[dominiquer60]

Prayers for them indeed. I know that there was a lone organic farm in the Virgin Islands that was OK after Irma, but Maria may be different. My friends in Mexico are suffering from the Earthquake as well. So many challenges these days.

Erika

[dominiquer60]

Mike Rock,

If it is the Dominique60 Erika that you are concerned about, she is fine and lives in CT 🙂

Erika

[dominiquer60]

The 2017 Draft Animal Power Field Days will be welcoming the American Suffolk Horse Association and its members as they hold their annual meeting at the same time in Cornish, NH. Several of their members will be presenting or demonstrating at our event with their Suffolk Punch draft horses. Chad Vogel will be bringing his stallion, John Hammond will be opening the museum at the fair for our viewing, and Liza Howe from Illinois will be helping with the multiple hitch demonstration, Jay Bailey, Bill West and others will be involves as well. Our past keynote speaker way back 10 years ago, Jason Rutledge from the Blue Ridge will be joining us again, in the woods, talking about on farm breeding, and in the round pen. If you want to see and learn about the wonderful and rare Suffolk Punch horse, this will be a event that you won’t want to miss. http://flofarm.org/dap/dap-field-days/
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[dominiquer60]

BRING YOUR HORSE TO THE TRAINER. (Friday Intensive)
a very special opportunity at this years Draft Animal Power Field Days!! Giving YOU a chance to bring your horse to be handled by the experts.

The bring your horse to the trainer will be set up a little bit differently. Neal & Rebekah Perry are lifelong horse trainers, using horses in their farm operation on a regular basis in addition to training light horses for saddle and harness work. This day-long session will cover the basics of their two standard programs. Tailored to meet the needs of the horses and owners who are present.

Physical Therapy Bitting Program is used to teach horses to yield to the bit (“steering”) and develop proper muscling so they can work effectively and efficiently. It is a great way to teach young horses and is a “tune-up” tool for older horses as well.

5 Steps to a Great Drive could be described as “round-pen basics in a bottle” to use when you don’t have a round pen or don’t know what to do in the pen you have. These steps act as a checklist to take a young horse from “0-60” in a safe, logical progression that can result in a horse who is “on your team.”

Learn from your horse(s) and each other. Bring your choice of harness, saddle, etc. The cost is $100 per horse for multiple short sessions during the day and PRE-REGISTRATION is required.

All Friday intensives last from 9 am to 4 pm with a break for lunch and available food on site. The cost is no comparison to the experience that you will receive from these amazing presenters we have compiled for the 2017 Animal Power Field Days.

[dominiquer60]

Another AWESOME opportunity on Friday at The Draft Animal Power Field Day. Ever thought about growing vegetables with the help of draft power? ever wanted to transition away from heavy tractors in your already awesome gardens? ever just wanted to watch and learn from some pro environmentally friendly veggie farmers? This Friday Intensive might be just what you are looking for!

The SEED TO SALE WORKSHOP will be led by Stephen Leslie at his Cedar Mountain Farm in Hartland VT about 20 minutes from the Cornish Fairgrounds in Cornish NH. Stephen who will be joined by Michael Glos, David Fisher and others will start with a farm tour which will be followed by a survey of all the equipment used to manage a market garden with animal power.

Demonstrations will follow on how to use tillage equipment focusing mostly on cultivation as it is perhaps the most technically interesting aspect of market gardening.

Hands on experience is available for those with some experience!!! Super exciting to learn from a professionally used team of draft horses!

Following the “dirty” part of the day and throughout thee will be discussion of the economics of draft powered veggie production, covering interns, employees, law around veggie farming and benefit of working with animals in your gardens.

Register for Friday TODAY!!

[dominiquer60]

BEGINNING TEAMSTER WORKSHOP Sept 29th.

Looking to get into the draft world but don’t know where to Start???

The Draft Animal-Power Field Days is the place to Start!

Begin your weekend with our intensive course
Beginning Teamster Workshop
This workshop will offer instruction for the beginner on actually harnessing and driving a team and single horse . It will start with an explanation of working horses and safety. Then in small groups with one-on-one instruction, participants will learn to harness and drive a wheeled vehicle and ground drive with a log. All ages are welcome. The class will be limited to 10.

