PITTSBORO, N.C. — 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 steward these genetic treasures. Congratulations to all of the recipients this year, representing 7 of the 11 species on the Conservation Priority List. Learn more about the 2022 recipients and the breeds they are saving from extinction.
Youth Microgrants
- Carter Benini breeds Blanc de Hotot rabbits and is an active member of the American Rabbit Breeders Association and his local 4-H club in Delaware. He loves teaching others about rabbits and regularly works with disabled communities and his local community college. Carter plans to improve his outdoor rabbitry and expand his breeding program.
- Braydn Starkenburg, an active junior member of the National Lincoln Sheep Breeders Association and his local 4-H club, will improve the genetics of his South Dakota flock with two new unrelated ewes and a ram. There are few Lincoln sheep in South Dakota and Braydn hopes to increase interest in the breed by entering his sheep at local fairs and livestock shows.
Breed Association Microgrants
- Launched in 2019, the Hog Island Sheep Breeders Association’s early growth was deeply impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. They have now developed new Articles of Incorporation and applied for 501(C)3 non-profit status. Microgrant funds will be used to create a new website, improve recruitment through social media, create brochures, and hold an owners meeting in 2023.
- The Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino Federation of America will upgrade their registry software to offer online database searches for owners. With the enhanced functionality, users can research pedigrees and evaluate hypothetical matings to better conserve the breed’s genetic diversity. Once upgraded, the Federation will expand services to Puerto Rico, where only paper records are available for research at this time.
National Microgrants
- Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em Fiber Provider Lucienne Brown raises Dorset Horn sheep on her farm in New Hampshire. She plans to build a chute and handling system to make it easier for students to learn about sheep husbandry through hands-on experiences. With easier handling, Lucienne will also provide data for the National Sheep Improvement Program.
- Larry Daugherty plans to clear more land on his farm in Pennsylvania for pasture. With support from Premier 1 Supplies, he will then introduce new bloodlines to his Galloway cattle and Large Black and Red Wattle pigs. By expanding his herds, Larry hopes to host on-farm educational programs, mentor more new breeders, and give back to fellow veterans who are interested in pursuing heritage breeds.
- Alondra M. Diaz Lameiro will collect, catalog, and analyze the Puerto Rican Paso Fino horse’s morphological, behavioral, and genetic diversity to help breeders make more informed breeding decisions. He will collaborate with all three breed associations, both on the island and the mainland, and with students at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, in Puerto Rico.
- Old World Wisconsin, one of the world’s largest outdoor museums depicting rural life, will start a Java chicken Animal Ambassadors program. As the second oldest breed of chicken in the United States, Javas play a significant role in rural American life on historical farms. The museum will build a chicken coop and promotional panels to tell the story of Javas on American homesteads. This will be incorporated into their new Animal Ambassadors facility that will host interactive experiences for visitors.
- Helen E. Raleigh plans to install an automatic waterer for her herd of Randall Lineback cattle in Delaware. The improved infrastructure will ensure pregnant cows and calves are never without water and enable her to implement new rotational grazing practices to improve foraging.
- Connie Jean Ribbeck raises Sebastopol geese in Washington. She plans to improve fencing to increase the amount of forage available to her birds, especially goslings. By saving on feed, Connie will be able to attend more poultry shows and support poultry clubs to encourage more breeders to get involved with this Threatened breed.
- Tiffany Taylor raises Crème d’Argent and Silver Fox rabbits in Indiana. With support from KageWerks, Inc., she plans to improve both her grow-out system and marketing opportunities for the Creme d’Argent Federation. An active mentor for new breeders, Tiffany will also sponsor 12 specialty rabbit shows in 2023 to increase visibility for the Threatened Creme d’Argent breed.
–The Livestock Conservancy
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