longwool

ABOVE, LEFT: American Bluefaced Leicesters are a Longwool breed originating in England.

Started six years ago to promote the market for Welsh wool, this year the festival was officially recognised by Clarence House as supporting * Stallholder with a Leicester Longwool sheep on the Yeo Farm stand, which won second prize in the category for livestock stands PICTURE: John Teale Prince Charles' Campaign for Wool, set up in January 2010 to promote the properties of the product and to help support sheep farming.

The scientists analyzed those samples and found that several of the rare breeds were genetically distinct, including Hog Island and Leicester Longwool. This means they have unique genetic traits that could be useful for researchers and breeders.

"We grow Angus cattle, Tamworth hogs, and Lincoln Longwool sheep," she says, "and all of our animals are raised on pasture."

Eligible rare and primitive breeds include: Boreray, Leicester Longwool, Castlemilk Moorit, Balwen, Dorset Down, North Ronaldsay, Devon and Cornwall Longwool, Cotswold, Dorset Horn, Teeswater Hill Radnor, Lincoln Longwool, Greyface Dartmoor, Whitefaced Woodland, Manx Loaghtan, Oxford Down, Norfolk Horn, Shropshire, Portland, Soay, Wensleydale and White Face Dartmoor.

Bowron had already made a name for itself for its longwool business.

SHOWCASE: Rosalind Close washes down one of her bulls at last year's show (left) and little Ella Mackintosh (above) with a Devon and Cornwall longwool sheep; BIG PORKER: Young Zach Osborne sees out one of his dad's prize pigs at last year's show; AIMS: Chief Insp Dave Barrett

Marsha Van Valin raises rare Navajo churro, English Leicester longwool, black Cotswold, Jacob, Icelandic, and Shetland sheep breeds in Sullivan, Wisconsin.

"And while we're at it, we decided, let's work with the animals that need the most help." Within 3 years, their first heritage breeds arrived--extremely endangered Leicester Longwool sheep and Milking Devons (which have died out in Great Britain but number about 150 throughout North America).

Saving breeds such as Leicester Longwool sheep, Scottish Highland cattle, Buckeye chickens and any of nearly 200 other endangered breeds of livestock and poultry is the Conservancy's mission (see sidebar, page 26).

In the interest of delivering mutton to our tables, these are moved downhill to be crossed with Longwool rams to produce breeding females which, in turn, are crossed with Down breeds.

When she alighted on the Lincoln Longwool, Martin and wife Gemma Sivill with the cattle pairs champions at this year's Caerwys Show was forced to put his foot down.

<www.lavenderfleece.com> Icelandic, Leicester Longwool. Also Icelandic Sheepdogs.

The showcase for rare, minority and traditional breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs incorporated the 119th annual show and sale for the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders' Association, and the Northern Jacob Sheep Breeders' 34th annual show and sale.