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| Welcome to
Farmtalking!
I'm Jane Barribal, an artist and former veterinary nurse, living on a farm in the Borders of Scotland and sharing my cottage home with a cat and dog! On the 19th February 2001, it was announced that Foot and Mouth Disease had arrived in the UK and the farm was put on a 'D' notice. Suddenly, my friends and I were isolated, unable to visit each other and feeling very cut off from the world! |
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So, just for fun, having recently purchased a computer, I decided to set up a small
web site just for me and my friends! I would call it 'Farm-Talking' and include a few links to other internet sites and a message board. However, I had no idea of the power of the Internet and the far reaching consequences of my actions!
Farmtalking was launched on-line on March 10th 2001 and in no time at all, I was receiving e-mail messages and telephone calls from farmers all over the Country asking for help and advice. It would be true to say that 'mild panic' set in but firmly believing that 'a problem shared is a problem solved' I thought I had better 'get my act together' and do what I could to help in this tragedy. Fortunately, I was contacted and exchanged information with Vets, Scientists and Lawyers who kindly offered their knowledge and advice and have remained willing associates, offering staunch and much valued support, at any time. |
I was also contacted by various politicians and media for information which was and continues to be exchanged from time to time. The Farmtalking telephone became a 24/7 Help-line and a 'Help-Pack' including a letter of introduction and useful information, was compiled with the assistance of the Lawyers and Vets. Many people all over the Country offered me encouragement and helped to distribute the Help-Packs to farmers who requested them. After what was a ghastly year for so many of the rural community, the epidemic faded. Millions of animals had been slaughtered, the great majority of them healthy and unaffected. Rural business was devastated in many areas and the environmental damage was immeasurable. The whole Country suffered enormous financial loss while most tragically, many people are severely traumatized by what has happened. Although there are calls for a Public Inquiry, the Government has so far, refused one and appointed it's own Inquiry teams into the handling of the epidemic, requesting them to make recommendations for a better strategy in future and promising 'lessons would be learned'. During the crisis, this web site received in excess of 20,000 hits every month and amazingly still receives an average of 6,000 from in excess of 40 different countries! Via telephone and e-mail Farmtalking still receives requests for various kinds of information, help and advice. It is the future that concerns us most at the present time. To that end I try to encourage and inform about scientific research, diversification and improvements in the way farming is done as well as promoting rural businesses and communities. It also became obvious that although FMD might, have disappeared, it could return at any time and we have to deal with it in a better way. We have always held the opinion that when available, vaccination should be used to protect our livestock from all disease and we were very pleased when Government Inquiries seemed to agree and recommended that vaccination be among the first considerations in any future FMD outbreak. The Farmtalking telephone lines remain open although an answer-phone is now in operation at times. Much of what has been published since 2001, remains on this website in archive pages and the website is updated with important current information and news as I receive it. Unfortunately, Foot and Mouth disease did returned to the UK in August 2007, followed by Bluetongue and Bird Flu (Avaian Inflenza) and I still make every effort to publish up to date and accurate information on this web site and the Farmtalking Message Board Group which you are welcome to join. All the members of the Group may also exchange interesting opinions and theories but it's up to you to evaluate those for yourself as some of them may not be accurate and they are also not necessarily the opinions of Farmtalking. Subscribe to the Farmtalking Message Board here!
I will continue to do my best to answer any queries and with the help of my friends I hope we can 'share' with everyone, and work together to make our hopes and dreams for a better future come true!
I am extremely grateful to so many friends, old and new, for their encouragement and help, without them I could not
have
managed! They certainly prove that 'a problem shared is a problem solved'!
P.S. 'Farmtalking' was granted charitable status on 28th January 2002
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I
hope you enjoy browsing
this
web site and it's archives
and
find them useful.
