Team steer roping

Real men don't rope for fun.

Eddie

Sometimes it feels like Eddie.

At 2:27am on a warm June night when it sounds like crickets and smells like honey suckle.

He's here, his presence...his memory.

When it feels like Eddie on a hot summer night.

The moons shining and the skies fairly bright.

Its still but not quiet and it smells just right.

It feels like Eddie on a hot summer night.

That man left his mark on my heart.

I see the world through a different set of eyes.

He's might be gone but he's definitely still here.

watching over my flock by night (old draft from 1/2014)

As predicted the temps here in northern VA are drastically dropping and on cue the snow is falling.
I have been working since 8:30 this morning...much to my coworkers dismay.
7:00 am good
8:00 am acceptable
8:30 am annoying
9:00 am pure dissatisfaction
9:15 am and I prepare for a 'GIRL, where have you been? Mucho work. You need to get here earlier.' (meredith is hard for most of my Hispanic coworkers to pronounce so I generally answer to "girl". Works for us)
I try to explain I don't work by the hour and am only paid for 45 hours a week...though I've never managed less than 55-60. 
I might start later in the morning but I'm out LONG after the guys go home.  Yesterday a sow farrowed 9 piglets, 7 made it through the night.  I'm learning litter by litter.

Poultry Yard Dog Park (old draft published...and no it didn't keep her in)

If it keeps predators out it will keep predators in!
The farm no longer has poultry on site and I'm taking full advantage of

Bottle babies (old draft published from 12/13 - ayrshire farm - the cattle had it MUCH better than the pigs)

welcome to the karma hotel..... (old post, new title, from a song, look it up)

birthday card...or board (old draft)

Body language...ha! (old draft original from 11/13)

Pigs don't need to speak to let you know what they want, though they are an awfully verbal species.
Point made...loud and clear!
Freezing temperatures add hours to a day on a farm this size with pigs being the most labor intensive. 

10 Days to Emaciated - Ayrshire Farm

Who: Ayrshire Farm

Owner - Sandy Lerner

Large Livestock Manager - Crystal Ritenour

Assistant Large Livestock Manager - Scottie Smith

Farm Manager - Chris Damewood

What: Animal abuse, willful neglect, inhumane treatment, not providing sufficient food, water, shelter, and necessary medical care

Where: Upperville, VA - Loudoun County Virginia

When: Ongoing

Why: laziness, ego, pride, sadistic

How: Horrific animal husbandry practices.  Encouraging illness by not preventing issues and preventing wellness by not treating animals.

 

Here is an example of willful neglect at Ayrshire Farm.  These pictures are of the same pig over the course of 10 days.  Crystal Ritenour was made aware prior to June 6th various pigs were not doing well and showing symptoms of internal/external parasites and various other issues (coccidian for example).  I had been letting her know for MONTHS these issues existed and steps needed to be taken immediately to stop the transmition and spread of disease (treatment/quarantine). 

 

Crystal Ritenour dismissed my concerns.  She refused to take action.  This is the result.  On June 6th I was getting ready to go out of town to visit my grandparents in PA.  I let her know before I left pigs needed immediate veterinary attention and medication (NOT organic medication - read medication that is proof positive, not organic home brew of turpentine/flaxseed oil).  I took a picture.

 

During my trip I reminded her of this (all through text messages showing she was made aware and her ongoing dismissal of my reminders to monitor/medicate pigs). I returned on Wednesday June 11, 2014 to unmedicated pigs.  Asked her who was being medicated (the pig in this example was not medicated during any of these pictures...not even on 6/16) and if she was just going to let these pigs die?  I'd seen her refuse to medicate pigs before and finally cave days before death.  That's not good enough.  This pig and several others needed immediate medical intervention.  I took another picture. 

 

These pigs continued to decline in condition and were noticeably worse.  You would have to be completely idiotic and/or sadistic to not see this was the case.  When Crystal Ritenour came to work on Monday June 16th I told her these pigs needed medical attention or they would die.  They were not magically getting better but getting worse.  She denied medical care.  I left the barn and went straight to HR.  Crystal was already in HR when I knocked on the door.  I said I would come back.   A hour or so later I was told to stop working.  Soon after I met with Alex Bryan the Chief Financial Advisor and Carol Zarda of "HR" (previously Sandy Lerners personal assistant) and was terminated effective immediately and given 30 days to move off the Farm.

