Current Enewsletter

Vol 14, Number 4, april 2024

Quite the spring. Oddly wet and yet early to be drying off already. I've personally been trying to get my new horse in harness regularly and start hardening his shoulders for a summer where I hope to use him in the woods regularly. The farm I work on is scrambling to piece together the machines that we need for cropping this coming year. The only other large thing that has happened in northern Vermont since I last wrote was that a portion of the northern half of the state saw a total eclipse. Quite an experience for so many folks to focus on the cosmos for a short moment. My personal reflection was exactly that, as normally with almost all large events, I worked right up until moments before missing it. I walked outside with my dog and meandered up the road toward the top of the hill. I hadn’t made it far before darkness dropped over the world, silence, sudden silence and calm. Humans within screaming distance were the only sound I could hear, I remember mentioning to my dog “aint it just great how we are not closer to them?”. As the sun came back from behind the moon, sitting in the middle of the road with my dog, I said “that was a beautiful moment”. I then continued by saying how I see beautiful moments all the time, with those that be and those that have been in my life, beauty has always found its way to me. I told my dog how grateful I was that it was just me and her watching this event, and I again reflected on my life, grateful for a life that I have chosen to spend mostly with animals, animals who live in every moment to the fullest. Doesn’t need to be special for them, that's just how they do it and I am so grateful I have found my way to a life where I have that as well.
Spring showers make for an unfortunate reality when we are trying to work the dirt. This reality came true for DAPNet this month while we attempted to break ground on our fall Field Days location. Unfortunately we could not resolve a planned time to hold this gathering. Read about our plans below.

A moment of reflection, the years melt by and then you start counting and next thing you know DAPNet online facebook group is 15 years old! I know there is someone smiling somewhere about all the conversations about live power that have been had over this decade and a half.

We are sharing updates about our upcoming 2024 Draft Animal Power Field Days in Glenville NY. We can’t wait to see everyone there.

We have a review and reflection upon the The World Draft Cattle Symposium was held from March 8th-10th at the Lauresham Open Air Museum in Lorsch, Germany. Directors Ivy Pagliari and member Cindy Nickerson Write more below.

As always thank you for all our members and the support that makes this organization thrive.

Thank You
John Smolinsky, DAPNet president

"We regret to inform everyone that our DAPNet Plow Day is canceled. The Spring weather has left a lot of water on the field and geese are swimming where we were to plow.
We will still have to plow and seed a cover crop at some point, it will be later into the Spring and on a weekday to avoid interfering with Stockade's schedule. We will be in and out and not make a big day of it, but we will let you all know when it dries out enough and we have a date for the task. Let's hope it dries up soon, there is work to be done.

-Draft Animal Power Network Events Committee"

Celebrating Fifteen Years on Facebook

Fifteen years ago on April 12, 2009 Carl B. Russell made a facebook group for folks to hold draft animal power discussions on a growing form of social media. Many of the folks from the Northeast Animal-Power Field Days joined and also continued to use the Draft Animal Power Forum, our privately run discussion website. As the Tunbridge, VT NEAPFD ended and Draft Animal Power Network formed, the administrator reins were handed over to Jean Cross and Jennifer Judkins, then Erika Marcak, Donn Hewes, and now also Daphné Courtès, and a number of others who have lent a hand accepting members, moderating conversations, and keeping out the spam. This group held at a few hundred people for years, then grew when a sudden surge of new folks pushed us over 1,000 participants. Since then we have steadily grown to over 8.5k members in the group now known as the Draft Animal Power Discussion Group. Our group continues to offer a place for civil questions, stories, advice, humor, pictures and video sharing. We are grateful for everyone who makes our corner of social media a friendly and helpful place to share.

For 2024 The Draft Animal Power Field Days head to New York!

Mark your calendars:

September 27th, 28th, and 29th the 2024 DAPFD
will be in Glenville NY!

Come join us at Stockade in Glenville, New York! We will be updating this page as the schedule develops, but there will be plenty of draft animals from the Empire State working in the woods, the fields, and at the homestead. There will be river bottom loam to plow (BYOR - bring your own rocks), a garden to cultivate, and indoor as well as outdoor spaces for classes and demonstrations. A mower repair workshop is also in the plans! We strive to offer something for all experience levels and ages. Plan to visit old friends and meet new ones in the lovely Mohawk Valley, close to I-90 and the Albany airport. We hope to see you there!

Vendors

Outdoor Vendor ($150) 30 x 30 flexible outdoor exhibit space, 2 passes for the event. Bring your own tent, tables, or chairs, meals can be purchased ahead of time or BYO food.
Indoor/Small Tent Vendor ($100) room for an 8’ table inside or 10x10 tent outside, 1 pass for the event. Bring your own tent, table, or chairs, meals can be purchased ahead of time or BYO food.

