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Vol 16, Number 1, January 2026
Welcome
Dear Newsletter Readers,
My name is Daphné Rose Courtès, and I have been elected by the board as the new President of the Draft Animal Power Network (DAPNet). This role comes with many new responsibilities and I’m learning them alongside Maggie Smith, our Vice President. Together, and with the wonderful DAPNet board of volunteers, we will continue working to fulfill DAPNet’s role: to provide a kind, welcoming and educational network for all who wish to connect around working animals.
As our mission states:
“Sharing knowledge and support so future generations can choose to work with draft animals to fuel livelihoods, promote land stewardship and grow community.”
When I accepted this role, I wanted to look back at the history of the organization to make sure we’re steering this wagon in the right direction. Here is a very abbreviated history: In 2007, the Northeast Animal-Power Field Days drew over 1,200 attendees, and sparked the creation of an online forum for draft animal education and community building. The idea of DAPNet started in 2010, a DAPNet board was formed and established as an incorporated organization in 2011, and then became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2014, expanding its efforts through workshops, annual gatherings, and biennial field days across the Northeast. Over the past 15 years, DAPNet has grown into a vibrant network that promotes sustainable farming and forestry practices, supported by thousands of members and dedicated volunteers. We’re now producing a podcast, hosting online events, mapping our community and organizing more and more in-person gatherings.
When looking for this history, I came across documents listing past board members. I believe it’s important to recognize how many people have contributed to this organization over the years, and to honor the effort that brought us to where we are today.
Here is a list of past board members I came up with and found pictures in the archives (when I could) : PREVIOUS BOARD MEMBERS (It may not include everyone, but I did my best to review the documents.) I’d like to add that some past board members dedicated an immeasurable amount of time to this organization. Volunteering for a non-profit often means taking on responsibilities equivalent to a part-time job or even a full-time job, especially as the Field Days Event approaches.
Thank you for your time on the board:
DAPNet was originally envisioned and organized by Carl Russell and Lisa McCrory, whose dedication laid the foundation for this thriving community.
Elsa Acerbo, Erik Andrus, Caitlin Arnold, Jay Bailey, Sue Brennan, Lauren Bruns, Mark Cowdrey, Jeanmarie Cross, Sara Dougherty, Jay Fisher, Meryl Friets, Dave Gibaldi, Michael Glos, Gillian Goldberg, Nick Hammond, Donn Hewes, Jennifer Judkins, Brad Johnson, Tianna Kennedy, Lizzy Koltai, Nate Kraus-Malett, Emily Landeck, Emily Langer, Erika Marczak, Ivy Pagliari, Pat Palmer, Geoff Pritchard, Lars Prillaman, Pamela Rickenbach, Isabel Ruffin, Reva Seybolt, John Smolinsky, Will Stephens, Ethan Tapper, Lara Weise, Bill West, and Jared Woodcock.
I hope this message shines a light on all the wonderful work this organization has accomplished. It could have not happened without the great volunteers who have given so much of their time to hold it together. As volunteers, we pull a heavy load and it’s important to acknowledge that effort. We all work on farms, in the woods, with our hands or hearts. Our lives are busy, yet we still show up for this organization.
I want to thank everyone involved, near and far, for helping keep this wheel turning so beautifully. You can find up-to-date information about the current board members on our website, including their stories and photos here.
Sincerely,
Daphné Rose Courtès
For those who haven’t met me or might not recognize me, here’s a snapshot from my proud volunteering moments at Field Days 2023.
The photo below from the annual retreat shows our 2025-2026 DAPNet board members.
Back row, from Left: Rachel Bower, Ben Retburg, Maggie Smith, Ian Snider, Ruth Burke, Cindy Nickerson, Rachel Hampton Breeden, Ari Auger and Anna Knapp-Peck.
Front row from Left: Baby Cora, Emily Brown, Matthew Schofield, Ray Ramsey, Daphné Rose Courtés and Chaïka the dog.
