on the right, and at the end of video her face is close-up on right..is Avril 8N. She was very special and was in particularly rough shape…thin, and limped due to a tender, swollen inflamed udder and mastitis that I pointed out to CFIA vet who refused to look at it. She had no lambs with her and I suspect nobody treated her or milked her out, which caused the condition.

The flock was still unsheared despite the summer heat, so it’s hard from this footage to see that most were underweight as the wool hides it somewhat. Several had not yet lambed…three were in pretty good shape. I was not happy that all the mature rams were in with the newborns and getting stepped on and pushed around.

I got to Chesley at 6 AM, and waited the entire day to meet with CFIA, who sent word throughout the day via the OPP there, that CFIA were enroute to meet with me.

I kept asking were they really coming to meet with me? When CFIA finally arrived at 8:00PM that night it was to say they wouldn’t speak with me.

I told CFIA vet Dr. Nancy Brown a long list of my concerns and asked her to please try understand my position. How hard it was to be there, after everything, and see my beloved sheep in poor condition and pawing the ground looking for food, eating their bedding, knowing that no matter what, they were all about to be destroyed and I KNEW they did not have scrapie. She walked away and continued to ignore me. It was hard to be there knowing I was not permitted to care for my own animals and nobody “in charge” knew what was going on.

Then she dragged a few bales of hay out into the barnyard and said “Well he isn’t doing a very good job of looking after them. I told him to give them hay free choice,” to which I replied “Who, Mirko? From what he told me he’s not even here full time, and it was never his responsibility. It is CFIA responsibility…they’ve been under CFIA care all week. They are picking at their bedding because there is no hay and you’ve stopped them from going out on pasture.”

Then she just hissed at me…”You shouldn’t have posted that on Facebook.”

How could a passion for saving rare heritage breeds turn so sad and ugly? This could have happened to anybody. Everybody who wants to live a peaceful rural life working and and raising their own food.

How can we keep a tunnel-visioned government out of our lives, off our farms, off our property, off of our dinner plates, out of our lives and away from our food choices?

From Michael Schmidt: 

Michael Schmidt Statement regarding the senseless slaughter of 31 Sheep by the CFIA

Part One

Today is June the 13th 2012

Part Two

Those involved in the Farmers Peace Corp have acted without knowledge and involvement of Montana Jones.

Those involved in the Farmers Peace Corp do support evidence based scrapie eradication programs.

Those involved in the Farmers Peace Corp do respect the law but oppose the irreversible actions and the non-accountability by  CFIA officials.

Those involved in the Farmers Peace Corp diligently made sure to prevent cross contamination with any other sheep to uphold and respect the quarantine imposed.

Those involved in the Farmers Peace Corp have the necessary records for identification and will provide them at a later date if necessary.

Those involved in the Farmers Peace Corp have intentionally no common knowledge, who in fact took the sheep, transported them, and placed them at the farm, where they have been found.

I can personally assure that the owner of the farm where the sheep were found indeed had  no knowledge about the history of the sheep.

In my role as liaison I can assure that I never visited Montana Jones Farm, transported or handled any of her sheep at the center of this investigation.

I am aware that I as a consequence to my public statement might be subject to an investigation and possible charges related to the sad sheep saga.

I am determined to support the brave work of those who have risked their personal safety and security to try to protect those sheep with the hope that “conclusive evidence” would have been provided by the CFIA in order to return the sheep for orderly slaughter if found infected or for further testing.

In closing I also like to point out that Montana Jone’s Lawyer Karen Selick had no knowledge about the people involved and the action itself.

Whatever will evolve I am honored to be a part of this brave action, as I have taken on the role as liaison for the Farmers Peace Corp.  I have very limited knowledge about the many people involved, but continue to support  and encourage their goal to demand accountability from Government as it relates to the almost vanished Agri-culture in Canada, already burdened by over-regulation and less and less compassion for it’s cultural importance as it relates to genetic diversity and overall sustainability.

