The Livestock Conservancy is excited to award more than $20,000 to rare breed farmers, ranchers, shepherds, and breed organizations across the country. Now in its fifth year, the competitive Microgrants Program has awarded more than $76,000 to our most important conservation partners – the people doing the hard work day after day to ... Read more
By Michael O'Donoghue, Upland Farms My wife and two children moved to North Carolina a little over four years ago and have been homesteading on 23+ acres near Kerr Lake. We’ve had history and experience breeding high quality bird dogs (Vizslas) but never any other of what you might call farm animals. We ... Read more
By Denise Colombe-Frye Sometimes it is only in retrospect that you realize something you've started was successful. That is certainly the case with the Facebook group, “Cotton Patch Goose Breeders.” In 2012, when I attended The Livestock Conservancy’s conference in Durham, NC, I made the acquaintance of Gus Richey, Sarah Howell and her husband ... Read more
Conservation success relies on discovering populations, securing them, and sustaining them for long-term survival. Authored by Dr. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM, Ph.D, Technical Advisor to the Livestock Conservancy To read the PDF version of this article, click here: Livestock_Sponenberg. Dr. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM, Ph.D. has served as Technical Advisor to the ... Read more
Heritage Breed Gifts for the Holidays Stuck on what to get a loved one for an upcoming holiday or their birthday? We've compiled a few heritage breed gift ideas from members of the Livestock Conservancy they'll love! Shop small with these handcrafted heritage breed gifts. Check out the selection below of heritage ... Read more
By Tamsin Cooper, Writer for the Goat Journal Origins of Goat Domestication Goats’ social nature and adaptability enabled early civilizations to tame them. Gradually, people began to breed them according to their needs and preferences. This was the basis of goat domestication, which over thousands of years has changed the function and form of ... Read more
By Emma Marks, Vermont Compost Company and Emily Rose Johnson, The Livestock Conservancy Heritage breed farm animals, including American Mammoth Jackstocks, are becoming increasingly endangered as the modern agricultural system prioritizes efficiency and continues to scale up production. To save these breeds from extinction and preserve biodiversity, they need roles in our food and ... Read more
By Emily Rose Johnson, The Livestock Conservancy As the world mourns Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her long reign as monarch of the United Kingdom, we honor her important role in the conservation of heritage breeds of farm animals. Without her intervention, the Cleveland Bay horse might have been lost, along with ... Read more
by Jeanette Beranger, Senior Program Manager In the fall of 2019, 300 livestock experts from over 30 countries came together for the 9th Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Meeting of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL). Plenary sessions were held at Kansas State University, under the theme “Innovation for Sustainable Livestock Systems,” and constituted an amazing opportunity ... Read more
