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Michael Colby
ParticipantMy expert tells me — or is that just my finger in the wind? — those with buckets should wait at least another week.
P.S. I’m in North Central Vermont.
ParticipantI cut and pulled wood for a cordwood house in Worcester, Vermont last year. The folks who hired me (and built the house for themselves) were good friends with Rob Roy and had quite a bit of assistance from him. I’ll try to insert a photo of the finished house. Also, they’re nice folks and I’m sure they wouldn’t mind visitors to see their finished “product.” His name is Ivan McBeth of Worcester, Vermont and I’m sure some Googling will find his number and even some more images of the project.
For me, it was a great horse logging job — close to home and a chance to be a part of a pretty inspiring endeavor. I’ve been back each year to pull firewood for them from their woods. Like I said, fine folks who appreciate and value the work of horses.
ParticipantHey Rod,
I’m giving sleigh rides in Stowe all week so I probably won’t be able to call you until Sunday. Do you have a price in mind for the bobsled?
Thanks.
ParticipantIgnorance. But they don’t make it look too blissful.
ParticipantGreat to hear from you, Aaron. I hope farrier school is going well and we look forward to having you back in Vermont by next spring.
ParticipantHorse logging plus firewood equals great exercise. Hey, it’s cheaper than a health club (for you and the horses).
And now that I’ve gotten my snarky response out of the way, let me admit to this: I’m in the middle of my second firewood job this month.
My first firewood job this month was the kind that I try to get: Pulling firewood for landowners and being paid by the hour for my services. Key words: Paid by the hour. I charge anywhere from $35-45/hour, depending on the travel, my mood, the terrain, the customer, etc.
This job was for a repeat customer who wanted to save money by cutting and limbing his own trees. Despite my warnings that it really wouldn’t end up saving him much money, he insisted. And, sure enough, it didn’t save him much money since he mostly cut the wrong trees, in the wrong direction, in the wrong places and in the wrong lengths (too short).
But, then again, he had the last laugh (for now), by declaring upon the completion of the job that he was “broke.” First time this ever happened to me. But after the necessary steps of anger, embarrassment, denial and then back to reality, we worked out a payment plan for the coming months (yes, months). Breathe and repeat after me: It was good exercise for me and the horse.
Job number two involves my own land and the firewood byproduct of thinning out a young sugarbush. If it wasn’t my land, it wouldn’t be worth it but here’s what I’ve calculated so far:
On my best days, I can cut and pull between three and four cords in a day to my landing. I can sell a truckload of about 7 cords to customers for about $750. My trucker charges me $275/per load for trucking. This means I’m netting $475 a load. And, remember, none of this takes into account my other expenses — fuel, horse feed, breakdowns, etc.
It wouldn’t work if I didn’t own the land. And it won’t last, because I own the land and I’m only trying to thin a maple stand.
Which brings me back to my first point: Exercise.
Despite my problems with the firewood client who failed to pay, I really think horse loggers should be marketing this service more aggressively. There are a number of land trust, current use and otherwise just land rich folks out there who need to know that we can work to revive their forest land AND provide them with an essential product (read: firewood).
End of story.
ParticipantI agree with the need to give this project the attention it deserves. I believe that it is extremely important to wed the practical skills with the political realities/dreams. Yes, we all love working with our horses. But we also all live within a political system that wields an enormous influence upon the choices we make — or are allowed to make.
I’d like to believe that there is a powerful underlying political/social/cultural aspect to what we are striving for in our day-to-day encounters in the horse world. And hats off to Lynn Miller for making the effort — once again — to bring us together to chew on the bigger questions within the bigger picture.
Personally, I’m more attracted to answering those questions from a local or regional perspective. And I think all of us who are toiling with horses to “get the job done” can offer an essential perspective and even leadership in the growing political discourse on sustainable farm/forestry policy, renewable energy and “localism.”
We’re not just talking about it, we’re doing it. Everyday. And I’m all for the efforts to exercise our democratic rights — and responsibilities! — to stand up, speak out, and get organized about our lives and livelihoods.
At this point, my only critique of Miller’s “Small Farms Conservancy” project is the third word in his group’s name. Conservancy? Sorry, but it sounds old and dated to me– kind of musty and dusty. Sure, we need to conserve, but we also need to inspire, envision and create the future of farming with our very important stamp upon it.
Let’s let the Monsantos and John Deere’s of the world play defensive and seek to “conserve” what they once had, while we use our draft animal power to pass them by with our critical “back to the future” lifestyle and outlook that has one criitical advantage: It makes sense.
The Horse People’s Union, Local 101? Or, better yet, the Union of Rural Folk? Sign me up.
Just some thoughts after I put the horses away after our first day of deer & horse flies here in Central Vermont.
