My View of Draft Animals and Land Use In The Future…

[TBigLug]

This forum looked bare so I wanted to share my hope for the future of our world.

I envision a day where instead of 10,000 acre superfarms tearing up the ground with diesel burning 500 hp tractors subsidized by the government to keep prices down and their pockets lined, we have a much more intertwined approach. I see 50 acre farms. Worked with horses (though each farm I believe should own a small loader tractor) on the plow, disc, planter, drag, packer, rake, etc. The chemical fertilizers are gone, replaced by the timely spreading and turning under of horse, chicken, pig and cow manure. The days of the Roundup ready seeds are gone, replaced with a team of horses and a cultivator. Everyone grows their own garden to feed the family and sell tot he neighbors who are less fortunate and don’t have the necessary skills to be in agriculture. I can go down to the local farmers market and purchase a half of beef raised by my neighbors, a gallon of UN pasteurized milk fresh from their milking cows free of hormones and steroids, fresh cheese and hard salami, etc. Property taxes are lower, the government regulates less and sticks it’s nose, not in my personal business, but keeps to the business of defending me and my neighbors from harm. There are still computers, high tech phones and busy office schedules, but for the other people. Meanwhile I sit around a campfire after a day of skidding logs witht he neighbors, grilling hotdogs, tossing back a few brews and discussing the simpler things in life.

That’s my basic view of Draft Animals and Land Use in the future. I have many more specific ideas as to how things should work but this is something to mill over for a minute…

[Simple Living]

Pssssst….John, What are you doing in my dream?…….

I do have to say that it sounds good to me. Although I am afraid of what the world would have to go through. I think after reading your post that I would like to get together with you some day. I am close to the Mi, In,Oh. borders, Not so far from you I think. Like you I also wish that we were closer to the northeast so that we could have went to the NEAPFD. I’ve been to Horse Progress Days, It is great if you just want to spend money, but if you want the personal attn. type small workshops, its not there. Here’s hoping we can see that dream come true..

Gordon

[Carl Russell]

Right on. Let’s keep the dream alive. We are not alone. There is a ground swell of people who feel in their bones the realities of which you speak.
Thanks for posting that.
Carl

[Joshua Kingsley]

Can I get a place in that community? It sounds like just the place I would want to be. Thanks for sharing.
Joshua

[TBigLug]

I thought you guys might like my idea of the future. There would have to be alot of changes in the way the world works to realize the dream, but, you’ve gotta start somewhere.

[Bumpus]

.
Over the years I have talked to some of the farmers who have farmed the old and new ways.
Most of them say that you would need about 100 acres of good land to be self sufficient and live off of your own farm, raising everything you need, and not have to work outside of the farm for someone else.

Even back during the Free Homestead give away land programs the government felt a family need 160 acres to be able to make a go at it.
Most of them had enough children to work, and keep up the farm and lifestyle.

Some of those farms worked out, and some didn’t.

They all had a dream but even some dreams turn out to be nightmares.

It’s still good to dream though.
.

[Phil]

That dream could easily be reality if food prices were at parity with everything else. Sadly, there are too many powerful interests working to keep that from ever happening, short of TEOTWAWKI that is.

[gwpoky]

We are getting on board here, hoping to have the whole farm run by 100% horses by 2012. I love this site thank you.

P.S. anyone in western Wisconsin doing loose hay, I would love advice for this wetter climate. Thank you

George Walker

[OldKat]

@gwpoky 12696 wrote:

We are getting on board here, hoping to have the whole farm run by 100% horses by 2012. I love this site thank you.

P.S. anyone in western Wisconsin doing loose hay, I would love advice for this wetter climate. Thank you

George Walker

Welcome George. Can’t help you with the loose hay, but I agree this is a great site. Hope to hear more from you.

Stephen Rogers
aka OldKat

[Gabe Ayers]

TEOTWAWKI

Hey Phil, what does that mean?

The making of loose hay can be read about in Lynn Miller’s hay books and I bet there are folks up there that still make loose hay somewhere. There used to be some folks named Maureen Ash and Rich Purdy that farmed with Suffolk’s did some hay making. They may know someone if you can find them. They call their place Baldur Farms. Maybe a search will find them. I think there is a fellow named Charlie Kind in Wi. that works horses quite a bit.

History does repeat itself and animal power will be a part of the future, it is just a matter of time. Good idea to work towards all animal power in the future.

Enjoy yourself and limit your goals to what you can realistically accomplish.

Welcome to DAP.

Sincerely,

[Joshua Kingsley]

TEOTWAWKI
The End Of The World As We Know It

Supposedly going to be 2012 if you listen to the media and Myan myth?
That is what I get from it all….
Joshua

[Phil]

TEOTWAWKI

The End Of The World As We Know It.

Oops! Missed the previous post. That’s a sure sign that TEOTWAWKI is imminent. :p

[Scott G]

End o’ days…

Right now doesn’t sound bad, I’m tired…

[lancek]

Wow sounds like scotts had a real bad day! What did fri. the 13th follow you to monday Scott?

[Scott G]

Not a bad day, just tired. Rode hard and put away wet…

[Author]

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