Linda Faillace

Great book. I heard bits and pieces of this story when it was happening. I wish I had paid more attention then and done something to help these folks out. One of this book's main strengths is that it lays out how hard it is for small farmers -- even if they have knowledge and resources -- to fight a government agency, even when the government is absolutely in the wrong.

Mad Sheep is a well-written book and a necessary book for anyone claiming to have solidarity with small farms and farmers.

… (més)

Fascinating but disconcerting.

In the late 1990's, the USDA made a grand show of quarantining and condemning several flocks of sheep in Vermont, apparently to show the world how seriously they were taking BSE ("Mad Cow" disease, which doesn't actually occur in sheep) without inconveniencing the powerful beef industry.

This book deals with the USDA's attempts to destroy these sheep (who never exhibited symptoms of disease and repeatedly tested negative) and the family businesses that depended on them. Along the way we see the USDA abusing their power, misleading politicians for support and making a farce of the legal system. Perhaps worst of all, they do very bad science to rationalize their actions instead of letting the science determine them.

Meanwhile, the community of small farmers rallies together and refuses to back down.

The forward contains a warning that reading this book will make you angry, and they're right. The author was formerly a technical writer and although this is a very personal and emotional account, she documents her story clearly and in detail.

This is definitely worth a read, but it *will* make you angry.… (més)