Set-Up Times: Noon - 7 pm Friday, 9/27 or 6-8 am Saturday, 9/29. All exhibitors must remain set up at the event until 12 noon on Sunday, September 29th, 2024. Proof of Liability Insurance must be provided by September 1st, 2024

Please fill out this form and send a check and form to Draft Animal-Power Network, PO Box 24, Greenwich, NY 12834. Or sign up on our website here.
Any questions? Please email dapnetinfo@gmail.com

2024 Teamsters and Presenters Wanted

The DAPFD organizers are inviting potential teamsters and presenters to apply to become involved as educators this coming September. We are looking for folks who enjoy sharing their skills in the culture, art, and sciences of draft animal power and supporting fields. We are offering increased compensation this year and will select a variety of educators to build an event that appeals to a wide variety of experience and interests. To apply and learn more, fill out this Request For Proposals Form. If you have any questions, please contactDaphné CourtèsorErika Marczak. We look forward to reviewing your application.

Click Here for Educator Proposal Form

We're Not Luddites,
We Just Like Horses

In the second episode ofthe DAPCast, Maggie interviews Michael and KarmaGlos of Kingbird Farm at their kitchen table in Richford, New York. With snow falling outside, cups of coffee on thetable, and their pet parakeets chirpingoccasionally in the background, Michael and Karma tell the story of their unique diversified farmstead and talk about the reasons they farm with draft horses. It’s a light-hearted, far-reaching conversation touching on breeds (they love the Norwegian Fjord horse), economics, marketing, raising their daughter on the farm, and single vs. team work. Get to know these two great people via Episode 2 of the Draft Animal Power Network’s DAPCast.

Listen Here

DAPNet Heads to Deutschland

The World Draft Cattle Symposium was held from March 8th-10th at the Lauresham Open Air Museum in Lorsch, Germany. Claus Kropp, the museum staff, and the presenters as well as 126 participants from 26 countries met virtually and online for all things bovine powered. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet other ox fans from around the world. DAPNet was well represented at the event and we offer you this report on the proceedings:

Ivy Pagliari DAPNet Board Secretary
It was hard to pick what to write about when there was so much to choose from. One thing I found very fascinating were the differences in the yoking and hitching styles that were demonstrated at the Symposium. While there was a calf sized “bow yoke” (what I, and most people in the NorthEast US, I believe, would call a “neck yoke”) on display, no animal actually wore a yoke like this during the demonstrations. Several teams wore 3 pad collars. Some animals wore head yokes, which were also slightly different from a North American head yoke. There was also Fritz, a lovely giant animal who wore a very small traditional German forehead yoke.

I think sometimes I can get stuck in trying to figure out or learn the “Best Way” to do something. And certainly many people are happy to tell you the Best Way (and how you are not doing it the Best Way). But one thing Claus advocated for was figuring out the ideal way for you in your situation, reminding us all that there are a lot of different reasons to do things in various ways. Seeing all these different demonstrations, I was reminded that there are a lot of people using a lot of methods to work with cattle.

*Fritz, a 1200kg Glanvieh ox demonstrating a forehead head yoke.*

*Head yoke carving display from French yoke makers Michel Nioulou and Gilles Pequignot (@attelagesbovins and @du.bois.aux.jougs.et.alentours on instagram)*

*Claus Kropp with a team wearing a French style head yoke with padding modifications by farmer and forester Phillipe Kuhlmann who lives in southern France.*

A point that was repeated by almost everyone no matter if they were a teamster in Uganda, or France, or the US, was that while the skills involved with training and working cattle are important, equally important are the skills and trades that support that work. This means yoke makers, bow benders, blacksmiths and farriers, equipment developers and fabricators. No one can truly do it all alone and teamsters and artisans need each other to keep working cattle working.

*Examples of ox and horse shoes from different periods and the steps involved in blacksmithing one type of shoe at the Lauresham Open Air Museum.*

Another delightful difference was that most people (and this included the draft horse teamsters who crashed the ox party for the Lauresham Open Air Museum’s opening day for the season on Sunday) used a pleasant little trilling noise as the verbal cue for “stop.” I really liked this and it made me sad that I never figured out how to roll my r’s.

Cindy Nickerson, DAPNet member
What I enjoyed the most while attending the World Working Cattle Symposium was meeting so many people involved with working cattle! Easy conversations and stories about cattle abounded with none of that eye-roll look and sigh from my non-cattle friends!! This was a one-of-a-kind opportunity to ask questions, learn, share and discover the varied uses for draft cattle around the world and the diverse equipment and training methods used. Claus Kropp, the symposium organizer repeated the message “No right way!” in keeping with the open and inclusive discussions about working cattle. This message resonates with me as an open-minded approach to expanding knowledge about working cattle.

