Post by brigitte on Jan 23, 2015 21:58:47 GMT -5
This story appeared in Connecticut. Tara Bryson, who owned the goats, has not yet been charged but a criminal investigation is ongoing. Bryson has a criminal history for drugs, she was also cited by the Security and Exchange Commission for her illegal involvement in hedge funds. The farm's owner, who rented space to her, said she told him she spent 18 years in the military as a munitions expert.
p.s. The author and investigative reporter for this breaking story was....
Brigitte
It was a very difficult story to write.
CORNWALL-Dozens of goat carcasses, some stuffed in garbage and feed bags and others tossed like garbage over an embankment, are being collected for disposal at Hautboy Hill Farm where state agriculture officials say Tara Bryson of West Suffield, failed to give her herd of 100 goats adequate care.
Bryson, whose whereabouts remain unknown, has not been charged with any crimes.
"There are 47 of them," a solemn Buddy Hurlburt said, catching his breath as he uttered the number Saturday. He stood over the exposed frozen carcass of a brown and white nubian goat, cast in its last curled up position with its chain collar still on. The state left the dead animals behind after retrieving living but malnourished goats during a seizure Friday morning. "They said it was our responsibility to dispose of them."
The surviving animals were delivered to a rehabilitation facility in Niantic, Hurlburt said. Their emaciated condition was in stark contrast to the goats depicted in Bryson's Butterfield Farm web site, which promotes the farm's cheese, yogurt and soap products made with goat's milk.
No one from the state's Department of Agriculture has commented about what Hurlburt said was described to him as a criminal situation at 29 Hautboy Hill Road in Cornwall.
Hurlburt, who rents space in the barn to other farmers where he once kept his own milk cows, realized last fall that "things weren't right" in the single story metal roofed freestall barn where Bryson kept her goats. The owners of show quality dairy cows who rent another section of the barn also raised red flags. Hurlburt and Arielle Betti filed complaints which resulted in inspections in December.
"But there was a lot of red tape, delays, before they could take the animals," Buddy's wife Irene said. In that time, many died.
"It was always to late," Hurlburt said, referring to the delivery of food and water, looking at the large square bales of clover rich hay his brother delivered just before the animals were removed. "They were already starving."
Bryson owed Hurlburt six months worth of back rent.
An affidavit left in the barn's milk room along with Bryson's $627 overdue electric bill spells out a lengthy investigation which concluded animal cruelty was documented and that surviving animals needed to be removed.
State Animal Control Officers Richard Gregan and Barbara Godejohn began investigating Dec. 22 after Hurlburt filed a complaint with the town's animal control officer, according to a search and seizure warrant.
When Gregan arrived on Dec. 22, he reported that he found three dead goats inside the barn. A fourth was gasping for air "and expired in front of him."
Bryson was the licensed milk producer, but her former employee, Jordan Tedesco of Torrington said Bryson had run out of milk and was using raw milk she bought from Rick Plumb's farm in Litchfield to supplement the milk she used to create cheeses and yogurt sold under the Butterfield Farm label at farmers markets in New York City, Simbsbury, Kent, Morris and New York State.
Tedesco said he told the state milk inspector, Chris Stroker, that Bryson was mingling cow and goat's milk, but nothing happened.
Tedesco said Bryson ran so low on the products she sold that she bought cheese from Restaurant Depot, a restaurant supply store.
"When we didn't have enough milk, I would do a cow's milk run and mix it in," Tedesco said.
"She added flavoring and put her label on it," he said,
Bryson told state inspectors the goats suffered from meningeal worms, according to the warrant, and admitted that the goats were dying, but failed to comply with a state order to involve a veterinarian.
On Dec. 23, two more state inspectors arrived at the farm and found the goats in poor condition. One of them was in the same position Gregan found it in, unable to lift its head. On Dec. 26, Bryson's employee Kim Lamarre said they had "no luck" contacting a vet" and couldn't reach Bryson.
On Dec. 29, state officials contacted Bryson's partner, Michael Hearl, who said Bryson was at the New York City Green Market selling cheese.
Both Bryson and Hearl have criminal records for illegal possession of marijuana. Bryson, Tedesco said, "boasted about using a $50,000 state farm grant to build a marijuana growing facility."
A necropsy found the goats were dying of poor nutrition, according to the warrant.
By Jan. 7, a state inspection found dead goats in bags, strewn about and in a manure pile.
Some goats had no water "were shivering and exhibited signs of cold stress and were unable to rise, even with assistance."
On Jan. 11, an inspector said Bryson and Hearl complained it was costing too much to feed the goats.
Betti said she did what she could to feed the goats while she was caring for her cows. But the situation was overwhelming, and for weeks the state did not take action.
Hurlburt, who began renting space to Bryson less than a year ago, said he agreed to renovations that converted his milking parlor to accommodate goats. Milking "claws" for the two teats on goats udders hang where four-teat claws once hung.
The parlor has been empty since last fall when Tedesco said Bryson was having trouble buying hay.
By November the baby goats were dying, and the adult goats were stressed.