A Rotted Wagon and a Senior Ball?
by Dave Gibaldi
Here’s how a barn find made it to a Senior Ball and how it all went down:
Well it all goes back to my obsession for a “good” deal. I got a call from a friend letting me know about some equipment for sale by a family whose father had passed away the year before and needed the equipment sold so they could sell the property. Well, you don’t gotta tell me twice that there’s horse drawn equipment for sale locally! I was hooking up the trailer before we even got off the phone.
When my buddy Tom and I arrived, we found a ride wagon that was frozen into the ground, half buried in snow with most of the wood rotted and I said, "That's just for me!” But in true picker fashion, I didn’t let on to my excitement and continued to look around to see what other stuff might be available. We also found a fringe top surrey and I just had to make an offer on that one too. Long story short, we loaded the trailer with a nice fringe top surrey and the rotted ride wagon.
For those of you that don’t know, not only am I passionate about mules and draft animal power, I am also a high school wood shop teacher. So, I did what I think anyone else would do in my situation, I brought the wagon to school and had my kids help me rebuild it. The wagon wasn’t at the school for one day before we “got in trouble” for leaving it outside blocking an exit. So, what did we do? We donned plastic garbage bags as raincoats, and went outside in the pouring rain and removed the body from the running gear and carried the soaking wet, rotted wagon into the classroom of my shop.
After half a day of drip-drying all over the floor, we took measurements of all of the rotted pieces and after removing them, we were left with a pile of metal pieces. A wire wheel was used to remove rust and clean up all the metal brackets, braces, hardware and running gear. The students painted all of the freshly cleaned parts, then turned their attention to the replacement wood. Dimensional lumber from the local lumber yard was used, making this a fairly simple project, but in true shop teacher fashion, I couldn’t make it that easy. I had the students sand all of the grade stamps and imperfections as well as plane and router some of the thinner pieces we needed. After all the wood parts were prepped, they applied an exterior grade waterproofing stain, and we were ready for the reassembly.
The kids and I combined all of the wood and metal parts with stainless steel bolts, hoping that I would never have to do this again. We completed the assembly of the body in the shop and then had the task of moving the body back outside so we could place it on the running gear. Again, not an easy task, but my kids were up to the challenge! Once the body was placed on the running gear, the kids installed a new brake master cylinder and ran new brake lines. After about 3 - 4 weeks in the shop, the wagon was finally complete aside from a few finishing touches that I planned to complete at home.
So, now you say, what does this have to do with a Senior Ball? Well, during the process of rebuilding the wagon, I needed some pieces welded, so I asked a student who was enrolled in the countywide Career and Technical School for Welding, to make a couple of parts during his welding class. When he brought me the parts I jokingly said “What do I owe you?” His response, “A ride to the Senior Ball on the wagon with the mules!” My response, “It’s a deal!”
On a Friday evening in late June, my friend Tom and I loaded up the wagon and mules in the trailer and headed to an empty parking lot down the block from the venue of the Senior Ball. We got the mules cleaned off and harnessed and hooked to the wagon just in time for a group of my students to arrive all dressed to the nines and ready to celebrate the conclusion of their senior year of high school. We loaded the kids on the wagon and after a few pictures taken by their parents, we took off down the road and up the steep hill of the busy main road to turn into the entrance of the venue.
Now keep in mind, in my true style, I didn’t tell anyone we were coming with a team of mules and a wagon, we just showed up! Luckily the venue staff were excellent at stopping traffic as we turned into the main entrance and pulled right up to the front door to unload. I can’t tell you exactly how the kids felt but the smiles on their faces made me think they felt like the coolest kids there! After taking a few pictures and shaking a few hands Daisy and Dolly (the mules) took me and Tom back to the trailer to unharness and head home.
I will end it with this: DAPNet has inspired me to share my passion and interest of draft animal power with anyone I can. Although this may not seem like much, I’d like to think that having mules, horses, oxen or whatever your draft animal of choice is around kids can only encourage and build the next generation of teamsters. Don’t be afraid to share your passions with kids and young adults. Some of my greatest memories of teaching folks how to drive mules and horses are not of those times when people sign up and pay for a class on driving, but when I get the opportunity to surprise kids with teachable moments and hopefully opportunities that they may never have had before.