 

Pigs in this condition are of NO CONCERN for Ayrshire Farm.  While they have the "certified humane" label and were able to keep the label do to a close friendship with the founder of Humane Farm Animal Care, you can see the label is a joke, Ayrshire Farm is a farce and a fraud.  This is what goes on behind the scenes at Ayrshire Farm.  Sandy Lerner is a nationally recognized advocate of humane farming and animal welfare, yet this is what INTENTIONALLY occurs on her Farm.  They go as far as to terminate the individual who advocates for the pigs care in lieu of an absolute dead beat animal abuser.

 

This is disgusting and is only made worse by Loudoun County's refusal to press criminal charges, and the Commonwealth of Virginias abandonment of the criminal case against Crystal Ritenour by refusing to prosecute the case (I was led to believe until 10 minutes before the trial the state would be prosecuting).  None of this is a coincidence.  Sandy Lerner is a wealthy woman.  Her influence is vast and her pockets are deep.  She tosses money around and in turn people pledge their allegiance.  Unfortunately their loyalty to her equals condoning and forgiving severe animal abuse. 

 

The treatment of the pigs at Ayrshire Farm is inhumane for countless reasons.  This is just one example. 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

June 6, 2014

 

June 11, 2014

 

June 16, 2014

Ayrshire Farm

Meet Ayrshire Farm owned by Sandy Lerner (net worth.hundreds of millions) located in Upperville, VA (in Loudoun county the wealthiest county in the US) and is "certified humane" and "certified organic". Behind the scenes it looks as if you stepped into a 3rd world country. Untreated animals, abused, neglected etc. The county authorities don't deny abuse but refuse to press charges. I filed a criminal complaint against the large livestock manager and it went to trial on the 20th. The state prosecutor abandoned the case minutes before trial leaving me to prosecute a criminal case against a private attorney. The large livestock manager pled the 5th and refused to testify. (Yes apparently in VA private citizens can prosecute criminal cases...who knew...)

One would think these photographs are of pigs in a 3rd world country.

These are actually photographs from Sandy Lerner's Ayrshire Farm located in Loudoun County, VA. One of the wealthiest women in the wealthiest county in the United States.
Loudoun, demand better. Virginia, demand better.
We should be a model for sustainable and humane agriculture, not what wealth allows you to get away with.

https://www.facebook.com/ayrshirefarmabuse

Stats

I don't know how many unique views the blog gets.

Holy $1000 puppy batman

http://www.milliron-sranch.com/puppy-page.html

Strolling

This is in VA. I am in PA.

Getting it on wednesday after the animal abuse trial.

Can't wait!

Weeeee!

Dogging dog strollers?!

Felix and Fritz

"Humane Farming Dead Piglets"

Heath Putnam was onto Ayrshire long before I was.

http://woolypigs.blogspot.com/2009/07/humane-farming-dead-piglets.html?m=1

"On the topic of rare breeds, humane husbandry and sow housing, I found this post about a farm where they raise old breeds, in a natural setting, according to "certified humane" protocols, where sows are allowed to crush nine out of ten of their endangered rare breed piglets:

The sows are good for 5-10 litters, until they get too big and accidentally start squishing (and killing) the piglets when they lay down. The dirty girl in the picture below is one such sow - she had her 10th litter about a week ago and squished all but one piglet. They'll let her hang in the mud for a few weeks (primarily to allow her hormone levels to drop) and then send her to slaughter.

A few thoughts:
At least the 9 piglets were killed "certified humanely".Were I one of those 9 pigs, I'd rather be born on a modern farm with crates and a heat lamp - because it would lessen the odds of an early death.If the pigs are really endangered, why aren't they doing a better job of protecting the piglets? When humans run a seed bank, weisolate them from things that might damage them.Do they always castrate those pigs in the first week? It can be very hard to do in that sort of system - one the the reasons I really don't like the "ceritifed humane raised and handled" protocols."

Direct link to article about Ayrshire imbedded in this article

http://whittybites.blogspot.com/2009/06/field-trip-to-farm.html?m=1

Sadie and littles

Cold Antler Farm 2.0

Anyone else want to cover this?

Susan, if you have been following that blog for as long as many have you would know that advice is not welcome, suggestions are not welcome, lessons learned are Not welcome etc.

Animal neglect, shitty infrastructure, and sob stories on a blog pay her bills. She doesn't want a smooth oiled machine.