Garfield Farm to exhibit rare breeds at annual fest
Cows, horses and chickens, oh my!
The 24th Annual Rare Breeds Livestock and Poultry Show and Sale, hosted by Garfield Farm Museum, will feature these animals, as well as a select number of other species, as it intends to educate attendees about the loss of genetic diversity among domestic animals over the past centuries.
The show takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 23.
"In a nutshell, we're hoping to address the big issue that it takes over hundreds of years to come up with the genetics for a particular species, and we're now in an era where we simply abandon those characteristics because we don't need that specific type of breed," Jerome Johnson, executive director of Garfield Farm Museum, said.
"Any business is going to try to come up with that one item everyone wants to buy," he added.
Johnson said work ethic, food quality and appearance were some of the many factors taken into account by animal breeders when breeding certain species.
The Cleveland Bay, one of the rarest breeds of horses with only 150 in existence, is a key example, due to its increased hoof size, greater stamina, soundness and versatility.
Breeders will be on hand to answer questions relating to their animals. Johnson said some breeders will also present lectures.
"Ideally, we would have them in the visitor's center, but some exceptions have been made.
"For example, Tom Norush, who breeds colonial Spanish horses, will talk about his horses and use them as examples, and since they are too big to fit in the center, the lecture will be held where he is stationed," he said.
Johnson said rare breeds are important to the preservation and preparation for moving into the future. He said the main challenge is the condensed number of breeds currently in use in the marketplace.
"With these select few breeds being focused on, all the older varieties are being ignored, and so these genes are dying. Changes in the economy, the overall health of a certain species and any diseases that may arise all play factors into the reasoning that we need to preserve these genetics," he said.
"The future is inevitable, so the more alternatives we have, the better prepared we will be. The idea that you can just create a 'one size fits all' from a business model standpoint looks great on paper, but these are living organisms whose genetics are always changing," Johnson added.
He also cited the difficult economy as a reason to educate and preserve these breeds even more, stating that the costs for horse care remains the same, but prices for horses are declining.
"In many cases, these horses are suffering because their owners simply do not have enough money to consistently take care of them, and have even taken certain measures like releasing them into the wild into account," he said.
In addition to horses, cows, mules, chickens, turkeys and common household animals like dogs, cats and rabbits will be featured at the show.
Tours of the 1846 Teamster Inn and Tavern, live demonstrations of sheep shearing and wool spinning and refreshments will also be available. There is a $6 donation for adults and $3 donation for children 12 years and younger.
For information about the farm or the festival, visit garfieldfarm.org, call (630) 584-8485 or e-mail info@garfieldfarm.org.
<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p>
<p class="News"><b>What:</b> Garfield Farm Museum's 24th annual Rare Breeds Livestock and Poultry Show</p>
<p class="News"><b>When:</b> 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 23</p>
<p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Garfield Farm Museum, 3N016 Garfield Road, LaFox; five miles west of Geneva off Route 38</p>
<p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> $6 for adults, $3 for children 12 and younger</p>
<p class="News"><b>Details:</b> <a href="http://garfieldfarm.or" target="new">garfieldfarm.or</a>g; (630) 584-8485; <a href="mailto:info@garfieldfarm.org">info@garfieldfarm.org</a></p>