Personal Stories Within The Avian Influensa Crisis

There are so many aspects to this issue for organic growers everywhere in Canada that I have been unable to sort things out in order to write for the web site. With the killing of Karl's flock of 2000 layers today and the killing of my neighbour's flock of over 2000 last week the last of the organic birds in the valley are all but gone. I feel a deep sense of sadness that goes way beyond anger and feel defeated by the steamroller of industrial agriculture.

Andrew

Andrew is a 12 year old who is recovering from leukemia and wished to raise chickens. His family encouraged him and over the last 3 years they raised 40 chickens. They fed the birds organic feeds and allowed them to free range. They sold the surplus eggs through Andrew's school and trips to Children's Hospital for chemotherapy treatments.

This year Andrew decided that he wanted to increase the bio-diversity of his flock. Up to this point they were all the brown leghorn type birds most commonly found in the conventional industry. The family sought out and purchased a bard rock rooster and five hens. Andrew often came over to my place to talk chicken. He was very proud of the move to get the bard rock birds into his flock.

Andrew phoned me 3 days ago asking if there was anything I could do to help save his bard rock hens. The CFIA had come by to kill his flock. They were allowed 2 days to butcher what they had if they wished and if this were not done they would be back to kill the birds. The birds showed no clinical signs of disease and were laying well with the onset of spring. There was no sampling done to see if the birds had avian flu. The CFIA staff gives the same line they do at every farm. You are in the control zone and protocol dictates that we kill all chicken.

Andrew's dad came to me resigned to the fact that the birds had to be killed and was looking for cages to hall them to a local processor. He was worried about the possibility of the $4,000.00 fine for hauling birds without a permit but felt he should haul them away to be killed. The CFIA offers $10 a bird as compensation.

Alyson

Alyson had approximately 200 certified organic layers on a very diverse organic farm. She is very active in the organic community and knows the political struggle of the organic movement very well. She sold her eggs at the farm gate, in farmers markets and to a few direct to consumer marketers. The layers provided her with a small cash flow through the winter and spring months before the onset of her vegetable production.

Aware of the power of CFIA, week from the struggle with marketing boards, and unable to face the challenge of finding new replacement birds Alyson had her flock killed voluntarily in order to have stewing fowl and soup chicken. When I talked with Alyson she related to me that she could no longer deal with the stress of not knowing what was going to happen to her birds or when it was going to happen. She is not resigned in her resolve to defend organic agriculture.

George

George is anther certified organic farmer with a flock and marketing system similar to Alyson's. George had gone through a number of struggles with flocks that did not produce well and had finally settled with 200 birds that were good layers and gentle to handle. He wanted to preserve his flock and breed them because of the nature of the birds and his experiences with birds purchased from the conventional and organic systems.

George made many phone calls over the last few weeks to see if there was a way he could save his birds. He phoned environmental groups to see if they would be able to assist him. However environmental groups do not seem to understand that the differences between conventional farming and organic farming constitute one of the most important environmental battles in the world today. The preservation of the bio-diversity within organic farms and the establishing of an alternative system to conventional factory farms have a bigger global impact than that of fish farming or preservation of old growth timber. George realizes this but environmental groups do not.

George was also dismayed at the lack of outcry from the organic community and specifically COABC. When he came to me for help I explained that we had tried all sorts of avenues to protect the rights of organic farmers. My brother Brad had been in meetings with the federal and provincial ministers of agriculture. We had national coverage in the press and TV media. The Organic Friends of the Future (OFF) had a witnessing demonstration outside the meeting that Brad attended. I encouraged him to write to this web site but he was afraid that it would expose his birds to the CFIA.

George had his birds secluded and well of the road and had hoped to go undetected. On the same day that Andrew got the call George was also informed that his birds were discovered and would have to be killed. There could be no exemption because the birds were of no distinct nature. Their gentle demeanor could not be considered. He was told that he would be able to have chickens in the future but he would not be able to sell the eggs.

George II

This George is my neighbour. He is certified organic and his farm is similar to mine. He had approximately 3000 organic layers and ranged them in his raspberry fields. This spring I watched with envy as the birds kept the raspberries well weeded. Last week two CFIA trucks entered his property. With amazing efficiency his birds were killed. George, his wife and four of his daughters attended the OFF demonstration that was held at the outset of this crisis. We did not talk to each other about the comings and goings of the CFIA after all what more is there to be said. It is funny how you feel the lose of the birds next door. The sounds of their life are no longer there.

George's farm is within a kilometer of an infected farm yet George's birds showed no signs of disease even though the birds were outside almost every day.

Karl

Karl's 2000 birds will be killed today. Good luck to the efficient CFIA on this one. These birds are raised in a green house that has so many air leaks to the outside that they will be difficult to gas. The CFIA came to his place yesterday and after studying the situation left to develop a plan.

Karl has been one of the most steadfast defenders of organic poultry production verses conventional agriculture. He did not argue with the CFIA but only stated that their science was wrong. Non-infected birds should not be killed. Samples should be taken to determine why it is that organic birds appear to be more resistant to Avian Influenza. And that organic birds have not been linked to the rapid transmit ion of the disease within the conventional factory farms.

It has been a nightmare living in the valley with this issue all around you. The rumors, the suspicion, the fear, and the personal stories. There are many more like these and yet you get the impression that the governments do not care about people like this and that they will do everything to protect the industrial farm complex.

I have just been told that the kill is being temporarily suspended since they have gone 10 days without a new out break. This has devastated the organic egg producers. Non of the flocks tested positive or showed signs of the disease. It means that Leo's turkeys might be safe and that Brad will be able to start up chicken production earlier than expected. This would all change tomorrow if another flock tests positive.