Description

Stories in this issue:

• All Hands on Deck – A winter Day on a Wisconsin Dairy Farm: Amidst a Wisconsin blizzard, the Julian family’s draft horses come to the rescue after numerous vehicles and equipment get stuck. Every family member pitches in to make it through the tough day. Then Katrina tells us about a good day where everything runs like clockwork
• Conversation with Brandt Ainsworth – Working Oxen & Horses the “Right Way:” Donn Hewes sits down with expert teamster Brandt to discuss his transition from draft horses to using oxen. He was highly influenced by Howie Van Ord. He discusses yokes, bows, materials, harness, and much about training oxen and teamsters.
• Tales from Carter County – Hootie and the Mule: Jerry Hicks tells a sweet story of his nephew’s first (and only?) encounter with chewing tobacco and his part in it. Jerry has a way with words and he always seems to work a mule into his stories.
• Benchmarks for Soil Health: Anne and Eric Nordell participated in a soil health study through Cornell College. Eric and Anne explain the results, what they have done in the past to get them to this point and what they plan to do next. Cover crop “cocktails” and sod are in the works. Included in the article are many photos of the test fields and the soil test results.
• Ostriches, Millinery & Agritourism: Ostrich farms first began in the late 1800’s to furnish the millinery trade. Jenifer Morrissey gives us a thorough history of ostrich in the US and the emergence of agri-tourism once the demand for feathers diminished. Today they are used clothing, household goods, eggs and meat. farm tourism, alternative meats
• Simon in the Sugar Bush: Charlie Tennessen, with the help of his sheep Simon, discovers that box elder trees produce syrup. As Charlie says goodbye to Simon after 13 years, he tells us the story and of the changing farm and how he thinks of the future when farm planning.
• Making (Boxelder) Syrup on Your Homestead: Charlie Tennessen encourages us all to make syrup from sap collected from our trees. He explains the process from tapping to collection to evaporation, filtering and canning.
• In Over My Head – Restoring an Antique Horsedrawn Tanker Wagon: Ralph Rice takes an old fuel tanker and a vision in his head and…fails. With the help of his wife and friends with expertise in such things, he completes the showpiece. It will be used for parades and to advertise his maple syrup business.
• A Light Footprint on the Land – Taking Measure of Soil Compaction: Stephen Leslie introduces Jay and Janet Bailey, mentors and friends. The Bailey’s started horse powered farming 38 years ago and look back on the positive effects on the lack of soil compaction vs. when utilizing tractors.
• Pony-Scaled Dump Cart: Jenifer Morrissey and Richard Augeri both work with ponies. Richard has built many pieces of equipment for these smaller draft horses. In this article, they give us detailed instructions on making a suitably sized dump cart. There are great drawings to follow and advice on every little detail.
• 2019 Logging Arch Build Event: A group of experienced horse farmers gather to build logging carts of two different designs. With trailer loads of tools three days were spent in constant work. The group along with the help of students from Paul Smiths College, made both Fisher carts and a modified Barden cart aptly named the DAPNet Cart.
• Gypsy Stock: Taylor Johnson continues to share his trip to Scotland and the home of the Gypsy Cob horse. He stays with a breeder, Sean O’Neill, who shares his horses and home. Taylor talks about the practice of hauling sea coal and the rigors is requires of both horse and teamster.