RIP
Robin Grace Todd Jurechko
December 17, 1942 - June 24, 2025
Long time DAPNet supporter Robin Jurechko of NY passed away in June. She was an ox teamster and long-time, dedicated secretary of the Hudson Valley Draft Horse Association. She could often be found at local and regional draft animal events with a camera in hand capturing the memories. She supported many other teamsters and freely shared her draft animal wisdom with them. She also generously remembered DAPNet (as well as other draft animal organizations) in her will. The draft animal community will miss her and we hope she knows how much we appreciate her parting gift.
Have you had a chance to listen to the Draft Animal Power Podcast? We have published six different episodes with interviews of people working with draft animals in the USA and Germany! Find us on any podcast listening platform and subscribe to be the first to know of a new episode!
Events
Have a draft animal related event you’d like share with the DAPNet community? Fill out our Events Submission Form and our volunteers will add your event to our website calendar!
For more details on the following events and others, visit our website.
March 21st - 22nd, 2026 - Mower Rendezvous with Donn Hewes. Northland Sheep Dairy, Marathon, NY.
April 4th - 5th, 2026 - Cultivator Rendezvous with Donn Hewes. Northland Sheep Dairy, Marathon, NY.
April 10-12, 2026 - Southeast Teamster Gathering at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, 3501 Lexington Road, Harrodsburg, KY. Details and registration to follow, stay tuned!
May 9th - 10th, 2026 - Beginning Teamster School with Donn Hewes. Northland Sheep Dairy, Marathon, NY.
Classifieds
For Sale: Team of 2 year old Ayrshire handy steers. 1200 lbs each. Wear 7 inch yoke. Have done homestead chores, been to fairs and demonstrations. Friendly and very willing but sometimes pushy and opinionated. (Probably not someone's first team.) In Morrisville VT. $2800. For more information, contact Ivy Pagliari (hitchpointfarm@gmail.com).
North Country School in Lake Placid, NY is seeking applicants for their yearly Farm Fellow position with an increased push for someone with extensive horse experience. Apply here. They also have shorter, summer employment options available here.
For sale: Heavy duty forecart was built some years ago at a DAPNet Arch build event in Essex, NY. With a 2 x 2 square pole it can easily be converted to a team cart and as a spin off of a Barden cart-they would excel at both farming and logging.
$700 Greenwood, ME 04255
Cathy Heffernan - Call text or email 207-205-1268 Cathyheffernan4@gmail.com
For Sale: Grimm Tedder. Needs 1 gear casting repaired or replaced but most of it is intact and a good parts machine. $100
Contact Clair Embry (clair.embry@gmail.com)
Seeking Applicants: Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, Kentucky seeking a Draft Animal Coordinator to oversee the care, training, and use of draft animals like horses, oxen, and mules for tasks such as transporting guests, plowing, cultivating, mowing, logging, and hauling. The Farm supports the mission of Shaker Village by demonstrating the thoughtful stewardship of land and livestock through sustainable agriculture practices and by partnering with the Trustees Table to champion the use of The Farm’s products for our guests' dining experiences.
Home to the third largest Shaker community in the United States from 1805 until 1910, SVPH manages the country’s largest private collection of original 19th century buildings and is the largest National Historic Landmark in Kentucky.
For more information and to apply, please visit their website here.
Welcome to the DAPMap
This month we are introducing four NEW DAPMap additions!
Angela’s Farm- Is a small market garden that sells organic vegetables at the Stockholm Farmer’s Market. They work with their two oxen for cultivating, harrowing, moving manure, snow plowing, moving logs, and other various farm chores in Sweden.. You can contact them here.
Spotted Ox Farm- Belgian Horses in a market garden setting, school tours & mentorship available by appointment.
You can find them here.
Shepherd Moon Farm- Shepherd Moon Farm is a sheep dairy and creamery. They have two young draft horses that we're training to work the fields and the woods. Visit their website here.
Blue Dog Forestry- Consulting forestry and oxen logging in Massachusetts. Visit their website here.
Want to be featured on the map? Fill out the form today!
