A Breed Apart: My Adventures with Britain’s Rare Breeds

by Adam Henson

Discover a forgotten British heritage.The protection and promotion of the UKs native rare breeds is something thats in Adam Hensons blood. His father, Joe, established the Rare Breeds Trust in 1973,and they have been a core attraction at their Cotswold Farm Park, and a part of the Henson family story ever since. In A Breed Apart, Adam Henson takes readers on a very personal journey around the nation, discovering the animals that have shaped our lives and our land throughout the centuries. From postcard perfect Highland Cows to the Cotswold sheep (for whom the Cotswolds are named), to the fearsome, four-horned Manx Loagthan ram and the Ulster White Pig, Adam travels the length and breadth of the British Isles, uncovering the history of these ancient animals, meeting the specialists and farmers who are passionate about their preservation, and shares his hopes for the future of these magnificent and unique breeds and his fight for their survival.This is the story of Britain, told through the native breeds that have nourished and nurtured the nation.

Genres: Biography

352 pages, Hardcover

Published May 16, 2019

Reviews

[David Rudin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book for the BBC Countryfile presenter. Like the last three books, this one is a light and breezy exploration of british farm life, in this case focused on heritage livestock breeds. As Adam tours around the country he tells the stories of the cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses that originated in the British Isles as well as the people involved with raising, and in some cases saving, them.
Nothing really controversial but a fun and easy read about a subject I’m especially interested in. The story is the same for most of them: tossed aside by industrial agriculture for more “efficient” breeds that do better in high input industrial systems. The argument for preserving these heritage breeds is more than nostalgia. As people look to raise animals on small holdings in order to know where their food comes from, heritage breeds are a better fit than some of the pampered, high input industrial breeds.
As American ecologist Aldo Leopold famously said, “To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.” Who knows what genes for disease resistance, high temperatures, drought etc… might be needed in our uncertain future on this planet.