From the Whidbey News-Times:
A rare breed
North Whidbey farm welcomes endangered goat kids
An Oak Harbor farm dedicated to preserving genetic diversity among farm animals welcomed three goat kids of a rare, endangered breed last month.
Triplets Dahlia, Douglas and Duchess were born Feb. 10 at Cascadia Heritage Farm, owned by George and Shuna Cerrato. The new kids are San Clemente Island goats, a genetically distinct breed that differs from regular farm goats in size and color.
San Clemente Island goats were first introduced to the island they’re named for in the late 1800s by Spanish mariners, likely to serve as a reliable food source for prospective sailors. When the U.S. Navy took control of the island in 1934, it permitted the hunting and trapping of these goats and eventually instituted a systemic removal program. According to the Livestock Conservancy, the 15,000 goat population was a nuisance to the island’s native plants and wildlife.
Beginning in the 1980s, many of the approximately 4,000 remaining goats were adopted to farms and individuals for domestication.
San Clemente goats are slightly smaller than other breeds and resemble deer in their structure and movement. Their fur is typically red or brown with distinctive black markings, and both the males and females have horns.
“They’re a useful, small, farm-homestead type of goat, and they’re adorable,” Shuna said.
The goats can be used for milk, meat or brush clearing — and it’s good for the goats to be put to use, according to Shuna. Putting the animals on a pedestal because of their endangered status will not help the breed survive, she said. Rather, employing the goats for traditional agricultural purposes promotes their wellbeing and survival.
Preserving this unique goat breed and other endangered farm animals matters because genetic diversity among agricultural livestock promotes food security, George said. San Clemente Island goats in particular are able to adapt to a variety of climates and conditions, an important quality to preserve in the gene pool.
“Especially when you’re dealing with a world that’s constantly changing, and people are concerned about climate change, these heritage breeds have a natural ability to adapt,” George said.
Cascadia Heritage Farm has made efforts to preserve other endangered farm animals, including Malay chickens and Dales ponies. George said he and Shuna have plans in the works to expand the farm’s preservation mission through education and outreach programs in the future.
San Clemente Island goats are distinct from other breeds in their size, coloring and deer-like movements. (Photo by Karina Andrew/Whidbey News-Times)
From the Whidbey News-Times:
Farm promoting genetic diversity, a flock at a time
North Whidbey’s Cascadia Heritage Farm focuses on preserving critically endangered breeds.
Viggo Cerrato, 6, pets a young Shamo rooster named Baby Boy. Cascadia Heritage Farm is currently in the midst of a project to “invigorate” a rare breed of chicken. Photo by Kira Erickson/Whidbey News Group
A small family farm is hoping big birds might be the key to getting people to crow about genetic diversity.
North Whidbey’s Cascadia Heritage Farm has focused on breeding and preserving critically endangered breeds since the farm’s beginning.
The farm’s latest endeavor is to create a vigorous and healthy stock of Malay chickens, one of the tallest breeds of chicken in the world.
Titled the MIGHT Project, for Malay Invigoration Gene Hybridization Team, the goal is to take a breed that has traditionally been inbred and “invigorate” it by crossing it with other chicken breeds, such as the Aseel.
The fowl bred through the project will be referred to as “Cascadia Mighty Malays.” The farm currently has three adult Malays that have taken years to track down. A Malay chick was hatched from a mated pair in January.
A survey completed by the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities nearly 20 years ago determined that the Malay was the rarest breed in North America. The breed may have descended from gigantic chickens.
George Cerrato, who owns Cascadia Heritage Farm with his veterinarian wife, Shuna, and their 6-year-old son, Viggo, said the MIGHT project has not been without its challenges. Earlier this month, a Malay rooster that showed no previous signs of illness mysteriously died.
Cerrato suspected he may have died of a stroke. The body was sent to Washington University Veterinary School for a necropsy to uncover the cause of death.
“If we want this type of bird to continue to exist, we have to figure out a way to make it healthier,” Cerrato said.
Genetic and health issues are not uncommon in such a rare and small population as that of the Malay chickens, he added. Issues range from crooked toes to joint problems and can even include sudden illness such as a heart attack or a stroke.
It’s a paradox any breeder recognizes: to have a healthy animal, the genetic base needs to be broadened, even if it means compromising the standard of the breed.
That’s where the MIGHT project, and crossing the Malay with other breeds, comes in.
“If you love that animal, you have to open yourself up to a wider gene pool,” Cerrato said. “Because if you don’t, you’re going to inadvertently bring in genetic disease that’s going to kill the thing you love.”
Cerrato is hoping others will take an interest in the MIGHT project, increasing genetic diversity and small-scale farming. He has already given two Malay chicks away to a partner of his in the project.
Besides the long legs and necks, characteristics of the Malay breed include deep-set eyes and three curves in their back. Shuna, Cerrato’s wife, said the breed is also believed to be more calm and talkative than others.
The Malay fowls at Cascadia Heritage Farm are currently about two and a half feet tall. A year from now, if breeding goes well, they could break three feet.
The Cerratos are currently creating 16 enclosures on their farm for the chickens to live.
The farm also has about 40 Aseel chickens, which are believed to be closely related to the Malay breed. Aseel chickens were first bred for cockfighting. Contrary to this seemingly violent background, the Aseel chickens at Cascadia Heritage Farm are tame and trusting, following Cerrato around like a small dog.