From Michael Schmidt’s facebook page 

from the Adrian Humphreys National Post story:

Missing sheep saga draws to a close as inspectors find, begin to destroy quarantined flock

The strange yarn of the fugitive flock – heritage sheep said to be related to the first sheep that came from England to Canada – is coming to a messy end after food inspection officials finally found at least some of the quarantined sheep stolen in a high-profile bid to save them from the slaughterhouse.

Canada Food Inspection Agency officials found 28 sheep and has started to kill them, said their owner, Montana Jones.

The sheep were apparently found on a farm near Chesley, Ont., not far from the Lake Huron shore but a five hour drive from her farm in eastern Ontario where they went missing.

Ontario Provincial Police and CFIA both independently confirmed that some of the missing sheep, which were subject to a government quarantine order in a scrapie scare, were found but refused to provide any details or confirm a cull has begun.

On April 2, the morning the flock was scheduled to be killed by CFIA after a ewe sold from Ms. Montana’s farm tested positive for scrapie, she found the sheep missing and a hand-written note saying the flock had been taken into “protective custody” by activists calling themselves the “Farmers Peace Corp.”

Ms. Jones said she had no idea where they were or who took them but felt they were better off missing than dead while she continued to fight the government’s kill order in court.

But when she learned of the recovery late Thursday her distress returned.

“I’m devastated,” Ms. Jones said as she tried to get to the farm on Friday with a “compassion posse” to help her in her plight.

“I didn’t imagine in all of this that I might never see them again. Been crying more than I thought possible. I feel quite powerless and now just want to be able to sit with them awhile, apologize for failing to look after them and protect them from harm, and say good bye to them.

Above: Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials corral sheep marked for slaughter at Jones’ farm.

“I can’t get rid of the image in my head of being a good shepherd — and failing.”

Jennifer MacTavish, executive director of the Canadian Sheep Federation, previously told National Post that other producers sympathize with the emotion of a scrapie investigation but disapproved of Ms. Jones’ tactics.

“Scrapie eradication efforts are essential to the continued growth and vibrancy of the small ruminant industry in Canada. Positive cases of scrapie continue to pose a considerable threat to the health of the national sheep flock,” she said.

CFIA would release little information on the development.

“We have quarantined the farm where they were found and the animal health investigation continues,” said Lisa Gauthier, a CFIA spokeswoman.

Related

• Hide & go sheep: Woolly Houdini raises questions about how agency fights livestock disease
• Losing sheep: Quarantined flock at centre of health scare abducted from Ontario farm

Who’s On First?

It is interesting to note that recent media coverage on the Shropshire scrapie issue has just grazed the surface, and not even attempted to find out up-to-date facts on this topic by interviewing relevant individuals. The flock owner for instance…moi.

The alleged positive test result is highlighted out of context, without reporting other hugely pertinent facts. Seems the media is only reiterating the same  Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) statements from their own press releases.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA)  Brian Evans has admitted the prevalence of scrapie in Canada is “fairly low.” Evans just issued a press release saying “Scrapie can only be confirmed through tests conducted on brain tissue.”

Penny Greenwell is quoted as saying “Scrapie has a long incubation period and there is no known 100-per-cent-effective live test. Infected animals can spread the disease in flocks and herds without showing signs of illness.”

However, what is not said is that most sheep scrapie cases present between 2 and 4 years…and the alleged positive was over 6 years old. Just one in a series of relevant facts surrounding this case.

Both Evans and Greenwell neglect to mention that if ONLY brain tissue is used and various other sites in the entire lymphatic system are not tested, THEY COULD MISS between 5% and 30% of infected animals, thereby rendering their kill-and-test program most unreliable.

Yet CFIA claims the 88% accuracy of the LIVE test is not enough? So they killed 9 of my pregnant sheep to verify they were healthy, found out they were indeed all negative for scrapie, and are out to kill 31 more if they find them.

