🎙️ Barn & Soul – Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future. Episode 9 - The Role of Farm Animals in Human History, Are We Forgetting It?

For thousands of years, animals weren't just companions—they were our partners in survival. But as technology surged forward, did we lose sight of the role they played?
In this episode, we explore:
🔹 Oxen, plows, and power — how draft animals revolutionized early agriculture
🔹 Chickens in war zones?! — the surprising military history of poultry
🔹 Spiritual symbolism — pigs, goats, and sheep in ancient cultures
🔹 How rare heritage breeds preserve our past
🔹 Real-life stories from our own animals at Dalby Farm, including:
  🐐 Arapawa Island Goats — island survivalists with a wild legacy
  🐖 Ossabaw Island Hogs — descended from Spanish explorer pigs
  🐇 American Blue & Chinchilla Rabbits — bred for utility, now endangered
  🐓 Australorp Chickens — record-setting egg layers with Australian roots
  🦃 Royal Palm Turkeys — prized for their beauty and calm nature
  🐑 Shetland Sheep — tough, tiny sheep with a Scottish soul
We also talk about why teaching the next generation about rare breeds matters more than ever—because a compassionate future starts with understanding the past 🧡
🎙️ Whether you're a fellow farm soul or just curious about the hidden history behind the animals we love, this one's for you.
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a question for a future episode!

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📚 References & Sources:
🔹 Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand – Arapawa Island Goat
https://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/arapawa.html
🔹 The Livestock Conservancy – Arapawa Goat
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/arapawa-goat/
🔹 University of Georgia Marine Institute – Ossabaw Island
https://ugami.uga.edu/ossabaw-island/
🔹The Livestock Conservancy – Ossabaw Island Hog
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/ossabaw-island-hog/
🔹American Rabbit Breeders Association
https://arba.net/
🔹The Livestock Conservancy – American Blue Rabbit
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/american-blue-rabbit/
🔹The Livestock Conservancy – American Chinchilla Rabbit
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/american-chinchilla-rabbit/
🔹The Livestock Conservancy – Australorp
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/australorp/
🔹Oklahoma State University Breeds Archive – Royal Palm Turkey
https://breeds.okstate.edu/poultry/turkeys/royal-palm/index.html
🔹The Livestock Conservancy – Royal Palm Turkey
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/royal-palm-turkey/
🔹Shetland Sheep Society (UK)
https://www.shetland-sheep.org.uk/
🔹North American Shetland Sheep Association
https://www.nassasheep.org/
FAO DAD-IS Breed Database
https://www.fao.org/dad-is/
🔹 Clutton-Brock, Juliet. Animals as Domesticates: A World View. University of California Press, 2012.
🔹Serpell, James. The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People. Cambridge University Press, 1995.
🔹 McNeill, J.R. & McNeill, William H. The Human Web: A Bird's-Eye View of World History. W.W. Norton & Company, 2003.
🔹 Smithsonian Magazine – “How Animals Have Shaped Human History”
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/
🔹 National WWII Museum – “Animals in War”
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/animals-war
Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-🔹 Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books, 2005.
🔹Children & Nature Network
https://www.childrenandnature.org/
🔹National Wildlife Federation – “Why Kids Need Nature”
https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resou

🎙️ Barn & Soul – Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future. Episode 8 Saving the Most Endangered Goat in the World: The Arapawa Island Goat 🌍

🏴‍☠️ What do pirates, British sailors ⚓, and a rugged New Zealand island 🏝️ have in common? They all played a part in the story of the Arapawa Island Goat—one of the rarest goats on Earth, with fewer than 1k left worldwide in 2025. 😱

In this episode, we explore:
🔍 The mysterious origin of the Arapawa breed
🌿 How they survived in isolation for centuries
🚨 Why they’re critically endangered today
🐐 Stories of Sheldon (our current buck) & Saturn (our first baby Arapawa, born at Dalby in the early 2000s)
💚 Why preserving this breed matters—for biodiversity, for education, and for future generations
Arapawas are more than just rare—they're living history. And at Dalby Farm, we’re doing everything we can to protect them. 🫶

🎧 Tune in, learn something new, and maybe fall in love with an underdog goat. Don’t forget to like, subscribe & share if you believe rare breeds deserve a future too. 💫
#BarnAndSoul #ArapawaGoat #RareBreeds #HeritageFarm #FarmLife #ConservationMatters #DalbyFarm #EndangeredSpecies #AnimalLovers


🔔 Subscribe for more farm life insights, rare breed conservation, and the behind-the-scenes of running a small farm! Remember, all the animals on our farm our PETS! They live out their days as educational ambassadors to our community far & wide! Please follow us here on Youtube!

🥰Find us on Instagram & Facebook @DalbyFarm

🛍️ Shop our Online Country Store! https://www.dalbyfarm.com/country-store
At least 50% of all shop revenue directly helps fund the care & upkeep of our 160 year old educational family farm and all the endangered breeds who live there.

🎙️ Barn & Soul – Where farming meets heart, history, and a mission to preserve the past for a more sustainable future. Episode 7- Reconnecting with What We’ve Forgotten | Barn & Soul Podcast.

✨ In this reflective episode, we explore something quietly urgent: our fading connection with animals, nature, and the parts of ourselves that once felt wild, grounded, and whole.
Why does holding a baby goat matter?
What happens when kids grow up without touching the earth or bonding with animals?
And how can farms like Dalby help plant seeds of empathy that grow for a lifetime?
This episode shares why nature-based programming isn’t just cute—it’s essential. For our children. For the future. For all of us.

🧠 Topics include:
– The role of sensory connection in childhood development
– Why we’re becoming emotionally disconnected from nature
– How animal care fosters empathy and emotional regulation
– What Dalby Farm is doing to inspire the next generation of protectors
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, animal lover, or just someone longing to feel a little more connected again, this one’s for you.

📚 References & Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods
American Psychological Association – Pets & Mental Health
➤ https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2011/pets
Chawla, Louise. “Significant Life Experiences…” Environmental Education Research, 1998
Harvard Health – The Health Benefits of Pets
➤ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-health-benefits-of-pets
Children & Nature Network
➤ https://www.childrenandnature.org
Journal of Pediatric Nursing – Animal-Assisted Interventions
National Wildlife Federation – Green Time for Kids
➤ https://www.nwf.org/Kids-and-Family/Connecting-Kids-and-Nature/Health-Benefits
🦙 Learn more about Dalby Farm’s rare breed mission and educational programming:
👉 www.dalbyfarm.com
💚 Like, share, and subscribe if you believe in the power of animals to change lives.
Until next time, take care—and don’t forget to appreciate the rare and wonderful things in life.
#BarnAndSoul #DalbyFarm #NatureConnection #AnimalTherapy #Podcast #ChildhoodDevelopment #RareBreedConservation #NatureEducation #EmpathyThroughAnimals


🔔 Subscribe for more farm life insights, rare breed conservation, and the behind-the-scenes of running a small farm! Remember, all the animals on our farm our PETS! They live out their days as educational ambassadors to our community far & wide! Please follow us here on Youtube!
Find us on Instagram & Facebook @DalbyFarm
Shop our Online Country Store! https://www.dalbyfarm.com/country-store
At least 50% of all shop revenue directly helps fund the care & upkeep of our 160 year old educational family farm and all the endangered breeds who live there.