“We believe they’re a treasure trove of genetic diversity and wealth,” Cerrato said of the Aseel breed.
The Aseels and Malays are ancient breeds that originated in India. Cerrato said he found out about the breeds from the Livestock Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that lists all the endangered breeds of livestock and poultry.
“These birds are extremely valuable because of how unique they are,” Cerrato said. “Not only are they unique genetically, but they also represent the cultures they were a part of.”
Having genetic diversity, he added, will help make the chickens less prone to disease. In the event of an avian flu, this could be a very good thing.
Viggo, Cerrato’s son, is the resident “chicken expert” at Cascadia Heritage Farm. He has names for every chicken, such as “Frankenstein,” “Fat Wing” and “Vanilla Ice Cream Hen.” He knows which chicks go with which hens, and he was the first to notice the deceased rooster.
“The goal is to have kids like Viggo have these experiences so that later on in life he can have something to remember and be hopeful about,” Cerrato said.
Another goal of the farm, he added, is to find ways to get young people involved with agriculture. He does not like the hopelessness of some young people he has encountered.
“The best way of getting hope, in our opinion, is looking at the world around you and seeing these other living creatures and saying, ‘These are beautiful,’” Cerrato said.
A rare, young Malay rooster.
A Shamo hen named Baby Girl also lives at the farm. Photo by Kira Erickson/Whidbey News Group
George Cerrato and his wife, Shuna, own Cascadia Heritage Farm in North Whidbey. They are breeding and preserving critically endangered birds. Photo by Kira Erickson/Whidbey News Group
Livestock Conservancy
Facebook Post
“This is a photo of Prince William, one of our San Clemente Island Goat bucks. We call him Goblin. We got him from Broadway Ranch. Karen Broadway was a pleasure to meet, and has done a wonderful job in helping preserve these wonderful goats. We are really excited about the large size of Goblin and look forward to having him in our breeding program.
In the photo we are working on getting him used to walking in the neighborhood. We are hoping to get him comfortable enough to bring out into the public to help bring awareness to the amazing world of farm animals and the importance of encouraging diversity in all things. Perhaps the most important job Goblin and I have is to bring a smile to the faces of people passing by.”
Photo: George Cerrato, a founder of Cascadia Heritage Farm, and Prince William, a San Clemente Island goat, touring the neighborhood for some public outreach and fishing for smiles.
Livestock Conservancy
Facebook Post
"About 7 years ago I was very invested in trying to make a lot of money; instead, I lost a lot of money. This resulted in a journey of soul searching to ask why do we do what we do, what matters, how do I want to spend my life currency? I was inspired to appreciate the miracle of the world around us. This miracle of existence is wonderful, bizarre, baffling, sometimes cruel, sometimes sublime, but absolutely beautiful. Our family wants to encourage within ourselves and others this opportunity to appreciate.
My wife, Shuna, has a gift for nurturing life. Where she steps, life springs up to kiss the ground she touches. Having a farm was a natural step for us. We came up with the acronym "ATM" for "Appreciate The Miracle." "A" stands for "Actively surround ourselves with life and fitness; "T" stands for "Try to encourage hope," and "M" stands for "Mindful, generous, and loving toward others."
We started on a journey to heighten this appreciation and as we were envisioning what our farm would be, how we would encourage hope in ourselves and others, we found The Livestock Conservancy. It is an organization of hope and vision, working hard to make their voice heard. We heard this voice and we are adding our voice to it. We believe we can make a difference and what we do matters.
Helping to preserve critically endangered farm animals is our way of making a difference. We believe in true diversity of all things, people, other animals, ideas, languages, genetics, etc. To create healthy systems this diversity is a necessity. In creating systems with diversity, hope and health are intrinsic to them.
Like everyone, we Cascadia Heritage Farm are trying to navigate this journey the best we can, and are thankful to have the opportunity to participate." ~George Cerrato, Livestock Conservancy Member, Cascadia Heritage Farm, Washington
Photo: Andrew, a young Dales Pony, and Prince William, a San Clemente Island goat, checking each other out.
Cascadia Heritage Farm
Facebook Post
July 1st we delivered our Dales Pony stallion Taz (Kingmaker Talisman) to WW Equestrian Center In Milton-Freewater, OR in the Walla Walla area for Jessica Wisdom to train him and show him so Dales Ponies can become better known. Because of restrictions due to COVID-19, showing opportunities have been very limited this year! But he was able to go to two USDF Dressage shows in August, ridden in the first one by Kenton Wright where he got his feet wet, so to speak, and started winning fans for the amazing Dales Pony breed. The next weekend Jessica Wisdom rode him and qualified him for USDF Region 6 Championship competition with two scores of 71 in Open Training Level Dressage! This was very unexpected. Although our lack of paperwork groundwork prevented him from officially competing in the Regional competition, he competed in the Open Competition at Regionals, and won one of his classes with a score of 70! We are so proud of him and the recognition he's getting the Dales Pony breed. We are hoping to send him to a CDI international dressage show in Thermal, California, in November.
Photo: Taz, Dales Pony Stallion, winning Open Training Level Dressage at USDF Region 6 Championship
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