Mad Sheep

Timeline

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1990-1993: We work at the Univ. of Nottingham in England; study BSE.

9/93: We move to Vermont

1993-1996: We work with USDA to import sheep

1996: We import sheep from Belgium and The Netherlands

7/13/98: We import sheep from New Zealand

7/14/98: USDA (Detwiler) wants to kill our sheep over concern of BSE, but no sheep in the world has ever had BSE.

7/20/00: We take USDA to court. USDA asserts, “The farmers have no rights.”

3/23/01: With 27 armed federal agents, USDA invades our farm and seizes our entire sheep flock.

3/28/01: USDA kills all our sheep.

6/01-7/01: USDA uses 3 different tests, and all our sheep test negative. USDA refuses to release results.

8/01: USDA puts our farm under a five-year quarantine.

10/01: British study on BSE in sheep is found to be invalid.

4/02: USDA claims Rubinstein found 2 positives.

6/03: Rubinstein’s lab is shut down for gross negligence.

7/03: Detwiler resigns from USDA.

12/03: First case of BSE in the U.S.

11/04: U.S. cow tests positive for BSE, but USDA refuses to release results.

4/05: Second Circuit Court orders federal district court to reopen our case.

7/05: Second case of BSE in the U.S.

9/05: Court documents reveal USDA quarantine was never legal.

2/06: Federal District Court rules in favor of USDA.

3/06: Five-year quarantine on our farm is lifted.

3/06: Third case of BSE in the U.S.

2006: Detwiler becomes a consultant to McDonald's and Wendy’s.