What are heritage breed livestock ?
Heritage breed livestock are really “vintage or heirloom” American family farm breeds that have been around for centuries. These breeds are threatened because agriculture has changed. Modern food production now favors the use of a few highly specialized breeds selected for maximum output in a controlled environment. Many traditional livestock breeds have lost popularity and are threatened with extinction. These traditional breeds are an essential part of the American agricultural inheritance. Not only do they evoke our past, they are also an important resource for our future. At Prospera Farm, we integrate some of these breeds into our farming system and then offer the meat for sale. Some examples of heritage breeds at Prospera Farm are Hereford and Tamworth pigs, Rouen ducks, and Polish, Australope, and Rhode Island Red chickens.