[gwpoky]

I think I am going to knock some down the next good stretch we get, it would be nice to have first crop all done before Horse Progress Days. Good Luck.

[gwpoky]

Tim,

Are you meeting me at my place?

[gwpoky]

Yah, that’s a little crazier than what I have in mind. I still think for traction draft animals and trains are the best way to go. I am looking at this from an electrical generation standpoint, something to tie in with wind and solar. Being that the wood gas has to be cooled before injection maybe that “waste heat” could be put to a good use as well? We try to conserve are much as we can here but we still have to purchase power from the electric co. it would be nice to get out of that loop and not use fuel hauled in from Colorado or Canada to run our home. So that’s what I am thinking keep the ideas and thought coming.

Thanks

[gwpoky]

As more people realize the benefits of draft power it will continue to grow out of pure economics if nothing else. Farms need to change as we return to a human scale farming practice that contains more diversity. People need to know that this isn’t your grandpas draft power either. With the advances in equipment ie. I&J, Pioneer, White Horse, ect. draft power becomes even more practical in our time.
We need to remember that technology can be a good thing in some cases but just because we think we can do something does not mean we should ie. GMO’s, Chemical pesticides, CAFO’s, the blatant waste of natural resources, ect. I am truly thankful for the DAP community for all the support and advice this and things like it will give us the resources necessary to build a brighter future. Happy spring to all.

[gwpoky]

Joel can explain it better than me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MIBn6qTZlI

[gwpoky]

Andy, I agree that life should not be able to be patented and we as farmers who choose to plant and save our own seed should have the right to do that without a fear of being prosecuted for genes we never wanted in the first place. Also I do not see genetic modification using bacterium to implant genes from a completely different species as anything close to cross breeding. You can put a tomato and spider in a room for weeks and they are not going to get it on.

[gwpoky]

A big concern of mine, as someone who plants open pollinated corn and other heirloom varieties, is contamination. I have heard of several cases in soybeans of farmers who have saved seed for more than thirty years, have been contaminated with GMO (roundup ready) beans then prosecuted and fined for supposedly infringing a patent? Though I do not grow soybeans I see this spilling over into other crops as more and more contain these patented genes. Most folks in the conventional ag system don’t understand why this bothers me so much and that scares me even more. The example I stated on a Facebook discussion I have been involved with was this: If I have a dog that runs loose and ends up breeding my neighbors dog(s), my neighbors are going to be upset and demand that I either kennel my dog or destroy it. In my opinion Monsanto ect. needs to Kennel there dog. Any thoughts?

[gwpoky]

Erik,

Every time you post I smile. What you are doing on your farm inspires me on mine. I had wanted to find a way to produce electrical power to store, especially in the winter when my teams are not working quite as much. After reading posts of yours a few years ago I slowed down and started thinking and researching more. I have since visited several Amish shops using direct (through a carousel and shaft) draft power. I think reducing our need for electric power and getting that power from sun, wind, and water is most likely a better route. I still think draft power for transportation is a great way to go, but we need to get back to local economies, why do we always have to be in such a hurry, life is short.

thanks for posting.

[gwpoky]

Billy, Good thinking, I’ll have Chickens, sheep, and cows that will need to continue their pasture dance when we’re gone. Very excited. Hope to meet you all.

[gwpoky]

Brigle,

If you message me your mailing address I will send the film to you, as long as you promise to pass it on again. 🙂

[gwpoky]

Just wanted to say again that I commend all who where involved it putting this film together, I have never done such a thing, but I am sure it takes allot of work and determination as do most things worth doing. Maybe we will see a sequel that gets a little deeper into the everyday ins and outs of farming with draft animals in this fast paced world:-)
Starting a small business, in most cases, is hard weather it is farming or not. I, and I am a bit biased, find farming with horses to actually be easier financially and spiritually than farming with tractors. Though it may be a bit more physically demanding, especially in the beginning, I have found as time goes on I am able to afford/fabricate better equipment for my farming practice so it get a little less physical as well. Anyway I know its hard to get going but its worth it in the long run.

[gwpoky]

in reply to njfarmer: As I said above I thought the film wasn’t very upbeat, I went from farming with tractors to farming exclusively with horses and haven’t looked back the joy and peace I feel while working my teams, even on our bad days, can narrowly be put to words, for me at least. I was glad to see Carl on the film I wish they would have talked to him a bit more. For a film titled the farmer and the horse I didn’t see enough horse in my opinion, I thought it was more: do I want to be a farmer and maybe included horses? I am not saying it should have been all Rah Rah for ecstasy of farming with horse, though that’s what I feel. In a nut shell I think I came to the film with the wrong expectations due to the title and my thought process, hope it would show the progressiveness of our craft and its growing place in the sustainable future of agriculture and small diversified farms. Just my three cents looking forward to see what others thought. It’s time for me to go out and hook some horses. 🙂

[gwpoky]

NJ,

I have posted a discussion in the sustainable farming forum to talk about this documentary, I will comment over there. Sorry I probably should have only posted it in one area.

Thanks,

[gwpoky]

As far as agriculture information I would go with the Small farmers Journal, The Draft Horse Journal is more a Draft Horse industry publication and focuses allot on showing horses, it dose has a yearly Work Horse edition that is pretty cool. I get both, but find the SFJ the most useful.

[gwpoky]

Look foreword to it every quarter, along with this forum it lets me know I am not completely crazy or if I am there are allot of crazies just like me 🙂

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