PITTSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA (RFD News) — The Livestock Conservancy is continuing its work to protect agricultural animals across the U.S., focusing on more than 180 breeds. The group recently released its 2026 Conservation Priority List, which ranks breeds based on their risk of extinction.
Livestock Conservancy Program Director Alison Martin joined Wednesday’s Market Day Report to discuss the organization’s mission.
“The Livestock Conservancy has been working for almost 50 years now to conserve the heritage breeds of livestock and poultry. So what we’re really doing is focusing on those breeds that had fallen out of favor in mainstream agriculture, but they’re still a great fit on small farms and homesteads.”
In her conversation with RFD News, Martin explained how the list is put together each year.
“Every year we do a census of the breeds on our list, and many breeds that are not on our list too, gathering information primarily from breed associations and registries.”
The year’s report also brings a few milestones.
Martin says silver fox rabbits are the first rabbit breed to graduate from the list, noting they’ve grown in popularity in recent years as a multi-purpose breed used for meat, fur, and exhibition.
She also says the Belgian horse has graduated from the list, with a global population now estimated at more than 25,000, most of which are in the United States.
Martin adds the group is currently conducting a poultry census and encourages anyone raising chickens, ducks, geese or turkeys to submit information through the organization’s website.