Bring a Friend or tell a friend who is looking for an affordable first experience with Draft Horses!!

Register TODAY!!!
http://flofarm.org/dap/dap-field-days/registration/

We look forward to Seeing you on Sept 29th.

[dominiquer60]

Forest to Frame Workshop
at
The Draft Animal Power Field Days!!!

http://flofarm.org/dap/dap-field-days/registration/

Carl Russell has developed a comprehensive harvesting plan for a section of the Cornish NH Fairgrounds forest that can highlight the effectiveness of draft animal power and show how forestry objectives can be implement to enhance ownership and community goals
to invest in residual stand improvement
to show the effectiveness of draft animals in the woods
and to demonstrate that logging is more than dragging logs.

Carl and other experienced loggers and foresters will be demonstrating and discussing planning the harvest, starting the harvest, working with animal in the woods, and timber harvesting equipment for draft animals.

This workshop is aimed at teamsters who want to or are presently working in the woods with draft animal power and at landowners who are interested in the possibility of using draft animal power.

This is going to be real practitioners performing their craft to execute a forestry prescription. You will get a very real sense of what a log job can be like and how forestry work can feel.

Read the entire plan and look at maps of where will be working https://www.facebook.com/DraftAnimalPowerNetwork/posts/10155332935299870

We will see you on the 29Th!!

[dominiquer60]

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!
The final day of the 2017 Draft Animal-Power Field Days is shaping up to be very exciting in many ways. This is a jam packed day, please read down for all of the wonderful activities.

Sunday Admission-
FREE – Elders & Veterans (USA and Canadian) Sponsored by Erika Marczak & Will Stephens
FREE – Children under 12
FREE – To each person who donates an item for the Benefit Auction worth $25 or greater
Only $10 – For all others

Teamster Breakfast made by our wonderful Jean Cross and Jennifer Judkins. Rise and shine with fresh foods grown using draft power from our supporting farmers! Donations appreciated.

After breakfast we will be harnessing and hitching horses, oxen and mules for the Obstacle Course. Teamsters will be open to questions and conversation, tag along and watch the action.

Gathering of the Veterans- Combat Veteran Chip Pinder from Blue Star Equiculture tells the story of how working horses have changed his life, follow him along for a veterans eye view of the mornings activities.

6 Horse Hitch of Suffolk Punch horses. Watch as Donn Hewes and Liza Howe put together a larger hitch suitable for some serious field work.

During the morning be sure to register for our DAPNet Benefit Auction so you can live bid (11AM) and silent bid away on donated items. Visit and/or join our Marketplace where various people will have draft animal farm and forest items for sale, a small portion of sales will go toward DAPNet. Please reach out to us with items you would like to donate or sell in our marketplace, or just bring them along with you. It is the responsibility of the owner to remove all purchased, unsold or winning bid items.

Timber Frame Building – This 12’ x 14’ frame (no roof or siding) will be finished and raised with timber framer Andrew Purdy. It will be auctioned off following the Benefit Auction. This building will be one of a kind and most importantly all of the timbers will be harvested locally by Draft Powered Loggers and cut & assembled onsite. Shipment is your responsibility but temporary storage is available if needed.

Following lunch the winners will be announced for the Harness Raffle and Silent Auction.
The Raffle, you haven’t heard??? DAPnet is raffling off a brand new single draft sized New England D-Ring semi-gloss biothane harness built by well renowned harness makers Bowman’s Harness of Ohio. Need not be present to win.

Follow our website for more details. http://flofarm.org/dap/dap-field-days/

[dominiquer60]

2017 Draft Animal-Power Field Days!!!!

Calling all Volunteers past, present or future, please take notice.

All volunteers of at least 2 hours will be given one 2017 DAPnet t-shirt (green) and also a 2qt bag of Black Dirt Farm High Potency Worm Castings.

Firstly, a larger volunteer job
We would really like to get someone who is excited to move around and see a lot to write an article on the field days for the DAPnet newsletter. A free lunch and conversation with board members is available for this position on Saturday.

