Welcome to the June Newsletter!

Oxen versus Diesel

By: Kevin Cunningham

Gas prices are high and diesel prices in Humboldt county are even higher. The sticker shock is real.  We historically pay some of the highest fuel prices in the country here in Humboldt county.  There are many reasons for this but it is part of being behind the “redwood curtain.”  There is no way around it. We are all going to feel the price crunch of this new energy crisis.  

It is times like these that I am often asked about the oxen because ostensibly they save me money on fuel that I wouldn’t have to put into a tractor.  This is true they do run off of grass and sunshine.  In fact it is one of the reasons that I was drawn towards draft animals.  I wanted to find a way to grow “petrol free” produce.  I love farming and when I was a tractor farmer I spent many hours burning diesel.  I loved turning the earth and prepping the soil.  This is my real skill as a farmer.  I have a deep and intuitive knowledge of the ground that I have honed with many hours on a tractor.  The diesel, hydraulic fluid, and lithium grease felt like my deal with the devil.  I got to do the good work that I loved but I had to use petroleum products.  I never liked the smell and toxicity of them.  

I wanted to find a better way that didn’t involve burning stinky diesel.  I wanted to hear the soil slipping off the plow rather than the constant roar of the engine.  I also didn’t want to be alone.  I wanted to share the experience with a team.  I spent days and days on end alone on a tractor.  The idea of working with draft animals seemed like the ideal way to farm and work the earth but not have to use petroleum.  

In many ways I have succeeded in that.  I get to go out with my team of oxen everyday and work in the field without burning diesel.  But it is always more nuanced than that.  We still have a tractor, but I am lucky that I don’t have to sit alone on it out in the field plowing up dirt.  We use it mostly for the compost making side of our operation.  It is still more cost effective to use it rather than a shovel for moving manure around.  I use it for unloading pallets of feed and other supplies.  The tractor is still really valuable to our operation and I am grateful for it but I still gasp when I have to fill up the diesel right now.  

And then there is the elephant in the room.  Transportation.  Most farmers I know who use a tractor still put more diesel in their truck than the tractor.  Transportation costs are the largest factor in almost all products including agricultural products.  The fact of the matter is that most people use more fuel driving themselves around than we do on the farm.  We are lucky to market all of our produce within a fifty mile radius to the farm.  Everything I grow is sold in Humboldt county, and still my single biggest fuel expense is transportation.  Unfortunately the amount I save on fuel because of my oxen doesn’t cancel out the cost of getting to market.  It does help but ultimately we have to find a better way to solve transportation.  

I am lucky I get to work with my team every day.  They only emit fertility in their emissions, and they are not very loud when chewing their cud.  They run off solar power and water.  They have personality and sometimes they actually seem like they listen to me when I rant.  Now if only they would take me into town.  

The Women and LGBTQ+ Teamster Gathering of 2026

By: Natasha Klemek

Photo Credit: Meghan Alexander

As it turned out, the burn ban was for brush, and we could have a campfire. And thank goodness for that because Saturday, May 2nd in Marathon NY had turned out overcast, chilly, and not without a handful of snowflakes drifting down on us. It was now the evening of the first day of our weekend event and I think there were about a dozen of us who had stuck around after supper- the incredible supper prepared for us by Corey, which we ate sitting around Donn’s mower shop, passing stories around the circle over kebabs and rice- and now we packed around a cheery little campfire as the sun went down. The conversations kept up, lively and jumbled. A few people worked on crochet projects- sharing yarn and teaching each other new stitches. I managed to convince a small but enthusiastic contingent to sing some spring-themed rounds with me, and as karmic retribution for subjecting everyone else to our little concert inhaled a lungful of woodsmoke. 

We talked about what we wanted to do the next day. Madeline had brought along her pair of working steers but we hadn’t done anything with them yet- while en route that morning she had had to change a couple trailer tires, so both Madeline and the steers got to take it easy once they did finally arrive. So Saturday had instead been full on with horses- Becky giving a harnessing demonstration with two of Northland’s incredible Suffolks, Mary and Rock, while those of us not directly participating in the harnessing crooned over or cuddled with the other animals on the farm- young horses, baby lambs, and Becky and Corey’s new Patterdale terrier puppy, Sally. After a potluck lunch we had gotten right back to it, and folks got to practice ground driving with a single horse or with a team. 

