Livestock, Lands, Lifeways - Lessons from Breed Conservation

Livestock, Lands, Lifeways explores livestock breed conservation through vivid, story-driven portraits of rare and traditional breeds from around the world. Centered on individual species—from horses, cattle, and sheep to poultry, pigs, goats, and waterfowl—it reveals the complex realities behind conserving genetic diversity in a changing world. Among the breeds included are: Navajo-Churro Sheep, American Mammoth Jackstock, Cotton Patch Geese, Damara Sheep, Choctaw Hogs, Ankole-Watusi Cattle, Newfoundland Pony, Guinea Hogs, White Park Cattle and Belgian Hares. Blending history, ecology, and human experience, Livestock, Lands, Lifeways examines rural traditions, breeding practices, economic pressures, and the deep interdependence between people, land, and animals. These are human stories as much as animal ones, showing why breed conservation depends not only on science, but on culture, care, and commitment.