One of my favorite sessions was a panel, pasture discussion/demonstration about observing natural cattle behavior, to develop better communication, while building a working relationship based on trust and respect. It was fascinating watching each presenter (Anne Wiltafsky, Astrid Masson, Drew Conroy) interact with the cattle in their own unique way, and observe the cattle responses to each one. One of the many things I learned during this session was that the lowest ranking cattle in a herd are responsible to inspect any perceived threat, and if necessary defend the herd. I’m inspired to spend more time observing my team’s behavior with each other and me as we work together.

I applaud Claus and his team for their vision and exceptional efforts to make this event happen!

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April Updates from DAPNet

Executive Committee
April is our second Board of Directors meeting of the year. During the meeting the BOD had the chance to review some of the work that has been done so far in 2024. This includes the work done by our design team that has been gracing the website and social media pages. We also spent time scheduling things that will be happening in the next 3 months, like synthesizing the recommended changes in our bylaws (i.e: do we really need all these commas?). The board will be finalizing and sharing these with the membership in July and we will all vote on them during our annual meeting at Field Days in September.

Communications Committee
Last month saw the launch of the Draft Animal Power Podcast, which is an effort of the podcast subcommittee (which mostly meets at random times of the day over Facebook messenger). Now that the first episode is out, if anyone has interest in volunteering to keep the thing going, that would be fabulous. In particular, we need summertime editing volunteers (our main editing whiz is also a full-time veggie farmer) research support, and help finding sponsors so the podcast can fund its own equipment upgrades. Send an email to dapnetinfo@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out.

The Communications Committee is also putting together “standard operating procedures” for our newsletter and membership drive, as part of an effort to write down policies and procedures within this organization so that our all-volunteer board members and volunteers (all with busy lives) have clarity on how things are done. We are working on doing the same for our advertising arrangements and our new branding/graphic design procedures.This isn’t the most glamorous work, but it will be invaluable to our organization to get this information clarified and centralized.

Finance and Fundraising Committee
While DAPNet runs almost entirely on volunteer power (and coffee) we do need some money now and then, and the Finance and Fundraising Committee is excited to report that we’ve received a very generous donation to support DAPNet’s capacity building efforts and also that DAPNet VP, Erika Marczak, has raised the funds for 2 scholarships for members of the indigenous community to attend DAPFD. Our fundraising efforts are aimed largely towards supporting teamsters of all ages and experience levels and preserving the skills and knowledge that keep the live power community thriving.

Events Committee
Our Winter DAPChats series was a success with conversations about Logging, NYC Carriage Driving and Ranching, look for these on our Youtube channel. We have 3 teams in place for our April 27th Plow Day. If the wet weather persists, the teamsters will regroup and find another time that works for them and the new date will be posted.

Draft Animal Power Field Days
Our volunteer base keeps growing and we are grateful for everyone who has jumped in to help plan. Sponsorships are now live online, support at any level is appreciated. Forester Tom Jenkins will be marking tress n both properties for our intensive and working demos. Erik Vandenburg is our Plain Community Liaison who will be looking to involve our Plain neighbors in NY and is also working on some sponsors local to Stockade. Erika Marczak raised funds for 2 full scholarships to support indigenous people who would like to attend DAPFD. Educator request for proposal forms are available and we welcome sharing this opportunity with anyone who would make a great educator at DAPFD. We are working hard at improving this event a little every year.

Classifieds

Are you selling or in search of something draft related? Harness, equipment, or even draft animals? Or maybe you’re offering a job position or apprenticeship? Email your ad to dapnetinfo@gmail.com and we’ll put it in the next newsletter.

Events

Have a draft animal related event you’d like to see on this calendar?? Fill out our Events Submission Form and we’ll make sure to add your event to our calendar!

Click here for events

Welcome to the DAPMap

Check out our new map entries!

NEW- Pine Lane Oxen- They own a team of Brown Swiss Oxen located in Wisconsin. E-mail them at breederman86@yahoo.com.
Wild Carrot Farm- Wild Carrot Farm is a small, diversified, horse-powered farm in Brattleboro, Vermont. They raise over 220 varieties of vegetables, flowers, and mushrooms, as well as pigs, chickens, turkeys and draft horses. E-mail them at
wildcarrotfarm@gmail.com.
Stockton's Big Little Shires- Shires; Stallions standing, foals for sale sometimes, wagon & carriage rides, training for those wanting to gain experience driving. E-mail them at sventures@msn.com.
Long View Farm- Weekend warriors harvesting wood, garden, sap, and hay with horses. Sleigh rides through winter and carriage work occasionally. E-mail them at longviewfarminc@gmail.com.
Flying Plow Farm- Organic produce and pasture raised meats. Horsepower is used for plowing, field work, and cultivating our 15 acres of vegetable land. E-mail them at tompaduano@gmail.com.