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Plow shzwLn.g major element of livestock conservation be- cause what is saved depends'on who is in- volved, and how much is saved is depends on how many people. are involved. ALBC provides breed associations with technical support in establishing bylaws, breed standards, registry systems, organiz- ing member meetings and member net- works, and developing newsletters, bro- chures and other tools to promote the breeds. ALBC organizes an annual confer- ence in different parts of the country to pre- sent papers and workshops on breed conservation. We also provide technical support to breeders with information about marketing, husbandry, selection for genetic conservation. Our web site is increasingly used by the public to gain information about rare breed conservation and about individual breeds. Direct Conservation: ALBC has established its own gene bank to preserve genetic mate- rials of many of the breeds on the Conserva- tion Priority List. The bank includes semen from 15 breeds of cattle, 2 breeds of swine and one each of goats and sheep. In addition, ALBC has been called upon to rescue genetically important populations subject to imminent dispersal or destruction. These have included the Wilbur Cruces Spanish Mustangs, Santa Cruz Island sheep, Sweetgrass turkeys, and Ossabaw Island asses. Public Education: Bringing the issue of breed conservation and the need for genetic diversity in our livestock is an important component of the work of ALBC. Our Page 12 membership is a major conduit for educa- tion. Our newsletter and other publications let our members know changes in the status of breeds, conservation projects and how they can be personally involved as breed stewards. We also provide public education through a network of sustainable agriculture groups. North Americans are discovering many un- counted, costs in our chemical and energy intensive agriculture. Farmers are desperate to cut costs and increase economic returns. Many are rediscovering traditional produc- tion systems such as rotational grazing. They are finding that these systems often work better with breeds that have not been selected for high input productions. While many of the traditional breeds lack the mas- sive output of modern livestock strains, they often can produce at a lower cost. Traditional educational sites such as schools, historic sites, museums, zoos and nature centers are excellent locations for ap- propriate livestock to be housed and inter- preted in programs to audiences of all ages. These sites can also be important and valu- able sites for conserving historic but cur- rently uneconomic breeds. The public media is also a valuable way to inform the public about the importance of breed conservation or of the threatened status of a particular breed. Conclusion The industrial stocks will likely be main- tained by the corporations which own them. The visibility and history of standardized breeds will help to keep them intact. Both landrace and feral populations, however, 45