Welcome to the August Newsletter!

Welcome to the newsletter!

Here is a little update from the farm here in Quebec:

Since moving in late June 2026, my farming partner, Scott, and I have been working on putting a barn together from two old but very clean chicken coops. It was a pretty big project, but somehow, we managed to get most of it done in about eight days. All that’s left are a set of doors and two sides to shelter some equipment and hay for the winter.

Barn design is tricky. What if I buy a new horse because my old one is getting old? I’ll need a third stall. But what if it’s a mare and I want to have foals? Maybe I need four stalls. Okay, maybe the budget won’t allow that… Let’s start small: two stalls and a tiny stall for the sheep. That’s where I landed.

Maybe we’ll expand later. After all, I’m going to need a sheep barn at some point anyway.

Next on the list is getting the pastures back into shape. That’s going to be a bit more of a challenge. Some of them will need to be plowed and reseeded. I bought a sulky plow and practiced with it in the garden, where I also doubled the area we’ll have for growing garlic next year.

Now I need to fix the seeder I got for free from my mentor so I can seed new pastures next year. Or maybe I should plow the neighbour’s field (which they are renting to me for $0 and lots of love) and put in a new hay field.

So, should I invest my time in pastures or hay? On our property or the neighbour’s? Big questions.

In the meantime, the hay storage barn we have here was built by someone who had never built a barn before, and it is, unsurprisingly, starting to fall apart. BUT it’s my only storage space for hay. SO, let’s brace it, bring in the hay, and hope for the best.

Meanwhile, the firewood is still sitting on the forest floor, waiting to be picked up. We need 12 cords, and I currently have about two ready to burn

And my master’s article needs to be revised ASAP.

The good news is we have so many contracts coming our way. Logging is happening here ! That’s AWESOME news.

And I need to get ready for the three events my horses and I will be participating in: the Cookshire-Eaton Fair (Québec), Common Ground Fair (Maine), and Draft Animal Power Field Days (Vermont).

I also had the chance to visit my wonderful friend Julia in Vermont, along with her amazing horses, and see her logging business getting off the ground. She is truly inspiring!

Since moving here, I’ve also had the chance to meet some incredible Quebecers working with horses right here in my region. It’s funny how putting yourself out there can lead you to meet such amazing people.

And then there’s DAPNet, which needs a lot more of my attention. I’m still figuring out exactly what all the roles and responsibilities of being president of this association are. For now, I see my role as being a board member who represents the organization and tries to weave together information, people, and tasks. I think this role is different for every person who takes it on. I’m definitely not the person doing the most in this organization, but I do feel that my aspirations in life are very much aligned with the mission of our board. And connecting with people who work with draft animals has become one of my favourite things about being involved with DAPNet.

I can’t wait to meet you, see you, hug you, or high-five you at the Draft Animal Power Field Days 2026 in Shelburne, Vermont.

Enjoy this newsletter filled with an article from Ivy about MODA and a lot of information about our field days.

See you there!

Daphné Rose Courtès

Journey to the (mid) West - MODA’s 30th Annual Gathering

By: Ivy Pagliari

I was one of more than 100 people and 40 draft cattle who made the voyage to Tillers International in Scotts, Michigan to take part in The Midwest Ox Drovers Association’s 30th Annual Gathering June 26-28th.  

I really enjoy the modern marvel of the internet.  It allows access to information and inspiration as well as communication with other folks on a wide variety of niche and unusual topics that just would not be as accessible to me otherwise.  One of these topics is, of course, live power.  This is a realm that I doubt I would have been able to enter as successfully as I have without the ability to reach out to folks across the country, locate like minded individuals, and learn without having to reinvent the wheel.  

But I do admit that even the internet cannot compare with enjoying a beautiful evening on the Tillers campus with my friends.  I got to drive oxen through the obstacle course at 9:30pm in the fading light of the setting sun whilst getting pointers on showing cart class from someone who has worked oxen for 40 years.  And then I got to sit on the timber frame cants and watch other people take their turns until it was really too dark to see.  (Big thank you to oxen Clark and Sparky for making this magic happen.) 

Other highlights included:

-Watching the real time process of fitting a younger steer (who typically worked in a neck yoke) with a 3 pad collar.  This included adjusting the collar, the tugs, and the chain length to make sure the animal was comfortable and the cultivator was operating efficiently and effectively.  

-Being able to work alongside 20 people and at least 8 teams of cattle to put a field of loose hay in the barn in a few hours on Saturday afternoon.  This hay will last the Tillers’ oxen for most of the winter.

-Listening to loved ones introduce, celebrate, and reminisce about the folks who founded the organization 30 years ago as well as lamenting that I yet again failed to win the very cool raffle prize.  This year’s desired (by me) prize was a MODA t-shirt quilt that featured a prairie schooner and oxen quilted design made by Brenda Grettenberger.

I even found out about a website that I had never heard of through an in-person interaction!  (I thought I had surely been to every ox website on the internet.)  The website is oxnfrau.blogspot.com.  On it Eva Scheinost writes about her 12 years spent and thousands of kilometers covered walking with her animals across Europe.  While I have only scratched the surface of the treasure trove of entries, I definitely recommend it!  

While I might sometimes regret having spent 14 hours (each way) in the truck traversing scenic I-90 on the way from Vermont to Michigan, I never regret the fun, wisdom, and community that come from gathering in-person.  The handful of get-togethers that I attend keep me inspired for the whole year! 

Classifieds

Welcome to the DAPMap !

Committee Updates

Events

If you haven't seen already, registration is live!  This month in our meeting we discussed having more workshops on Sunday, updates on zero-waste crew, other upcoming events, merch deep dive and went over registration numbers so far.  

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! 

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

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!

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

Horses Strong

On August 28th and 29th, 2027 in Dörentrup, Germany, the next big festival of working horses will take place once again on the grounds of Wendlinghausen Castle and Estate in Dörentrup! Thousands of guests from Germany and abroad will gather to celebrate this special event!  Visit here for more information.