Some media report that “The 31 animals that disappeared just before they were to be destroyed April 2 were a group sorted from Jones’ flock as having a genetic susceptibility to the disease, said Penny Greenwood, national manager for disease control and animal welfare with the CFIA in Ottawa.”  But in fact, the 9 that were seized and killed, AND the alleged positive, were of a genetic cohort that CFIA deemed NOT as susceptible as the ARQ/ARQ’s.

While it is commonly accepted that  ”horizontal” transmission of scrapie to another sheep is possible, especially for producers who allow their sheep to birth in groups as many do, the media release does NOT mention the actual facts in this particular case.

Wholearth ewes are penned in individual lambing pens before and after birthing for up to two weeks, and the area cleaned before another ewe is introduced. Therefore, the likelihood of another coming  into contact with infected material in the birthing environment is extremely unlikely. CFIA has admitted the same to in information about potential contamination, management and clean up in flocks in general.

Greenwood goes on to say CFIA is unable to offer the DNA and tissues “with no chain of custody to certify the samples”, but in FACT they have been unwilling to even discuss the issue, and it is pure assumption there would be no “chain of custody.”  OF COURSE there would be complete care and control to satisfy both parties…that statement is merely conjecture by Greenwood, not truth.

Inadvertently breeding for atypical disease?

What exactly are we letting happen here, at the hands of a tunnel visioned government?

There is a move to wipe out ARQ/ARQ sheep as they have been considered to be a “susceptible” genotype for scrapie. This does not mean necessarily that an ARQ/ARQ sheep WILL get scrapie, but some research suggests it is at higher risk of contracting the disease if scrapie already exists in a sheep’s environment.

While classical scrapie is not considered a human health risk, it is a threat to the lamb industry because commercial lamb producers see less revenue due to affected sheep creating reduced production.

The latest scientific findings have confirmed that genotype genocide and the elimination of our biological diversity is a very dangerous thing, in nature and agriculture.

In fact, flocks such those that have been influenced by Agriculture Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to alter their genetic pool by using ARR rams for a “scrapie-resistant flock” is misguided.

The science now indicates producers doing so are in fact, possibly breeding FOR scrapie.From the experts in prion research: “Sheep believed to be resistant to scrapie are succumbing to atypical infections and a newly identified strain of the disease. Eradication programmes based on selective breeding should be reappraised.”

Still no evidence that the original positive found on an Alberta farm was a sheep that originated on my farm. CFIA’s DNA lab report (which I have not seen despite requests) has only proven that two offspring born on the Alberta farm were out of a sheep there. But for the sake of (no) argument, let’s say it was indeed the same sheep that originated on my farm. Experts agree that that sheep 24S could have contracted the disease after it left my farm, which has a history of no scrapie nor symptoms for the entire 12 years since my flocks existence.

I believe in controlling scrapie, however I also believe in preserving rare heritage genetics. I’ve been open to co-operating with Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to discover if scrapie does indeed lie somewhere within my flock, but with a considered approach in view of it’s rare breed status. I even proposed sacrificing more than half my beloved flock towards finding out  http://shropshiresheep.org/2012/04/03/lost-sheep/ . They refused. Perhaps had CFIA and I worked together, the sheep might not have been taken by Farmers’ Peace Corps {http://shropshiresheep.org/2012/04/04/on-the-lam-cbcs-as-it-happens/} .

 

CFIA now claims that a different sheep just tested positive on my farm.  Numerous facts suggest that test result could be a ‘mistake’, for the following reasons:

1) There were no scrapie symptoms in the alleged positive the day before it died, when the CFIA veterinarian heading the case confirmed it was likely ill due to pregnancy toxemia.

