Turkey Chat with Marjie Bender, Carolyn J. Christian, and Bob Hawes

The Livestock Conservancy

Welcome to our third Turkey Chat! Today we are chatting with several exceptional individuals who lead The Livestock Conservancy's charge to conserve heritage turkeys in America following a 1997 census revealing only 1,400 breeding birds of all combined varieties were left in the U.S. We'll discuss the turkey’s great comeback from a crisis that could easily have brought extinction to many of the varieties we know today. There was an immense effort to turn the tide and much of the story has been forgotten over the 20+ years since the project’s start. More about our guests: Marjie Bender holds an M.Ed. in Agricultural Science from the University of California-Davis, and has been involved in sustainable agriculture since 1991. She coordinated the first Livestock Conservancy Poultry Census and led their conservation efforts to recover heritage turkeys and Colonial Spanish horses in America. Carolyn J. Christman served as Program Coordinator for the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (now The Livestock Conservancy) from 1987-1999. A historian, anthropologist, and former high school teacher, she holds degrees from the University of North Carolina and Wake Forest University. She authored several publications on rare breeds conservation, including "A Rare Breed Album" and "Birds of a Feather – Saving Rare Turkeys from Extinction." When Bob Hawes was 10, his father, one of America’s first used car salesmen, traded ducks for a car, thus beginning his lifelong love of poultry. At age 15, Bob had established a mail-order business selling chicks, geese, and ducks. He has had a long and distinguished career, with positions at McGill University (1962 – 1971), Hy-Line International (1971 – 1978), and most recently as professor and poultry scientist at the University of Maine, retiring in 1997. Bob has also authored many scientific publications, book chapters, and popular articles on poultry production and aquaculture. Bob served on the ALBC’s Board of Directors from 1994–1997. He co-authored “Birds of a Feather: Saving Rare Turkeys from Extinction” with former ALBC staffer Carolyn Christman. He helped to guide content and wrote many of the articles that appeared in "The Snood News," an ALBC publication focused on all things turkey. His knowledge, passion, and his commitment to poultry conservation, including turkeys, is truly inspiring. Find more from The Livestock Conservancy on their Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.