Subject: "Taking Stock: The North American Livestock Census"
From: [email-masked] (Nancy Carroll)
Date: 28 Jul 1994 14:15:21 -0000
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) announces the 
publication of "Taking Stock: The North American Livestock
Census."

"Taking Stock" uses a national inventory of breeds to describe
the status of livestock genetic diversity in the United States. 
The book considers the impact of current agricultural trends on
these genetic resources, describes the significance of livestock
for sustainable agriculture and makes the case for livestock
conservation.

"Taking Stock" reports on asses, cattle, goats, horses, sheep and 
swine, with information on all breeds within each species, graphs
to illustrate genetic status and breed association addresses.  
Appendices describe the past extinctions of American breeds and 
present data on feral livestock populations.  (Poultry will be
the subject of a 1994-1995 census.)

The report identifies 77 breeds as conservation priorities, about
30 of which are unique to North America.  They include American
Mammoth Jackstock, Milking Devon cattle, Fainting goats, Spanish
Mustangs, Navajo-Churro sheep and Ossabaw Island swine.  Also of
great importance are those globally endangered international
breeds for which the North American population is a significant
portion, such as Cotswold sheep, Red Poll cattle and Tamworth
swine.

These domestic breeds have become rare due to agricultural 
industrialization and the decline of the diversified farm.  Yet 
because these breeds are divergent from modern industrial types,
they are well suited to today's sustainable, organic and
low-input farms and represent significant genetic diversity for
the future.

"Taking Stock: The North American Livestock Census" is available
from the ALBC for $14.95, plus $2 postage to North America or $6
airmail to other countries.  To order, send a check or money
order, payable in U.S. funds, to:  ALBC, P.O. Box 477, Pittsboro,
NC 27312 USA.  Call (919) 542-5704 or fax (919) 542-2460 to
charge your order to Mastercard or Visa.  For more information,
contact Don Bixby or Carolyn Christman at the ALBC.

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit
membership organization conserving genetic diversity by
protecting endangered livestock and poultry breeds from
extinction.  In addition to investigations of breed status and
characteristics, ALBC operates a semen bank for rare breeds,
provides technical support to breeders and associations and
supports an extensive education program to expand public advocacy
for livestock use and conservation.  The ALBC is the only
livestock genetic conservation organization in the United 
States.