2)  The alleged positive was over 6 years old. Scrapie commonly affects sheep between 2 and 3 years old, rarely after 5 years old. {http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3864753?uid=3739448&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=47698971872807}

3) Scrapie is generally transmitted from an infected scrapie positive mother to it’s offspring via birthing fluids.  Yet the 13-year old pregnant mother of the alleged positive was healthy (until CFIA killed her). She tested negative for scrapie. {http://shropshiresheep.org/2012/04/28/cfia-raids-farm-to-seize-and-kill-9-shropshire-sheep/ }

4) The alleged positive was not one of CFIA’s specified high risk genetic cohorts, it was a VRQ/ARQ.

5) CFIA and Jones are engaged in judicial review currently before the courts. CFIA needed a positive to counter that review, and did not have one prior to their alleged positive.

6) A false government document certified that some of Jones’ sheep were “contaminated by scrapie”, 20 days BEFORE the samples were even shipped to the testing lab.{http://shropshiresheep.org/2012/05/01/shepherd-obtains-false-government-document/}

7) CFIA refuses blind third-party testing. Why not have the DNA and obex brain tissue speak for themselves?

Greenwood is quoted stating “CFIA has “no doubt” that the animal in question was scrapie-positive.” Montana Jones is not convinced. She has “no doubt” that this case necessitates third party investigation, after experiencing a history of numerous CFIA errors.”

This issue is about shining a bright light on all questionable, intransigent government tactics and draconian protocol, especially those that are devastating Canada’s dwindling heritage breeds.

Will the real human nature please stand up

It’s an odd twist that certain people seem to have launched an all out attack in various public online forums, with some others commenting that their interest in the case might be viewed a personal vendetta, rather than focussing on the facts of the issue. It’s still not clear to me why those individuals have changed sides, going from being so much against CFIA’s tactics to clearly raging and ranting on with misinformed false accusations. It is most unusual. So far I have chosen not to share taped conversations that are contrary to what is purported online.

Their targeted, out-of-context vehement hair-splitting digressions to every nuanced detail has some pondering the phrase, “Methinks ye doth protest too much.”

But that’s a red herring rabbit hole for another day…well, actually..there aren’t enough days left in this lifetime to go there.  There is neither the time nor interest to address their speculative deviations to fiction, and I will instead focus on sharing all the relevant facts of the Shropshire/CFIA issue publicly and in the courts.

I didn’t bring this issue to light with an aim to hide pertinent facts, but to reveal them. I am not the first farmer this has happened to…MOST never say a word….it’s too much of a stigma to even utter the word scrapie, even for those producers whose large flocks have been destroyed and all tested negative.

I’m still holding fast to believing, perhaps naively, that the truth will out, that by staying the course, all will be revealed in the fullness of time.

And if it does not?

…well, I will have learned some pivotal lessons about human nature…some sad,  some disheartening, but most are incredibly inspiring.

The one powerful lesson realized throughout is that so many of us want the same thing, whether it’s about sheep, lies, government…no matter. Those are details.

Friends and supporters refresh and encourage me every day with a reminder for all like-minded souls. Here’s to living freely and simply and honestly, doing no harm and to helping where we can.

CFIA’s Brian Evans has admitted the prevalence of scrapie in Canada is “fairly low.” He just issued a press release saying “Scrapie can only be confirmed through tests conducted on brain tissue.”

He neglects to mention that if they use ONLY brain tissue and don’t test a whole slew of places in the lymphatic system, THEY WILL MISS between 5% and 30% of infected animals, thereby rendering their kill-and-test program most unreliable!

Yet CFIA claims the 88% accuracy of the LIVE test is not enough? So they killed my beloved 9 pregnant sheep to verify they were healthy, found out they were indeed all negative for scrapie, and are out to kill 31 more if they find them.

Those 9 were of a genetic cohort that CFIA deemed NOT as susceptible as the ARQ/ARQ’s.

What exactly are we letting happen?

There is a move to wipe out ARQ/ARQ sheep as they have been considered to be a “susceptible” genotype for possible scrapie. This does not mean necessarily that an ARQ/ARQ sheep WILL get scrapie, but some research suggested it is at higher risk of contracting the disease if it already exists in a sheep’s environment.