January Committee Updates
Executive Committee:
The Executive Committee has been working on creating hiring posts for a video producer, project manager, DAPMap developer, and audio producer. We have also been focusing on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integration and preparing budgets for the year. In addition, we’ve been reflecting on our values, reviewing our social media output, and reconnecting with past board members.
Events and Field Days Committee:
This past month’s Events Committee meeting continued discussion of what needed to be improved upon or changed at the 2025 Field Days. Check-ins were made about other upcoming events for the year in KY and NY and a solid list of DAPChats were laid out.
Finance and Fundraising Committee:
The finance committee has been busy working on the 2025 budget and year end annual report. This will be available for the membership to view with the annual appeal. This committee is currently overlapping with a hiring committee. They are working towards hiring contract employees to help finish projects funded by the 11th Hour Grant.
Education Committee:
This month the education committee is beginning to hone ideas from the December board retreat. Our current focus is on collaborating with partnering organizations. We want to understand their needs and goals, and create an open dialogue so that we can find new opportunities to work together and strengthen one another.
Communications Committee:
This month Communications has been developing a small round DAPNet sticker that we can hand out for free at fairs and conferences. We finished up our commemorative book to celebrate Field Days 2025 -- contact us to order yours if you haven't yet! We have also been working hard on our annual fundraising appeal, January membership drive, and a new-this-year Annual Report to sum up 2025. Looking ahead, we hope to have a presence at NOFA-VT and are planning to be represented at Horse Progress Days, the Draft Cattle Symposium, and Common Ground Country Fair once again. And stay tuned -- the podcast is not dead! We are about to begin our consultant search, to find a paid professional to edit podcast episodes! We will also be searching for a videographer to create a new instructional video series. We're extremely excited about that project and you will hear more about it VERY soon.
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Past Newsletters and
Our Forums Archive
Events Calendar
Have a draft animal related event you’d like to see on this calendar? Fill out our Events Submission Form and our volunteers will add your event to our calendar! (This could take a few days.)
February DAPChat with Barbara Corson
February 28th at 1pm on Zoom.
Working Animal Welfare. Free for DAPNet members, suggested donation $5 for non-members.
More information at https://www.draftanimalpower.org/dap-chats
Oxen Driving
March 14th and 15nd at Tillers International, Scotts MI.
In this two-day beginner class, you will learn driving techniques, terminology, and the basics of cattle behavior & psychology. Practicing with our oxen teams with input from expert instructors will build your skills & confidence while working on a variety of field tasks on Tillers’ farm. Taught by Rob Collins. $445 DAPNet members get 10% off.
Visit https://tillersinternational.org/classes/ for more information.
Mower Rendezvous
March 21st and 22nd. Northland Sheep Dairy, Marathon, NY
A fun group activity where we all work together to repair McCormick Deering #7 and IH #9 Horse drawn mowers for the upcoming season. All the tools and skills we have are shared. $100 per participant. New parts are available for purchase.
Visit www.teamsterschool.com for more information.
March DAPChat with Angela Patterson
March 28th at 1pm on Zoom.
Veggie Farming with Oxen. Free for DAPNet members, suggested donation $5 for non-members.
More information at https://www.draftanimalpower.org/dap-chats
Cultivator Rendezvous
April 4th and 5th. Northland Sheep Dairy, Marathon, NY
A fun group activity where we all work together to repair McCormick Deering straddle row cultivators for the upcoming season. All the tools and skills we have are shared. $100 per participant.
Visit www.teamsterschool.com for more information.
Southeast Teamster Gathering
April 10th, 11th, and 12th at Shaker Village in Harrodsburg KY
Connect learn and share with teamsters in the Southeast and beyond!
Visit https://www.draftanimalpower.org/gathering for more information.
Oxen Driving
April 11th and 12th at Tillers International, Scotts MI
In this two-day beginner class, you will learn driving techniques, terminology, and the basics of cattle behavior & psychology. Practicing with our oxen teams with input from expert instructors will build your skills & confidence while working on a variety of field tasks on Tillers’ farm. Taught by Rob Collins. $445 DAPNet members get 10% off.
