February/March 2026
Rural Heritage is a bimonthly journal in support of farming and logging with draft horses, mules, and oxen. The 2026 February/March issue was mailed to subscribers on Jan 23, 2026. Below is this issue’s annotated Table of Contents, with a link to a full feature article to showcase the good reading delivered to your door every other month when you
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If, in your reading, you run across a drafty word you don’t recognize, consult our online Draft Dictionary.
Table of Contents
Departments
Joe Mischka writes about how the delay in delivery of the Dec 2025/Jan 2026 due to problems at the US Postal Service. He explains to readers that after more than 20 years, RFD-TV has chosen to cancel Rural Heritage (among many other programs) and will instead focus more on live and reality tv featuring celebrity talent. He goes on to explain we will continue producing new shows each week as before where they can be watched on YouTube, CanyonStar TV and the Rural Heritage website. He encourages viewers to subscribe to the Rural Heritage free YouTube channel so they’ll be alerted when new content is added. Most of the over 300 past episodes are on the channel too. Joe also let people know the new Rural Heritage Draft Animal wall calendar was more successful than we’d hoped, selling out shortly before Christmas.
(contacts for breed registries and regional draft clubs)
(frequently updated online)
(please tell ‘em you saw it in Rural Heritage)
Donn Hewes provides instructions on building a hay wagon from the running gear up.
Training Duke Part 2
Donn Hewes restarts his training with Duke after he’d healed from his injury (reported in last issue). Duke is harnessed and hooked in a team for the first time, first to a stone boat and then to a wheeled vehicle.
Sanborn Mills Workshop
Mary Osmer reviews her time spent at an Oxen workshop at Sanborn Mills in Loudon, N.H., where she spent time with her own young team, Joe and Mack, and worked with some other working steers at the farm and provides a primer on commands for driving an oxen team.
Tales from Carter County
Jerry Hicks tells the story of a group of boys, a horse, bathtub and winter day.
The End of an Era
Ralph Rice of Jefferson, Ohio, looks back on his 40+ years working horses, acknowledging he has become one of the “old guys,” and remarking on how the work horse landscape has changed, now incorporating more draft animal powered homesteaders.
Heritage Beef and Nutrient Density
Jenifer Morrissey explains why meat from heritage livestock can often taste better and provide better nutrition than their more modern counterparts.
A Photo Tells a Story
Steve Haste looks back fondly to the time his great-grandfather used and traded mules.
Seeds and Soil for Life and Health
Jenifer Morrissey teaches us about how plants are uniquely attuned to their location and provide tailored nutrition to people living nearby.
Business Spotlight: Huberd’s Shoe Grease
A Colorado couple continue a legacy producing leather care products using a a century-old recipe.
Chickens for Fun & Profit … Or Not
Karen Kirsch takes a trip down memory land with her time spent raising chickens and her favorite bird, Gladys.
A Teamster’s Suggestions
Experienced horseman and teamster, Ralph Rice shares a few tips he’s learned including how to avoid a an accident in the horse trailer and how to help horses learn to work together.
Boniface Okumu
Anna Knapp-Peck tells the story of Boniface Okumu, an Ugandan who has begun a nonprofit in his home country to train people to use and care for oxen.
Top Hat Carriage
We spend some time with Tim and Doreen Carroll of Ely, Minn. They have been operating a carriage service in Duluth for the last several years.
Ground Driving Basics
Dick Courteau explains how he likes to start a horse ground driving.
Light Root Farm and Learning Center
Cameron Genter and Daphney Kingsley operate Light Root Farm where they provide outreach to a variety of deserving clients.
Draft Animal Power Network
Anna Knapp-Peck introduces us to the important work the Draft Animal Power Network has done over the years and introduces us to some of the board members.
Haste Open House
Steve Haste of Liberty, Ky., hosts a BBQ open house to show his gratitude to assorted customers, friends and neighbors.
The Reading Room is updated with each new issue. If you wish to be notified by email when new contents are posted, please Contact Us. If you wish to receive Rural Heritage in your mailbox every other month, please Subscribe.