June 2014
New Hope for Croxteth Farm
   Tamworth Piglets Irish Moiled Cow and Calf Manx Loaghtan Ewe and Lamb
There is new hope for threatened RBST Approved Conservation Farm Park, Croxteth Home Farm.
Since Liverpool City Council announced their plans to close Croxteth Home Farm, RBST CEO Tom Beeston has been in talks with Councillor Peter Mitchell about the range of alternative options available. Very positively, it has been announced that there is the possibility of a new partnership between Alt Valley Community Trust, Myerscough College in Lancashire and nearby Larkins Farm to give it a viable future.
RBST CEO Tom Beeston explains his delight at the news.
‘We are very pleased to hear that Croxteth Farm may be safe from closure, it is an untapped educational resource and a very important part of the community. We look forward to working with this new partnership in the future.’
All photos provided by Croxteth Home Farm
Two tickets for the price of one at Royal Three Counties for RBST members! RBST is sponsoring the final day of this year's Royal Three Counties Show for the fourth year running, with the 2014 National Rare and Minority Breeds Show being held on Sunday June 15.
RBST members can take advantage of an advance booking offer of 2 tickets for the price of one. Call the Box Office on 01684 584924 and quote RBST before Friday 6th June 2014. Please note this offer is not available online. On Sunday 15th June RBST members, on presentation of their membership cards, will have access to Members Facilities.
 
Shugborough returns as an RBST farm park
 
After an absence of several years, Shugborough Park Farm has returned to the RBST Approved Conservation Farm Park network. The Park Farm forms part of the Shugborough Historic Estate and is now looking to expand its breeding groups with a commitment to rare breeds.
The Farm has Middle White and Berkshire pigs, Soay, Boreray, Southdown and Shropshire sheep, a Shire horse and a herd of Longhorn cattle that are described as 'historically important'. They also have a range of poultry including Light Sussex and Rhode Island Red hens and Aylesbury ducks.
Plans for the future include the expansion of the breeding groups of Soays with meat sales through the farm shop, plus the acquisition of Large Black pigs. They are also looking for a new Longhorn bull to help expand genetics within the herd and are interested in hatching rare breed geese later this year.
RBST are really pleased that Shugborough is returning as an RBST Approved Conservation Farm Park and look forward to working with them
If you are interested in visiting, you can find out more by following this link.
All photos provided by Shugborough Historic Estate
Do you have any anecdotes or facts that can help ?
 Meet Lottie and her family. Lottie is a Lincoln Longwool sheep and she is the main character in Janice Nickoll's first children's storybook.
As an enthusiastic (though novice) spinner, Janice became interested in the properties of fleece from rare breed sheep and met some of these characters on her first visit to Woolfest, and got hooked! She was fascinated by some of the stories, especially about sheep swimming out to sea to find fresh seaweed to eat. This conjured up an amusing picture in her mind, and the idea of incorporating facts such as these into stories for children was born. Children have inquisitive minds, and by incorporating interesting facts into stories might help nurture and develop their interest in sheep, particularly the rare breeds.
To do this though, she needs your help! Any facts and/or anecdotes you could share would be greatly appreciated. These will help develop her knowledge of the different breeds of sheep, including the characteristics of the breed. Stories involving your sheep that made you smile would be perfect, for example adventures the sheep have been on – either with or without you! These may provide me with inspiration for future storylines.
If you can help, please e-mail – janice_nickolls@hotmail.com
Young Shepherd Final
Unfortunately Stoneleigh Country and Livestock Show has been forced to cancel their 2014 show, the RBST young Shepherd Final will be held at The Royal County of Berkshire Show on the 21st September 2014.
Featured Breed
Golden Guernsey Goat
 
The Golden Guernsey goat is listed in Category 5 'Minority', meaning there are between 500 to 1000 registered breeding females in the UK today. To learn more about this breed follow this link. | 