Visit https://tillersinternational.org/classes/ for more information.
Draft Animal: Oxen Basics
April 25th and 26th at Sanborn Mills, Loudon NH
Are you considering an oxen team for your farm but wondering where to start? Join us for a two-day workshop to learn the things you need know about bringing a pair home, finding the right equipment for them, and learning how to work them. Our experienced instructors will train you in a safe and productive environment. Taught by Ray Ramsey and Tyler Allen. $288.
Visit https://sanbornmills.org/farm-garden/draft-animal-oxen-basics-4-25-26/ for more information.
Beginning Teamster School
May 9th and 10th. Northland Sheep Dairy, Marathon, NY
This hands-on program will focus on putting the animals and teamsters to productive tasks. Small ratios of students to instructors ensures lots of participation and learning. We will mix new students and returning students. This program will include horse handling and care, harnessing and driving, How to safely hook to logs and other farm equipment. We often do seasonally appropriate work if the weather permits. We can teach each other all the basic skills, and work together to learn and have fun. $300 per new student. $150 for returning students.
Visit www.teamsterschool.com for more information.
Draft Horse Basics
May 14th and 15th at Tillers International, Scotts MI
In this two-day class for beginners, experienced teamsters share draft horse handling, hitching, and driving skills. Participants begin by building confidence with the gentle giants in the barn, brushing and harnessing. Handling skills are then honed with simple ground driving of a single horse progressing to plowing and other field work with a team. Taught by Rick Eshuis. $410 DAPNet members get 10% off.
Visit https://tillersinternational.org/classes/ for more information.
Draft Animal: Farm & Garden
May 16th and 17th at Sanborn Mills, Loudon NH
Are you ready to put your team or a team of oxen to work on the Farm and gardens? Then this is the workshop for you. Spend two full days with hands-on experience learning about plowing, discing, planting, cultivating, and cart work. Students will gain a working knowledge of draft equipment and a needed maintenance schedule to work properly. Taught by Ray Ramsey and Tyler Allen $288.
Visit https://sanbornmills.org/workshops/draft-animal-farm-garden/ for more information.
Draft Animal: Oxen Basics
June 6th and 7th at Sanborn Mills, Loudon NH
Are you considering an oxen team for your farm but wondering where to start? Join us for a two-day workshop to learn the things you need know about bringing a pair home, finding the right equipment for them, and learning how to work them. Our experienced instructors will train you in a safe and productive environment. Taught by Ray Ramsey and Tyler Allen. $288.
Visit https://sanbornmills.org/farm-garden/draft-animal-oxen-basics-6-6-7/ for more information.
Oxen Basics Plus Yoke Making
June 21st-25th at Tillers International, Scotts MI
This comprehensive five-day class creates skills in driving, training, and yoking in a sequence of hands-on experiences. Enjoy well-trained oxen responding to your commands. Learn to select, team, and care for oxen. Use low-stress training to teach calves. Drive teams hitched to various loads and practice field tasks. Particpants will also make a yoke with hand tools. Beginner to intermediate class. Taught by Rob Collins and Tom Nehil. $675 DAPNet members get 10% off.
Visit https://tillersinternational.org/classes/ for more information.
MODA 30th Anniversary Gathering AND Draft Cattle Symposium 2.0!
June 25th-28th at Tillers International in Scotts Michigan
Tillers International and the Center for Draft Cattle Research team up for The Ox Extravaganza you’ve been waiting for. More details to come but the preliminary schedule is to have formal presentations in Tillers’ Museum on Thursday and Friday afternoons, with field demonstrations and hands-on sessions on the farm both Friday morning and all day Saturday. For more information contact tillers@tillersinternational.org.
Horse Progress Days 2026
July 3rd and 4th in Arthur Illinois
Visit https://horseprogressdays.com/ for more information.
19th World Percheron Congress
July 6, 2026. Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul, MN
For more information, visit https://www.worldpercheroncongress.us/
Draft Animal Power Field Days
October 2nd, 3rd, and 4th 2026 at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne VT.
Visit https://www.draftanimalpower.org/field-days for more information!