Old books

For those that like to see, smell, feel and plain enjoy old agricultural books on about any breed of livestock, let me recommend land grant colleges. I LOVE to 24th floor of UMASS Amherst library. I even found a great special collections person there who though researching the possibility of UMASS owning Kerry cattle because of a note in a book I found on Google Books to be the "most interesting thing he has had the opportunity to research in 26 years..." I also have this loving mother who is willing to take out books for me and scans, copies and plain lets me read those books.

For me it isn't just one breed. As my husband Dave said, there has to be a 12 step program for people like me. I enjoy a book from 1939 devoted to poultry nutrition put out by a feed company as much as the 1834 Yuoatt book on British Breeds of Livestock or quite possibly the last remaining bulletins put out by the American Dexter and Kerry society.

I also love to see the work others put out about their own breed. Web sites, booklets, newsletters. It is these people that keep the breeds alive. Even those breeds that are in effect extinct are in fact alive because someone took time to photograph, paint, write about, sing about... those animals that meant a lot to them. I don't want to take any credit for their work. I don't want to take glory in finding something they cherish. I like to find kindred spirits that share this love of basically old breeds of livestock. Tradition. I just want to share my addiction with everyone!

What I want to do in the next couple of posts is to see if I can show the work that other people have done and celebrate it. Post links, send thank you notes and basically show anyone in the little audience that sees Heritage Cattle that there are others out there who love the tradition and history of animals and our relationship with them.