A Breed Apart

Why Adam Henson has finally got round to committing the story of our nation’s livestock heritage to print

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There are no elephants on my farm. There never have been and it’s pretty unlikely there ever will be. But for the last few years, whenever I’ve talked about the books I’ve written, there’s definitely been an elephant in the room. On my theatre tour, at public events and especially at book signings up and down the country, I’ve been really aware of the great unasked question – ‘Why haven’t you published one about rare breeds?’ It’s a very good point. Having already put pen to paper about life on the land (Adam’s Farm), the Henson family history (Like Farmer, Like Son) and man’s best friend (A Farmer and His Dog), a volume about the fascinating story of Britain’s native livestock breeds was long overdue. After all, it’s wellknown how much I love the unique types of historic farm animals that are linked with the diverse landscapes of the British Isles. From Norfolk Horn sheep and Berkshire pigs to Exmoor ponies and Golden Guernsey goats, I’ve made a career of breeding, promoting and displaying these wonderful creatures to the public. I suppose it’s something that’s in my blood; fifty years ago my dad, Joe, spearheaded the rare breeds movement in this country and not only founded a conservation charity, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), but also created Britain’s first farm park. The visitor attraction was an ingenious way of showcasing his collection of animals which had once been commonplace but by the early 1970s were seriously endangered, dismissed by most farmers at the time as old-fashioned, uneconomical and undesirable. I’m incredibly proud to have followed in Dad’s footsteps to become the currentday face of the Cotswold Farm Park. The good news for book-worms – and animal lovers – is that after years as a published author, I’ve finally committed the story of our nation’s livestock heritage to print in my latest b