PITTSBORO, NC – The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC), a national, nonprofit organization will present its 29th Annual Conference at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita on November 11-12, 2011.
The two-day conference entitled, “Taking Stock – Knowledge, Economics, and Rare Breeds,” will explore many facets of rare breed conservation, from rare breed censusing, to animal husbandry and product marketing. The conference comes at a pivotal time in the evolution of our agriculture system. Each month, one breed of livestock goes extinct, threatening the long term security of our food supply and the genetic diversity of our planet. The ALBC conference will help farmers “take stock” of their unique situations, helping them to contribute to the future of agriculture.
The conference will begin with half-day, pre-conference clinics and will be followed by a full day of concurrent workshops, presentations and discussions. Speakers from around the country will share their knowledge and expertise with attendees, helping shape the direction of our nation’s rare breed conservation efforts.
“Heritage breed conservation is an ever-winding path and many farmers are at different points along the conservation continuum,” said Dr. Alison Martin, research and technical program director for ALBC. “The ALBC conference is a way for rare breed stewards to share their experiences while gaining the knowledge necessary to move conservation forward.” In 2011 alone, over 180 breeds of livestock and poultry were listed on the ALBC Conservation Priority List as conservation priorities.
The ALBC conference is a primary source for education and training for those interested in rare breeds of livestock and poultry. Educational sessions are geared towards a variety of audiences including farmers, food aficionados, agricultural educators, historians, chefs, conservationists and others interested in the topics of farming, biodiversity and sustainability.
The ALBC pre-conference clinics will be held Friday, November 11. Both morning and afternoon clinics are offered. The conference will officially begin Friday evening with a rare breed dinner from 5:30pm – 8:00pm at the Hilton Wichita Airport Executive Conference Center.
The full-day conference educational program will be Saturday, November 12, from 8:30am – 5:00pm at the Sedgwick County Zoo. Complete conference details and an online registration form can be found on the ALBC web site: www.albc-usa.org. For additional information, contact Jennifer Kendall at 919-542-5704.
The ALBC Annual Conference is made possible, in part, by the support of our partners. ALBC would like to thank Tractor Supply Company, SVF Foundation, Mother Earth News, GRIT magazine, the Sedgwick County Zoo, the William JJ Gordon Foundation, the 1772 Foundation, Hobby Farms magazine, Heritage Foods USA, Storey Publishing, the American Grassfed Association, the Rare Hare Barn, and the Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau for their generous support of this conference.
Registration costs cover the Friday night dinner, conference seminars on Saturday and breakfast, lunch, dinner and refreshments on Saturday. Pre-conference clinics are paid on a per clinic basis.
$169 for ALBC members
$199 for non-members, (an ALBC membership can be purchased for $35.00).