Aliza Eliazarov - On the Farm: Heritage and Heralded Animal Breeds in Portraits and Stories

Acknowledgments

A decade of work preceded the making of this book. It would have been impossible without the support of some truly amazing folks. Many thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way.

To every farmer and animal I have been lucky enough to work with. For your time, trust and honesty. For your hard work. For your love and commitment to the animals.

To Modern Farmer magazine photo director Lila Garnett, for reaching out and giving me a chance. Your trust changed the course of my professional life. I am forever grateful. And to everyone else at the print magazine, it was an honor to be part of the publication.

To Michael Harlan Turkell, for introducing me to Stonesong.

To my enthusiastic agent, Maria Ribas at Stonesong, for taking me on and mentoring me through this book-making journey.

To my fantastic editor Kelly Snowden, designer Emma Campion, editor Kimmy Tejasindhu, as well as Mari Gill, Jane Chinn, Dan Myers, and everyone else at Ten Speed Press, thanks for making this book a reality. What can I say? You made my dreams come true.

To my talented retoucher, Emily Scalici, for lending your keen eye and skills that surpass all expectations.

To Jeannette Beranger from The Livestock Conservancy, for fact checking.

To my former colleagues at Bark, for your helpful advice every time I cornered you.

To Steven Zeswitz, John Keon, and Dylan MacDonald, for keeping me calm and assisting me on shoots.

To those who read drafts and offered thoughtful and astute feedback: Alexis Katz, Anna Beeke, Ilana Panich-Linsman, Sean Kenniff, Wheaton Simis, Ian Hosking, and mom.

To everyone who gave us a place to lay our heads when we were on the road.

To all of the incredible humans Im lucky enough to call friends and family. You lift me up.

To my patient and wise husband, Edward Doty, for your insight and thoughtfulness. Having you as my partner on this project has meant the world to me. It is only because of your willingness to leave NYC, research, produce, travel, lug, drive, photo assist, critique, edit, and keep me fed that this book was made.

To Mom and Woody Hoyt, for your unwavering support and encouragement and for making my transition into photography possible. For always lending us the car for shoots and for giving us a quiet place to work.

To Mom, for being my biggest cheerleader and best momager. For your unconditional love. For being my rock. This is also for you.

To Dad, you told me to write a book, so I did. I wish you were here to see it.

About the Author

Photographer Aliza Eliazarovs passion for documenting food and farming issues have driven her work and led to numerous projects, publications, exhibitions, and awards, including shooting covers for Modern Farmer magazine. Shes as happy as a pig in poop while actually lying in it on small farms across the country, looking through the lens at heritage breeds, and falling in love with every animal she meets.

Aliza is a graduate of the Photojournalism and Documentary Photography program at the International Center of Photography; she holds masters degrees in both creative arts in education and elementary education from Lesley College and a bachelors degree in Natural Resource Management and engineering from the University of Connecticut.

Breed Status

Throughout this book, status of animal populations has been based on The Livestock Conservancys Priority list. These are their parameters.

Livestock

Critical: Fewer than 200 annual registrations in the United States and estimated global population less than 2,000.

Threatened: Fewer than 1,000 annual registrations in the United States and estimated global population less than 5,000.

Watch: Fewer than 2,500 annual registrations in the United States and estimated global population less than 10,000. Also included are breeds that present genetic or numerical concerns or have a limited geographic distribution.

Recovering: Breeds that were once listed in another category and have exceeded Watch category numbers but are still in need of monitoring.

POULTRY

Critical: Fewer than 500 breeding birds in the United States, with five or fewer primary breeding flocks (50 birds or more), and estimated global population less than 1,000.

Threatened: Fewer than 1,000 breeding birds in the United States, with seven or fewer primary breeding flocks, and estimated global population less than 5,000.

Watch: Fewer than 5,000 breeding birds in the United States, with ten or fewer primary breeding flocks, and estimated global population less than 10,000. Also included are breeds with genetic or numerical concerns or limited geographic distribution.

Recovering: Breeds that were once listed in another category and have exceeded Watch category numbers but are still in need of monitoring.

To learn more visit livestockconservancy.org

Participating Farms

Here is a list of all of the amazing farms I collaborated with for this project. To support and learn more about them, please visit their sites.

Accokeek Foundations National Colonial Farm

Accokeek, MD

www.accokeekfoundation.org

Hog Island sheep, Milking Devon cattle

Autumn Olive Farms

The Trainum Family

Shenandoah Valley, VA

www.autumnolivefarms.com

Ossabaw Island hogs

Axe and Root Homestead

Angela Ferraro-Fanning

Whitehouse Station, NJ

www.axeandroothomestead.com

Clydesdales, waterfowlvarious breeds

Ayers Brook Goat Dairy

The Hooper Family

Randolph, VT

www.ayersbrook.com

Goatsvarious breeds

Beltane Farm

Paul Trubey

Lebanon, CT

www.beltanefarm.com

Goatsvarious breeds

Big Bones Goat Farm

Tracy LaChance

Baltic, CT

Goatsvarious breeds

Blue Star Equiculture Draft Horse Rescue

Pamela Rickenbach

West Brookfield, MA

www.equiculture.org

Draft horsesvarious breeds

Breezy Knoll Heritage Turkey Farm

Matt and Sarah Kmetetz

Bethlehem, CT

Facebook: Breezy Knoll Farm

Heritage turkeysvarious breeds

Brittany Saunders

4-H leader and poultry enthusiast

Granby, CT

Poultryvarious breeds

Browns Family Farm

Melina Brown

Stamford, CT

Facebook: Browns Family Farm LLC

Poultryvarious breeds

Clay Hill Farm

Faith and Donnie Bisbee

Chesterfield, MA

Facebook: Clay Hill Farm

Draft horses

Country Club Farm

Lindsay Shafer

Stonington, CT

Instagram: elwaytheduck

Dawn Break Farm Homestead

Zack Bryant

Troy, VA

Duck Hollow Farm

Alexandra Anna Wisniewski

Branchport, NY

Poultry and waterfowlvarious breeds

DunRoamin Farm

Elizabeth and Dave Collins

Athol, MA

Cotton Patch geese

East Hill Farm and Inn

The Adams Family

Troy, NH

www.east-hill-farm.com

Farm and Wilderness Camp

Plymouth, VT

www.farmandwilderness.org

Field House Farm

Stephanie Lesnick

Madison, CT

www.fieldhousefarm.net