Some fine people work to keep useful livestock breeds alive, and all of us benefit. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy will hold its 30th Anniversary Conference in North Carolina November 2-4. (Just noting — I’m a bit slow. I first started learning about the significance of heritage livestock breeds from Ann Bell Stone of Elmwood Stock Farm, about four year ago. That’s plenty recent, given that the members of the ALBC have been associating for 30 years.)

Here is a conference session that caught my eye:

Breeding Myotonic Goats for Meat Conformation. This goat goes by many names: Tennessee Fainting, Wooden Leg, Stiff. But what makes this goat breed so good for meat and so well-suited to the mid-south? Learn what to look for in goat breeding stock.

Slow Food Bluegrass leader and Bourbon Street Café Executive Chef Mark Williams sent the information about this conference. Thank you, Mark, and thank you for all the fine things you do to encourage all of us in the direction of food that is good, clean, and fair.

At the ALCB conference, Mark will be leading a session on cooking with heritage breeds. Mark has invested a lot of time and energy in cultivating and promoting heritage breeds. Here’s how the program describes Mark’s skills and experiences:

Mark Williams is the founder and leader of the Slow Food Bluegrass convivium in Kentucky. The group works closely with local farmers and producers of heritage breeds to promote their products to consumers. He is a chef by profession, beginning his formal culinary training with an American Culinary Federation apprenticeship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. His colorful career has included working as chef at the Fish Market in Atlanta, GA, chef in residence at the Sonoma-Cutrer Winery, sous chef at the School for American Chefs at Beringer Vineyards, Napa Valley, and as chef for George Lucas at the Skywalker Ranch. His experiences in cooking with wine have unfolded into a passion for cooking with spirits and liquors, and serve him well in his current position as Executive Chef of the Bourbon Street Cafe in Louisville, Kentucky.