While classical scrapie is not considered a human health risk, it is a threat to the lamb industry because commercial lamb producers see less revenue due to affected sheep creating reduced production.

The latest scientific findings have confirmed that genotype genocide and the elimination of our biological diversity is a very dangerous thing, in nature and agriculture.

In fact, flocks such those that have been influenced by Agriculture Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to alter their genetic pool by using ARR rams for a “scrapie-resistant flock” is misguided. The science now indicates producers doing so are in fact, possibly breeding FOR scrapie.

From the experts in prion research: “Sheep believed to be resistant to scrapie are succumbing to atypical infections and a newly identified strain of the disease. Eradication programmes based on selective breeding should be reappraised.” 

and

“the ARR allele was until recently thought to confer full resistance to BSE and scrapie. However, the successful transmission of BSE prions to ARR/ARR sheep and the detection of natural cases of classical scrapie in sheep with the ARR/ARR genotype have shown that this resistance is penetrable. Moreover, the identification of previously unrecognized atypical scrapie strains in sheep with various genotypes, including ARR/ARR, further supports this statement.”

The WORST of it is that while classical scrapie is not presently considered an issue for human health risk…atypical scrapie may well be.

Research has found that primates are susceptible to a new variant popping up increasingly in the ARR genotyped sheep that our government and most national sheep organizations have been grooming to be our national flock.

When might the CFIA realize that safeguarding our ARQ/ARQ sheep may well be the answer to ensure that our nations future health is protected from scrapie related human illness?

We need diversity for health—we need heritage breeds of sheep and all livestock.

Save Our Shropshires by signing this petition..we’re 5,000 and growing!

PRESS RELEASE

May 1st, 2012—Hastings, Ontario/The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) released a statement Friday claiming that a single sheep belonging to a quarantined Ontario farm has tested positive for scrapie. The sheep’s owner suspects the finding was pre-ordained. For over two years shepherd Montana Jones has maintained that the CFIA has not provided evidence that scrapie exists in her rare heritage flock of Shropshire sheep.

Despite live biopsy tests indicating the sheep were free of the disease, the CFIA claimed the 88% accuracy was not sufficient, and refused to retest to increase the accuracy rate, or to apply another form of live testing. They issued an order to kill the sheep and test brain tissue.

The case made national headlines when 31 of the flock disappeared prior to CFIA’s planned April 2nd destruction. A group called the Farmers Peace Corp [sic] left a note saying they took them into protective custody until CFIA could prove that the flock did indeed have scrapie.

Jones says she is not surprised at CFIA’s claim. “I have been expecting them to announce a positive. It is in their interests to shut down the media attention, turn off the spotlight on their draconian protocol, and halt the judicial review that is before the courts. It’s also a tactic to incite the public to help search for the missing sheep.”

Signed and certified

On March 28, 2012 a group of young sheep were sent to the abattoir, prior to the CFIA’s planned April 2nd destruction. According to CFIA scrapie regulations any sheep under 12 months (ie. lambs) are eligible for slaughter and sale as meat. Despite this fact Jones has chosen not to make any of her animals available for human consumption since the quarantine was in place, due to concerns about potential public misconceptions from those who are not fully educated on food safety or the science of scrapie.

Jones believes that the CFIA test finding was already a fait accompli. She was alarmed to discover a signed government document declaring the offal was “contaminated by scrapie”, dated 20 days before any samples were actually shipped to the lab for testing, and 29 days before the scrapie test was even performed. ALL 14 samples tested negative for scrapie on April 25, 2012.

An Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) inspector wrote out a Carcass and Portion Condemnation form claiming and certifying as of March 28 that Montana Jones’ sheep were: “…found on post-mortem examination…to be affected with Contamination with Scrapie …”

Jones said, “I asked for supporting evidence for her claim. As I understand it there are no observable indicators of scrapie in a post-mortem exam of the carcass in an abattoir. I already knew it was a false statement.”

