Ok friends, here is what has transpired:

We have been in court about 15 times, we've lost count. For the last year, the court has done nothing, effectively denying our constitutional right to a trial. We have had 4 different judges. Our last judge, the Honorable Richard Henderson, had his campaign sign right in the meadow of Walter Stornetta. We were told by the court that we would have a trial over two years ago, that never happened. We were told by County Counsel Frank Zotter that there would be a trial in the spring of 2002: that never happened.

We have only been able to pay our lawyers, Bill Phillips and Linda Mitlying, some $20,000. Lawyers, as well as the rest of us, need to eat. We have reached the end of their generosity and we are told that we need to come up with some $60,000 to counter-file as regard the last county document, some inch thick. The lawyers said it would take 100 hours to file, and that is at $250 an hour.

These are the people who want the parrots off the farm. Keep in mind, there are two identically zoned farms…agriculture…and both keep birds. One keeps turkeys, the other keeps chickens, turkeys, guineas, peafowl, and parrots. Turkeys on AG = OK. Parrots on AG (also birds, unless you believe the DA, who stated in court that "parrots are not birds") = get them out.

Thousands of you have written to protest our treatment: I don't think even one of you ever got the courtesy of a reply from our elected officials. This case could set a dangerous precedent for California: if you cannot raise birds on a farm, where can you raise them? In "ag talk", all my parrots do not even equal "one animal unit".

THE LIST OF PEOPLE AGAINST US
Please don't annoy the Stornetta Bros., or any other Stornettas, they are not involved in this; and have in fact extended the hand of friendship to us. The only Stornetta involved is one Walter Stornetta.

• WALTER STORNETTA, STORNETTA DAIRIES, POINT ARENA, CA.
• J. DAVID COLFAX, COUNTY SUPERVISOR
• MICHAEL DELBAR, COUNTY SUPERVISOR AND FARM BUREAU MEMBER
• PATTI CAMPBELL, COUNTY SUPERVISOR
• TOM LUCIER, FORMER COUNTY SUPERVISOR, MORTICIAN, AND BIRD BREEDER
• RICHARD SHOEMAKER, COUNTY SUPERVISOR
• THE CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU
• THE CALIFORNIA POULTRY ASSOCIATION
• NICHOLAS TURKEY FARMS ( A British Corp, who is only here because the humane standards are too high in the UK, so they do their dirty work here)
• FRANK ZOTTER, COUNTY COUNSEL, OUR OWN PERSONAL VERSION OF PONTIUS PILOT
• RAYMOND HALL, PLANNING DIRECTOR,
• ALLAN FALLERI, HEAD PLANNER AND AUDUBON SOCIETY MEMBER. NOW IN WILLITS WORKING FOR THE CITY
• IRVIN GRANT, DEPUTY ATTORNEY, NOW IN MONTEREY COUNTY
• DALE HAWLEY, CODE OFFICER, NOW IN SONOMA COUNTY

The situation is this: we have to sell the birds to compensate the attorneys.

We are out of resources. We have no benefactor. We have no pro-bono attorney in the wings, who can take over and finish this. We have no neutral farm where we could land. We have no money to move.

Reality is that the birds will be sold, and off the property, very soon. We are open to offers, at the farm only. Please no phone offers. Cash only, sorry but we don't know everyone personally, so we are not taking checks. This is all #1 stock, except for a few basket cases that we cater to, every farm has those! If you want a pair at the price on the list, and want to secure it, we can take bank transfers. That will secure the sale.

If you have read our website, you will know that it is with a heavy heart that we have made this decision. We could use some legal help, we could use some publicity, maybe a little light in this very dark corner of the world would allow closed minds to open.

The head state vet, Dr. George West, of U.C. Davis, tells us that we have done nothing wrong, we are agricultural. He was willing to testify for us; however, at our hearing in December 1999, a rush hearing so that he could not attend, his written testimony was ignored.

If you don't understand this insanity, neither do we. We are only praying that it wont happen to you next, dear readers.

WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER. WHERE THERE SHOULD BE POINTS OF LIGHT, THERE WILL BE ETERNAL DARKNESS.

Your bird friends,

Geoffrey and Barbara