ParticipantJean, I’d love to see more photos of the horses that sold. I had to leave early and only got to see a couple of horses go through. I’m particularly interested in the gorgeous and quiet Belgian that was only trained to ride (six-year-old?) and the 10-month-old Belgian that was already hooked to a cart. Also, which horse fetched the $2800?
As usual, it was great to see and hang around so many draft addicts at the auction. Nice work.
ParticipantSorry, folks, but I respectfully disagree. The “radicalism” of Lynn Miller is exactly what the farm movement needs. And, please, don’t forget that “radical” means “getting at the root” of things.
The fact that Miller combines his political radicalism with his agricultural radicalism is precisely what drew me to his endeavors. Miller understands that it is the political apathy of the various sustainable ag movements that has led to the dire predicaments that we are all in now. We never pushed back as advocates when the “get big or get out” mentality won the day and forced this nation’s small ag-producers into near-extinction. And too many of us still refuse to understand that there is a necessary political response that MUST accompany our practical/skillful response.
But Miller gets this. And bravo to him for being the visionary that he is.
As for the specific line of poetry that Andre is particularly confounded with, I say: Let it mean what you want it to mean. It is, at the very least, a great image. Offensive to a child? Lighten up. Because I’d bet “the children” would enjoy it (and move on) way before we had a chance to worry about it.
Besides, the line in question sure means a hell of a lot more to me than “peace through strength,” “war on terror,” and “environmentally-friendly nuclear power.”
But, then again, this is all coming from a man who found Scott Nearing’s politics way-more inspiring than his insufferable demands that we all dig our ponds by hand, etc. So, as usual, take it with a grain of salt.
Go, Lynn Miller, go. And thanks for holding a mirror to the madness while showing us a different way.
ParticipantHey Aaron. Thanks for helping yesterday. I just stumbled on your account of it.
And let me second Carl’s filling in between your (written) lines, you’ve clearly done your homework. It shows, especially with that handy chainsaw work in three feet of snow.
You certainly drove Big Jim like you’ve been paying attention at all the DAP events. And it was a pleasure working with you.
All praise to DAP for making these kinds of connections possible.
ParticipantDon’t get hung up on the breed. Instead, focus on the temperament, training and experience with the jobs you need performed. And if a seller tells you it can do something, ask to see it done. There are many, many good horses of all breeds and mixes out there. But there are also many, many horse sellers who can spin some magnificent yarns about breeds, lineage and the like. Phooey. Figure out what you want a horse/mule/donkey to do, find someone who knows what they’re doing to help you look, and then start looking — without your breed-blinders on.
ParticipantThe fellow who wrote the v-plow article for Small Farmers Journal was my friend and horse-logging partner, Boots Wardinski. He’s now amassed a collection of the plows — different sizes for different tasks. I’m going to try and post a photo of Boots at work with one of his plows during a snowstorm last month.
The seat is key, but make sure you’ve got a quiet horse/team before you venture to sit on it. It can be quite the ride if the horses act up. Also be careful on the downhills when it’s icy. It can — and will — sneak up on the back of the horse(s) if you’re not using a pole or shafts.
I’m in the process of making my own for road clearing. But for sleigh and recreation trails I’ve been packing the snow by dragging an old hood from a truck with weights (sometimes kids, sometimes logs) behind my forecart. It’s working great.
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ParticipantI’ve had several horses here that did the same thing. My solution? Heavier load and more work. I built a pretty heavy breaking sled that has cured most of them of this habit. Every time they get dancing/prancing feet, I ask them to keep moving the feet in the direction/manner that I want. We repeat as necessary until they figure out that “whoa” doesn’t just mean a stop, but a rest and break, too. If they’ve got a good head on their shoulders, they’ll figure it out soon enough.
ParticipantWhew. Thanks for rescuing this topic from the “other” thread (speaking of which, bravo to Carl for his thoughtful retort over there).
For me, the topic of cantering in harness is all about the work that one is doing or is expecting from the horses wearing the harness. There is NOTHING I do with draft horses that calls for a canter. I log, do farm work, and give sleigh and hay wagon rides, none of which comes close to requiring the additional speed of a canter. Have my boys ever broken into a canter? Sure. My response? Bring ’em back to a trot unless I asked for the canter. Putting the bit in their mouths and the lines in my hands means I’m providing the guidance and, most importantly, making the critical decisions about direction and — yes — speed.
But, who knows, maybe there’s a future out there for the NASCAR equivalent of wagon rides. It won’t be the first trend that has left me behind.;)
ParticipantI hope you don’t teach that, my friend. My grandfather — of the Emerson Percheron clan in Eagle Grove, Iowa — would have put an end to that before it had a chance to start.
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