Kansas City is currently a hot bed of Heritage farmers connected through local and national restaurants. They are mission driven but also hardened business men. Public conversation is all about free-range, organic, no antibiotics, etc., but that is only part of the story. No one is talking about the genetics of these livestock. We should be talking about where these animals are from, what their lineage is, not just how are they are being raised and treated on the farm. Let's meet the small farmers who are paying attention to genetic integrity and biodiversity in livestock. These are also the farmers supplying some of the nations best meals. Hear from Craig Good, Joseph Hubbard and Frank Reese on this special in the field report from Leah Eden on HeritageRadioNetwork.org. This piece was sponsored by Paradise Locker Meats.

This week on The Naturalist, Bernie Wides talks about pollution in some of our New York waterways. Also, he talks about hibernating animals and winter birds.

"Science fiction is quickly becoming reality", Emily Anthes warns us on this special recording with host Leah Eden. Emily Anthes is the author of a new book, Frankenstein's Cat. In Frankenstein’s Cat, the journalist Emily Anthes takes us from petri dish to pet store as she explores how biotechnology is shaping the future of our furry and feathered friends. As she ventures from bucolic barnyards to a “frozen zoo” where scientists are storing DNA from the planet’s most exotic creatures, she discovers how we can use cloning to protect endangered species, craft prosthetics to save injured animals, and employ genetic engineering to supply farms with disease-resistant livestock. Along the way, we meet some of the animals that are ushering in this astonishing age of enhancement, including sensor-wearing seals, cyborg beetles, a bionic bulldog, and the world’s first cloned cat. Tune in and learn more about the wacky wild intersections between science, technologies and animals. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch

"It started to seem like every week I started to see a press release about some crazy thing scientists were doing to animals. I got interested in what all these advances meant for the animals - it seemed we spent a lot of time talking about what bio tech means for humans but I'm interested in the [affect it will have] on animals." [2:00]

"Science fiction is quickly becoming reality." [4:00]

"The science will always move faster than the regulatory process - which is a big concern." [31:00]

--Emily Anthes on HeritageRadioNetwork.org