"They didn't have enough food," said Tedesco, who said he initially "fell in love with his job" that required 12 hour shifts at times for $9 an hour Bryson was paying him "under the table." Bryson tended to show up around noon, he said.
Reached Friday, Bryson hung up on a reporter when asked about the goats. She has declined to return phone calls.
p.s. The author and investigative reporter for this breaking story was....
Brigitte
It was a very difficult story to write.
CORNWALL-Dozens of goat carcasses, some stuffed in garbage and feed bags and others tossed like garbage over an embankment, are being collected for disposal at Hautboy Hill Farm where state agriculture officials say Tara Bryson of West Suffield, failed to give her herd of 100 goats adequate care.
Bryson, whose whereabouts remain unknown, has not been charged with any crimes.
"There are 47 of them," a solemn Buddy Hurlburt said, catching his breath as he uttered the number Saturday. He stood over the exposed frozen carcass of a brown and white nubian goat, cast in its last curled up position with its chain collar still on. The state left the dead animals behind after retrieving living but malnourished goats during a seizure Friday morning. "They said it was our responsibility to dispose of them."
The surviving animals were delivered to a rehabilitation facility in Niantic, Hurlburt said. Their emaciated condition was in stark contrast to the goats depicted in Bryson's Butterfield Farm web site, which promotes the farm's cheese, yogurt and soap products made with goat's milk.
No one from the state's Department of Agriculture has commented about what Hurlburt said was described to him as a criminal situation at 29 Hautboy Hill Road in Cornwall.
Hurlburt, who rents space in the barn to other farmers where he once kept his own milk cows, realized last fall that "things weren't right" in the single story metal roofed freestall barn where Bryson kept her goats. The owners of show quality dairy cows who rent another section of the barn also raised red flags. Hurlburt and Arielle Betti filed complaints which resulted in inspections in December.
"But there was a lot of red tape, delays, before they could take the animals," Buddy's wife Irene said. In that time, many died.
"It was always to late," Hurlburt said, referring to the delivery of food and water, looking at the large square bales of clover rich hay his brother delivered just before the animals were removed. "They were already starving."
Bryson owed Hurlburt six months worth of back rent.
An affidavit left in the barn's milk room along with Bryson's $627 overdue electric bill spells out a lengthy investigation which concluded animal cruelty was documented and that surviving animals needed to be removed.
State Animal Control Officers Richard Gregan and Barbara Godejohn began investigating Dec. 22 after Hurlburt filed a complaint with the town's animal control officer, according to a search and seizure warrant.
When Gregan arrived on Dec. 22, he reported that he found three dead goats inside the barn. A fourth was gasping for air "and expired in front of him."
Bryson was the licensed milk producer, but her former employee, Jordan Tedesco of Torrington said Bryson had run out of milk and was using raw milk she bought from Rick Plumb's farm in Litchfield to supplement the milk she used to create cheeses and yogurt sold under the Butterfield Farm label at farmers markets in New York City, Simbsbury, Kent, Morris and New York State.
Tedesco said he told the state milk inspector, Chris Stroker, that Bryson was mingling cow and goat's milk, but nothing happened.
Tedesco said Bryson ran so low on the products she sold that she bought cheese from Restaurant Depot, a restaurant supply store.
"When we didn't have enough milk, I would do a cow's milk run and mix it in," Tedesco said.
"She added flavoring and put her label on it," he said,
Bryson told state inspectors the goats suffered from meningeal worms, according to the warrant, and admitted that the goats were dying, but failed to comply with a state order to involve a veterinarian.
On Dec. 23, two more state inspectors arrived at the farm and found the goats in poor condition. One of them was in the same position Gregan found it in, unable to lift its head. On Dec. 26, Bryson's employee Kim Lamarre said they had "no luck" contacting a vet" and couldn't reach Bryson.
On Dec. 29, state officials contacted Bryson's partner, Michael Hearl, who said Bryson was at the New York City Green Market selling cheese.
Both Bryson and Hearl have criminal records for illegal possession of marijuana. Bryson, Tedesco said, "boasted about using a $50,000 state farm grant to build a marijuana growing facility."
A necropsy found the goats were dying of poor nutrition, according to the warrant.
By Jan. 7, a state inspection found dead goats in bags, strewn about and in a manure pile.
Some goats had no water "were shivering and exhibited signs of cold stress and were unable to rise, even with assistance."
On Jan. 11, an inspector said Bryson and Hearl complained it was costing too much to feed the goats.
Betti said she did what she could to feed the goats while she was caring for her cows. But the situation was overwhelming, and for weeks the state did not take action.
Hurlburt, who began renting space to Bryson less than a year ago, said he agreed to renovations that converted his milking parlor to accommodate goats. Milking "claws" for the two teats on goats udders hang where four-teat claws once hung.
The parlor has been empty since last fall when Tedesco said Bryson was having trouble buying hay.
By November the baby goats were dying, and the adult goats were stressed.
"They didn't have enough food," said Tedesco, who said he initially "fell in love with his job" that required 12 hour shifts at times for $9 an hour Bryson was paying him "under the table." Bryson tended to show up around noon, he said.
Reached Friday, Bryson hung up on a reporter when asked about the goats. She has declined to return phone calls.