“The OMAFRA inspector said there were no indicators, but that the CFIA told her to write it. I asked for a copy of the report she submitted to her superiors, because the document would need to be corrected to indicate that there was in fact NO PROOF or evidence of scrapie in her post mortem examination. She said she already filed it electronically.”

Jones said that the OMAFRA inspector offered to change her document after the fact. “She removed the word ‘scrapie’ and gave me a second slip dated April 25. “Now the CFIA lab test results for those same eleven animals in question all came back negative, just a few days ago.” says Jones. “Who wouldn’t question this?”

Vet agreed scrapie unlikely

“The ewe they say was positive died of a pregnancy related illness, but it was CFIA’s first opportunity to get a mature head to test.” said Jones. “It was a sheep that was not actually on the CFIA destruction order…a VRQ genotype they say is not susceptible to scrapie.”

Jones said the CFIA vet in charge of the case had examined the ewe the day before it died. “Dr. Douglas MacLeod said she was in very good body condition, with no signs nor symptoms of scrapie, no tremors, no unusual gait, no teeth grinding, no neurological dysfunction, no rubbing, no scratching, no wool loss, no puritic behaviour, no ataxia. He agreed with me that she likely had toxemia, but did not offer treatment.”

“I told him she was going to die, that I thought I caught her toxemia too late…and could he please euthanize her and write up an order for her and thus I would at least get compensation and he would have the head and obex brain tissue to test,” said Jones.

“He said no. He would only do that with an animal that was symptomatic for scrapie and he said she was not, that she looked ‘very comfortable’.”

“The next morning she was dead, and her lambs stillborn. So CFIA now have their scapesheep.” said Jones.

CFIA may deny access to DNA and tissue

Jones’ says she is also concerned that CFIA have refused to provide DNA and obex brain tissue of the sheep they claim tested positive for scrapie. “It’s only fair to have an independent third party lab do a blind test to prove or disprove CFIA’s claim. They seized my personal property and all evidence, and are playing the roles of judge, jury and executioner.”

“Perhaps I’m being naive to trust even that process,” she said. “I now realize any body could tamper with any thing anywhere.”

PRESS RELEASE - On Friday, April 27 at approximately 7:15 p.m., four CFIA agents and 2 security guards arrived at Montana Jones’ Hastings Ontario farm with an order for the destruction of 9 Shropshire sheep that remained on the farm after 31 sheep went missing earlier this month.  They left two vehicles “guarding” the premises overnight.  The CFIA  inspectors returned Saturday, April 28 at 8:00 a.m., loaded up the 9 sheep, 8 of which were due to have lambs, and drove them approximately four hours to slaughter in Nepean.

The CFIA raid was in response to their claim that they found scrapie in a sheep that died on Jones’ farm on April 19th.  “It was a sheep that was not actually on the CFIA destruction order and had a VRQ genotype CFIA say is not susceptible to scrapie.” she said. “She seemed to have been pining for its missing flockmates since they were stolen earlier this month.”

Jones said the CFIA vet in charge of the case had examined the ewe the day before it died. “Dr. Douglas MacLeod said she was in very good body condition, with no signs nor symptoms of scrapie. He agreed with me that she likely had toxemia, but did not offer treatment.”

“I told him she was going to die, that I thought I caught her toxemia too late…and could he please euthanize her and write up an order for her and thus I would at least get compensation and he would have the head and obex brain tissue to test,” said Jones. “He said she looked ‘very comfortable’.”

“The next morning she was dead.” said Jones. “CFIA has been waiting to say they have a positive…but I still don’t believe they have one yet.”

Shepherd seeking lost sheep…and day in court

HASTINGS, ON: The owner of a rare heritage Shropshire sheep flock that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has ordered destroyed has filed a federal court application for judicial review (VIEW APPLICATION) of the order.