On Sunday the sun came out, but so did the wind, although it hardly seemed to suppress anyone’s enthusiasm for spending time with the animals. We spent the whole morning with Madeline and her steers, so there was lots of time both for questions and discussion, and for practice driving the team and skidding some logs. In the afternoon we pulled out a walk-behind cultivator and got to do some real work preparing soil with horse power. 

Throughout the weekend there was ample opportunity for hands-on practice for everyone who wanted it. Since the folks at the event had a wide range of experience levels, there was also ample opportunity for those with more experience to practice coaching those with less. I remember the broad smiles, especially on the faces of folks who had never held lines or a goad before- and am warmed by the thought of what can be accomplished by generous, patient people and good animals.

The pace of the weekend was gentle and laid back, with a decent amount of time given to letting people socialize. Still, we covered quite a lot. Partly this was due to the fact that while we were standing around talking, we were also sharing knowledge. During this “down time” we had a book swap, made art with paint and cyanotype prints, traded horse training advice… People came to this event ready to contribute, and it created an atmosphere of peer to peer learning that was inspiring.

The three of us who spearheaded this year’s women and queer teamster gathering had attended the one that Julia Ramsey organized three years ago (also held in May at Northland Sheep Farm). The sense of community and inspiration that I felt after that weekend in 2023 buoyed me through the rest of the farming season. When the feelings of overwhelm, overwork, and isolation hit in the depths of the growing season, I had this bright touchstone to think back on from the spring. After a number of years without another similar event, Becky, Saxon, and I finally decided over lunch at DAPNet’s Field Days last fall that we had to bring it back (a quick plug for Field Days- it’s a great venue for finding partners to embark on wonderful projects with). We wanted another chance to bring folks together, have fun and share knowledge, and strengthen those networks of support that are so crucial to continuing on with this work that can be so hard. 

Thank you to everyone who came to our gathering and made it a success, and to Donn Hewes and Maryrose Livingston for hosting, and Corey McNaughton for cooking, and a huge thanks to Becky Frye and Saxon Alexandra for organizing. 

Here’s hoping it doesn’t take another 3 years to have the next one!

Photo Credit: Meghan Alexander

Photo Credit: Meghan Alexander

Welcome to the DAPMap

Committee Updates

Events

This month we discussed options for zero waste at mealtimes.  The team is working hard to come up with the least waste as possible!  The schedule for the weekend is being curated and ongoing and we are hoping to get it live to the public ASAP.  Field Days is right around the corner!

To Our DAPNet sponsors:

Thank you to the businesses, organizations, and individuals who have already sponsored the 2026 DAPNet Field Days (October 2nd-4th at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne VT). If you'd still like to sponsor, now is a great time! Visit www.draftanimalpower.org/field-days to sponsor or to find out more!

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! 

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

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 2026

October 2nd, 3rd, and 4th 2026 at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne VT.

Visit https://www.draftanimalpower.org/field-days for more information!

Introduction to Working with Draft Cattle

September 27; 10:00 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. Lorsch, Germany

Have you always wanted to get a taste of the world of draft cattle training and work? Then this course is perfect for you. The one-day course covers an introduction to cattle behavior, harness knowledge, training options, and finally, suitable fields of work for draft cattle. In addition to theoretical sessions, the course offers the opportunity to gain initial practical experience with various training cattle.

Course fee: €100 per person, including meals and course materials

Registration: c.kropp@kloster-lorsch.de — Registration deadline: March 16 and September 20

Agricultural Work with Draft Cattle

October 11, 10:00 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. Lorsch, Germany

Draft cattle can be used in a variety of ways in agriculture. Whether in arable farming, grassland management, or fruit growing, cattle can find suitable tasks. This one-day course aims to introduce the specific agricultural training of cattle and, above all, present the different fields of work and provide practical exercises. It will cover machinery and equipment operation, as well as aspects of occupational safety and economic efficiency.

Course fee: €100 per person, including meals and course materials

Registration: c.kropp@kloster-lorsch.de — Registration deadline: October 1

You can now reach the DAPNet team at info@draftanimalpower.org!  Don't worry, we still get the messages from dapnetinfo@gmail.com, but our new email comes with more digital storage and easier communication for our dedicated volunteer crew.  Hope to hear from you soon!

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