"...when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another Heaven and another Earth must pass before such a one can be again."
-William Beebe

January || February || March || April || May || June|| September

Calendar

ALBC KEY

++ = ALBC participation
++++ = ALBC event

February 2010

February 4-7 – The 19th Annual PASA Farming for the Future Conference will be held in State College, PA. Full conference details are still being finalized, but Thursday’s pre-conference track will include a session on Heritage poultry with a talk by Frank Reese and Dr. Edward Buss. For more information, visit the PASA website at http://www.pasafarming.org.

February 4-7– The 2010 American Grassfed Conference will be held in Lexington, KY, in conjunction with the University of Kentucky School of Agriculture & the Kentucky Dept of Agriculture. Conference topics to include: “Growing Your Grass-fed Business: Smart Risk Management and High-Quality Marketing,” “From Farm Gate to Customer’s Plate,” and butchery and cooking sessions with some of America’s best butchers and chefs. For more information, contact (877) 774-7277, or email aga@americangrassfed.org.

February 4-7 – The Equine Affaire will be held at the Fairplex in Pomona, CA. The event will include nearly 150 clinics, seminars, and demonstrations by horse industry leaders. For more information, contact Karin Brennan, kbrennan@equineaffaire.com or visit www.equineaffaire.com.

February 5-6 – The Rural Advantage/Healthy Farms Conference, hosted by the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society, will be held at the Haymarket Holiday Inn in Lincoln, NE. The conference features a wide range of speakers covering interests ranging from production to marketing to conservation in farming & beyond. For more information, contact healthyfarms@gmail.com or call (402) 525-7794.

February 13-14 – The 31st Annual Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association Conference will be held in Granville, Ohio. The conference is themed Growing with Integrity, Eating with Intention and will include a full offering of informative, hands-on, educational workshops, exhibitors, networking opportunities, and more. For more information, visit www.oeffa.com or call (614) 421-2022.

February 20 – River Hill Farmers’ Marketing Alliance will hold a silent auction at the Missouri City Park in Silex, MO. Small stock and poultry breeding stock will be available. Suitable for 4-H and FFA project work and use as foundation stock. For more information, contact (636) 579-9391.

++ February 27 – A Lowcountry Heritage Breeds Festival will be held at the Coastal Discovery Museum in Hilton Head, SC. The festival is free to the public and will feature live animal displays of heritage breeds from the Southern United States and will include educational sessions. ALBC members and staff will be participating in the event. For more information, contact Natalie Hefter, (843) 689-3033, nhefter@coastaldiscovery.org.

++ February 28 – The Second Annual Gullah Festival Marsh Tacky Beach Races will be held on historic Mitchellville Beach, Hilton Head, SC. Marsh Tacky horse racing derbies were a popular event in this area up until the 1960s. The Carolina Marsh Tacky Association and Coastal Discovery Museum has brought back the historic event to help promote the breed and its history. For more information, visit http://carolinamarshtacky.com/ or call Troy Smoak, (843) 562-7774. Registration deadline for horses to enter is January 14, 2010.

March

March 19 – The Forum on Rural Innovation will be held at the Best Western Lee-Jackson Motor Inn and Conference Center in Winchester, VA. The forum focuses on new approaches for agriculture and rural prosperity. For more information, contact (703) 777-0426 or visit www.loudounfarms.org.

April 2010

April 8-10 – The 2010 Equine Affaire will take place at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio. This year’s show includes educational programs, extensive tradeshow offering of horse-related products, dozens of breeds of horses, and more. For more information, contact (740) 845-0085 or visit www.equineaffaire.com.

April 10 – The Annual Pineywoods Registry & Breeders Association Sale will be held at the Magnolia Center in Laurel, MS from 10:30am to 12:30pm. For more information, contact Justin B. Pitts, (601) 543-5173 or email justinbpitts@peoplepc.com.

April 17 – The First Annual Heritage Chicken Cooking Competition presented by Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch is being held near Kansas City, MO. The goal of the event is to educate consumers and raise their interest in Heritage Chickens. If you’d like to submit a recipe or learn more about the event, contact Steve Pope, (785) 643-0849 or email spope@orpingtonhill.net.

April 22 – The Northeast Highland Cattle Association Annual Spring Meeting and Educational Program will be held at the Hotel Wayne in Honesdale, PA. For more information, contact donna@highcattle.org or tdaschke@socantel.net or call (860) 423-4995.

April 24 – River Hill Farmers’ Marketing Alliance Annual Family Farm Expo will be held at the Silex R-1 school in Silex, MO. This year’s theme is America’s Agriculture – Locally Grown on Family Farms. The event features a farmers’ market, numerous rare breeds of poultry and small stock, egg and poultry shows, educational displays, and more! For more information, contact (636) 579-9391.

April 26 – 27 – The Second Kentucky International Equine Summit will be held in downtown Lexington, KY. The purpose of the summit is to bring together leaders of the equine industry in a common search for best solutions to industry challenges. Breed associations and registries are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Amy Lawyer, amy.lawyer@lousiville.edu or visit www.kyequinesummit.com.

May 2010

May 8 – The American Milking Devon Cattle Association Annual Meeting will be held at the Town Hall in Tunbridge, Vermont, at 10 am. For more information contact, (603) 859-6611, email mdevons@worldpath.net, or visit www.milkingdevons.org for updates.

May 14 15 – The First Annual Sheep and Fiber Festival will be held in Masterson Station Park in Lexington, KY. The festival is being held in conjunction with the world-famous Bluegrass Classic Stockdog Trial. For more information, contact Sharon Koontz, (502) 352-2434, Sharon@kysheepandgoat.org or visit www.kentuckysheepandfiber.com.

May 15 – 16 – The Annual Meeting of the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association will be held in conjunction with the 14th Annual Snake River Fiber Fair in Idaho Falls, Idaho. For more information, visit www.navajo-churrosheep.com or contact (719) 846-7311 or email churrosheep@mac.com.

June 2010

June 17 – 19 – The 14th Annual Sheep is Life Celebration will be held at the Land Grant Program facilities and Rodeo Grounds, in Diné College, Tsailé, AZ, Navajo Nation. Free events on Friday and Saturday feature hands-on demonstrations, Fiber Arts Sales Show, two sheep shows, wool grading, food tastings, programs for the whole family, and many other events. For more information, visit: www.navajolifeway.org.

September 2010

September 2 – 6 – The Woodstock Connecticut Agricultural Fair will be celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. To celebrate the 150th anniversary, several ALBC members will be exhibiting their animals at the Heritage Breeds exhibit. For more information about attending or participating in the fair, contact (860) 928-9175 or email gplooby@snet.net.

September 11 – The River Hill Farmers’ Marketing Alliance Annual Fall Poultry Fest will be held at the Silex R-1 school in Silex, MO. The event will feature birds, supplies, and expertise for those planning or establishing laying flocks for the backyard or family farm. For more information, contact (636) 579-9391.