Barn & Soul by Dalby Farm
Welcome to Barn & Soul, a podcast brought to you by Dalby Farm - where we will explore the heart of "pet farm" life, learn about critically populated (if not outright) endangered farm breeds, and highlight the deep connections between animals and humans which we strive to encourage and preserve.
The farm has been Kendall's (your host) family since 1861 but it wasn't always a sanctuary for endangered farm breeds or an educational venue for the community. This podcast will touch upon aspects of the farms history, offer insight and advice as it pertains to owning farm animals as pets- and arguably most importantly - share vital information about these endangered farm breeds; what their roles are in our past AND why they're needed in our future.
New Episodes: Wednesdays at 9PM EST
#barnandsoul #farmlife #weloveanimals #petfarm #hobbyfarm #educationalfarm
🔔 Subscribe for more farm life insights, rare breed conservation, and the behind-the-scenes of running a small farm! Remember, all the animals on our farm our PETS! They live out their days as educational ambassadors to our community far & wide! Please follow us here on Youtube!
Find us on Instagram & Facebook @DalbyFarm
Shop our Online Country Store! https://www.dalbyfarm.com/country-store
At least 50% of all shop revenue directly helps fund the care & upkeep of our 160 year old educational family farm and all the endangered breeds who live there.
Barn & Soul by Dalby Farm
Barn & Soul Podcast: Episode 28 - Heritage Breeds Are Time Machines And We’re Letting Them Disappear
🎙 Barn & Soul Podcast - Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future.Episode 28 - Heritage Breeds Are Time Machines And We’re Letting Them Disappear
In this episode of Barn & Soul, Kendall dives into the extraordinary and often overlooked world of heritage livestock. These animals are more than old-fashioned breeds or nostalgic farm icons. They are living time capsules carrying centuries of human history, culture, survival strategies, and genetic resilience.
From Arapawa goats to Ossabaw Island hogs to Shetland sheep, Kendall explores why heritage breeds are disappearing from modern agriculture and why their loss would mean more than losing animals. It would mean losing stories. Losing adaptations. Losing solutions we may desperately need in a changing climate.
You will learn how industrial agriculture narrowed the global gene pool, why biodiversity matters for food security, and how small educational farms like Dalby Farm act as tiny but essential preservation sites. This episode is part science, part history, part love letter to the rare and wonderful breeds who shaped the world long before industrial farming existed.
Whether you are a farmer, homesteader, educator, or simply someone who loves animals, this episode will change the way you see heritage livestock. These animals are archives. They are time machines. And the choices we make now will determine whether their stories continue.
Thank you for listening. And as always — take care, and don’t forget to appreciate the rare and wonderful things in life.
Resources
Livestock Conservancy
Breed status reports and conservation priority listings for heritage livestock.
www.livestockconservancy.org
FAO
Global assessments of livestock diversity, agricultural biodiversity, and genetic erosion.
www.fao.org
Our World in Data
Trends in livestock populations, agriculture, and genetic resource loss.
www.ourworldindata.org
USDA National Animal Germplasm Program
Information on genetic diversity, rare breed preservation, and cryo-conservation research.
www.ars.usda.gov
Slow Food International – Ark of Taste
Documentation of heritage breeds and traditional food cultures at risk.
www.slowfood.com
American Sheep Industry Association
Breed histories and genetic value of heritage sheep, including Shetland.
www.sheepusa.org
Rare Breeds Survival Trust (UK)
Annual “Watchlist” reports and data on heritage breed declines and recoveries.
www.rbst.org.uk
University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry
Research on biodiversity, resilient livestock systems, and small-farm conservation models.
Smithsonian Magazine
Articles on domesticated animal history and the cultural value of heritage livestock.
National Geographic
Features on animal domestication, rare breeds, and agricultural biodiversity.
🔔 Subscribe for more farm life insights, rare breed conservation, and the behind-the-scenes of running a small farm! Remember, all the animals on our farm our PETS! They live out their days as educational ambassadors to our community far & wide! Please follow us here on Youtube!
Find us on Instagram & Facebook @DalbyFarm
Shop our Online Country Store! https://www.dalbyfarm.com/country-store
At least 50% of all shop revenue directly helps fund the care & upkeep of our 160 year old educational family farm and all the endangered breeds who live there.
...Or you can always shop for the animals instead! ht