What is animal husbandry?

--and what does it have to do with "husband and wife?"

Animal husbandry was one of the earliest and most important innovations in human history. It is the term we use for all farming that concerns raising and caring for animals that produce food for us: eggs, milk, meat, and fiber.

The best guess is that humans began practicing sustainable animal husbandry about 13,000 years ago. It began with the domestication of dogs for protection and companionship. It quickly moved to goats and sheep.

Previous to animal husbandry, people were nomadic—always moving around, hunting and gathering. But penning-in animals allowed people to settle, and the first cities grew up around the practice of animal husbandry.

“Husbandry” just means “care,” or “management.” In traditional societies, the husband took that role, overseeing the family in the same way that a shepherd might oversee his sheep. Make sure they’re well fed and out of reach of wolves—and you’d be a good husband!