We need help with the following and assignments will be given out based on skill sets and depending how soon you sign up to help.
Thursday-
General set up, and barn prep
Friday
Photographer, parking attendants, recycling and trash, general set up, “Go – for” or runner for things others need, covering the DAPnet info booth, and set up for the Square Dance on Friday night,
Saturday
Similar tasks as Friday plus, wagon ride assistant, Looking for volunteer children for Brad Johnson’s workshop in the afternoon.
Sunday
Assistants for the Silent and Live Auctions, Teamster Breakfast assistants, parking, obstacle course assistant, “Go For”, covering the DAPnet info booth

Please email us today if you would like to get involved: DAPnetInfo@gmail.com

[dominiquer60]

Build your own oak and steel stone boat at the 2017 Draft Animal Power Field Days, only 2 weeks away. Sign up soon to reserve your stone boat kit.

[dominiquer60]

New this year, learn how working draft horses helped a Combat Veteran. Chip Pinder of Crossed Cannon Farm will be presenting with Blue Star Equiculture’s bay Shires, Tommy and Ben. Learn how the horses helped him adjust to life back home.

The Draft Animal Power Field Days on September 29- October 1 at the Cornish NH Fairgrounds will be presenting a workshop “Veterans and Agriculture: Draft Powered Healing” on Saturday. Veterans, elders, children under 12 and folks donating to the benefit auction will also receive free admission on Sunday.
—————-

Chip Pinder- “While harnessing my team of Shires, Ben and Tommy, I will be sharing my story. The story of a Combat Veteran returning home without a sense of purpose and the constant struggle to adjust to life on this side of the world, until discovering draft animal power and agriculture. I hope to highlight ways that you can understand and tap into a growing demographic of Veterans.

Join me for a morning of discussion, enlightenment and most of all, horsepower! Afterwards, explore the other draft animal power workshops or stay with me for a wagon ride.

Returning from combat, Veterans need a sense of purpose, not just a job.

We, as Veterans, know that we made a difference, and when we come home, there is no way to connect with anyone on the same level, let alone make the impact we have trained all of our lives to create. A fellow Veteran describes his PTSD not as a disorder, but as “Separation Anxiety.” With that in mind, we will explore ways that working with a draft team, can lead to a sense of purpose and a new found sense of belonging.”

More info:

https://docs.google.com/…/1sqQuOaNCDBuYV-NZfDsd…/mobilebasic

[dominiquer60]

Saturday at the Draft Animal-Power Field Days is the meat and potatoes of our event. Come join us for a day full of engaging workshops and social meals. The evening will include our DAPNet Annual Meeting followed by a Round Table Discussion: How Do We Create the Draft Animal Power Future that We Want?

Saturday will also include an all day Stoneboat Workshop where participants will build their own stoneboat ($115 material fee for oak boards, steel head and fasteners).

Find the schedule and registration on our website, http://flofarm.org/dap/dap-field-days/

We hope to see many new and familiar faces in 2 weeks!

[dominiquer60]

We had a mare with bad sweet itch. Contact Jennifer Judkins at Resting Heart Farm, she was able to help her some and she uses nutrition as a place to start. Anything with carbs or sugars can increase inflammation responses, like itching. Your mare sounds a lot like ours in regards to loosing weight and no appetite in the summer.

Best Wishes with this issue, I wish I could tell you more,

Erika

[dominiquer60]

I know that some of you don’t “do” facebook, but I posted some pictures and shared them on our Facebook Page. In theory you need not be a member of facebook in order to see them. Scroll down for the 48+ photos and also a video of the Jourdant tool with plow attachment. So manny great things to write about, but I need to go pick strawberries. I hope you can view them and enjoy. https://www.facebook.com/DraftAnimalPowerNetwork/

[dominiquer60]

To everyone going to Horse Progress Days this coming weekend, DAPNet Co-Founder Carl Russell will be giving a D-Ring Harness Fitting (is says Collar fitting on schedile) workshop both days at 11:30 AM in the Outdoor Arena. We will be getting together afterwards for an informal social media gathering that will likely lead to eating lunch and much spontaneous conversation. If you are attending, and would like to “real life face to face” with your Facebook friends, join us this coming Friday and Saturday at the 24th Annual Horse Progress Days in Leola, PA.

P.S. While you are there you can check out our D-Ring raffle harness and purchase raffle tickets for your chance to win. http://www.horseprogressdays.com/schedule.asp

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