1.CULLING our CULTURE? 7 October 2007

“Cull” = “to eliminate /select and kill surplus / unsuitable animals from flock or herd”
“cully” = to deceive meanly”
“culture” = “a type of civilisation reclaimed from barbarism”
“agri-culture” =” the art or practice of cultivating land.”

How more barbaric must we become? This month, Scotland’s Government, as advised and promoted by various quangos, considered a so-called Welfare CULL. Instead of being returned to the undergrazed hills in their vital role to maintain and sustain our cultural and natural heritage for free, hundreds of thousands of hill lambs from all over Scotland may well have already gone for burning in a massive Cull.

Out of the public eye, the Culling / killing of our wild deer and goats relentlessly continues; without reason. More dispersals of hill bound hefted flocks means thousands more unique hill sheep will go off the hills, an irreplaceable gene pool irredeemably lost.

1. When the need for food from our great resource of hill grazing animals is neither recognised nor needed; when the need for source breeding stock off the hills is taken for granted......and even when wool is the best material for insulation “thermafleece” or compost, and we forget how so much of Britain’s wealth was founded on wool..... the role of agriculture to culture is gone.

2. When the vital role of our hefts and herds of hill grazing animals in maintaining our landscape, vegetation and flora and fauna within, as groundbase to sustain our cultural and natural heritage is not recognised....almost despised.....and people too.....the role of “culture” in agri-culture is lost.

Yet why is there no Cull of imported meat still flooding in to fill our supermarket shelves? In the ways that Switzerland protects its culture and agriculture, why not Scotland too?

2. No Choice; no Chance; only CULL? 15 October 2007

It was final death knell for the diehards at the annual Blackface ewe lamb/ breeding ewe sale at Castle Douglas on Monday 15th October 07, when the average price for breeding stock.....was little more than £18. When potential buyers were even forbidden by an official to enter the penned area to view the Blackface lambs and ewes at close quarters or interact with the sellers there, prior to sale, the ghost town had been set. When the dispersal of the Ewanston flock marked the end of an era, yet the auctioneer gave scant recognition. When the cost of overall responsibility and protection of the needs and care of our hill flocks is a way of life with unpaid family labour for free, when the initial cost to sell, includes the paying for the few experienced staff available for days gathering / handlings/ preparing for sale / dosing with anthelmintics / of booking with the auction mart to include levy, commission, accommodation, besides transport.... it is final death to the diehards to avoid selling for burning at £15.
Government dictat = No choice; no chance; only CULL

Bulldosed into barbarism ~ Silence of the lambs ~ The Scottish Government have alternatives to burning the 250,000 hill lambs under their "Welfare" CULL Scheme launched on 9th October 2007. The government have schemed so that hill farmers & shepherds are not granted a choice ; but please give time tested traditional hill farming a chance. S.O.S

Mary V Armstrong, Clachan of Penninghame,By Baltersan, Newton Stewart,Galloway