Jos tears tugged TV heartstrings
30 March 2001
Jos tears tugged TV heartstrings
Most businesses in the countryside
are feeling the effects of the
foot-and-mouth epidemic, either
directly or indirectly. Farmlifes
coverage this week of the crisis
opens with the tragic tale of a
family who have lost their dairy
herd to the cull and, over the next
two pages, examines how a range
of businesses – farming, B&B and
equestrian visitor centres – are
coping as events unfold
For thousands of Welsh TV
viewers, Jo Joness
tear-stained face will be
as abiding a memory of the
current foot-and-mouth
epidemic as the burning
pyres of carcasses.
Robert Davies reports
WHEN Jo Jones tried to give a television interview about the slaughter of her familys dairy herd she collapsed sobbing into the arms of her husband Winston.
The raw emotion she showed as she tried to explain the human tragedy behind the MAFF statistics touched many viewers hearts.
Dozens contacted directory inquiries and telephoned the Joneses to express sympathy. Many, many more wrote letters, including farming families who thanked her for so graphically demonstrating the heartbreak associated with the mass slaughter.
Unfortunately, when Jo stood inside the gate at the end of the long drive at The Ditches, Churchstoke, and told the world that it felt as if her family had suffered a bereavement, time and her emotional state prevented her from giving the full story.
She wanted to explain that she and her husband knew and cared for every one of the 228 cattle – the product of three generations of pedigree breeding – that were due to go up in flames.
"Nothing, absolutely nothing, can prepare a dedicated stockman for the devastating consequences of a foot-and-mouth outbreak," Jo explains on the telephone, as the excavators started moving cattle to the incineration trench.
* Numbness
"When they started shooting some beautiful in-calf heifers near the house, I ended up screaming and screaming. Now we feel numb."
The disease was confirmed on a Saturday night, but slaughter could not begin until after valuation the next day. For the comfort of the cows, Jo faced the heartbreaking task of milking them one last time. Then the partners spent four hours showing every animal to valuers.
"It would have taken much longer but we had detailed records on every animal. The cows have been our lives, our work, our livelihood, our hobby and our pride and joy. The herd average was over 8000 litres/cow, and the bank manager recently telephoned to congratulate us on just beginning to make a profit again. We were looking forward to selling some really super-quality heifers later in the year.
"We worked 16 hours a day, never took holidays and, if I say it myself, we were doing a bloody good job. We got a fair valuation. But given a choice, even if it had been £3m, we would take the cows."
When the valuer left, the shooting began, but not before veterinary authorities had given permission for the Joness 10-year-old daughter, Lottie, to leave to stay with friends. To allow this she had to be disinfected before stepping through the farm gate.
"Once that was done, we could not even give her a hug, and wont again until the farm gets the all-clear. At least she did not have to listen to the gunshots and see the animals lying around."
* Sounds of death
Sadly, even with music blasting out at full volume in the house, Jo and Winston could not escape the sound of their beloved Bluebell Herd dying.
The partners did everything they could to avoid the disease. They were the first in the area to put down disinfectant pads and they only left the farm to take Lottie to school.
Jo, a townie born in Sheffield who came to The Ditches as a relief milker after attending Harper Adams Agricultural College, is now every inch a farmer. Foot-and-mouth has left her hurt and angry that the disease was imported into the UK, but she and Winston plan to start rebuilding the herd as soon as possible.