USPS logo LINK — USPS employee news Printable

Preserve and protect

Heritage Breeds stamps dedicated

Dan Shippey, an historical actor playing George Washington, stands near a Heritage Breeds stamp poster after the ceremony.

USPS dedicated its Heritage Breeds stamps May 17 at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in Virginia — the first in-person stamp ceremony of 2021.

“The stamps beautifully represent the priceless genetic diversity of heritage breeds in the United States,” said Steve Monteith, the Postal Service’s chief customer and marketing officer. “Understanding their history and their abilities for survival and self-sufficiency, it’s easy to see their value.”

The pane of 20 Forever stamps features the images of 10 heritage breeds, those preindustrial barnyard animals that were common before factory farming brought on hybridization and the winnowing of genetic diversity.

Depicted are the Mulefoot hog, the Wyandotte chicken, the Milking Devon cow, the Narragansett turkey, the American Mammoth Jackstock donkey, the Cotton Patch goose, the San Clemente Island goat, the American Cream draft horse, the Cayuga duck and the Barbados Blackbelly sheep.

These and other heirloom animals have a champion in the Livestock Conservancy, which devotes itself to protecting endangered breeds from extinction and to making them an attractive economic option for farmers. In addition, living-history farms and historical sites are working with breeders to acquire and raise heritage animals.

Joining Monteith for the dedication at the historic venue were Douglas Bradburn, Mount Vernon’s president and chief executive officer; Aliza Eliazarov, whose photographs were used to design the stamps; and two representatives from the Livestock Conservancy, Executive Director Alison Martin and Senior Program Manager Jeannette Beranger. Historical actor Dan Shippey, who portrayed Washington, was also on hand.

The stamps were designed by Zack Bryant using Eliazarov’s photographs, with Greg Breeding serving as art director.

The stamps are available at Post Offices and usps.com.

Share your feedback at uspslink@usps.gov. Your comments could be included in the “Mailbag” column.