Talking about Workshops

[Donn Hewes]

Hi everyone,
Well, the Kimball’s of Essex Farm, the Glos’s of Kingbird Farm and I just finished a one day workshop “Introduction to farming with horses” at the NOFA-NY Winter Conference. It was a great success and a lot of fun. It has left me with the desire to do more workshops on my farm, and a belief that there are lot of people out there who want them.
Although I have toyed with the idea of doing this in the past, and helped at some events in WA state several years ago, this was really a first attempt for us. Now I have a lot of questions about organizing my next workshop. Obviously a one day event with over 40 participants just gives people a taste of what they are interested in. What would the ideal number of days for a workshop be? What would the shortest number of days be? What would the ideal student to teamster ratio be? I am thinking about two day workshops with a teamster to student ratio of 2 teamsters and 8 students. I am thinking about doing three workshops and each is a little different. One is ‘intro to Farming with horses and mules’, second one is ‘Making Hay with Horses and Mules’ and finally in the fall, ‘Starting the green Horse to drive’.
Well those are my ideas so far. I would like to hear from anyone that has done anything like this before or even someone who has taken a workshop and what you felt worked or didn’t work or even folks who might be interested in taking a workshop like this. Feel free to email me directly if you would rather. Donn

[Carl Russell]

Donn, I too have gotten to the point of having workshops on the farm. I truly believe that one of the most valuable products we have is our experience. This is not a money maker, however I decided to go this way because after a while dealing with one-on-one situations take a lot of time. By bringing 8-12 people together at once allows me to concentrate the effort, and makes it more effective for the participants because they feed off each other.

We had a horse logging weekend here a couple of years ago with about sixty people, six teamsters, and 6-8 volunteers. We had a lot of enthusiasm, but it became obvious, as you found out that a gathering that size is more social and less educational. Not that it isn’t educational, it’s just as you said, whetting the appetite.

So my solution was to go to the smaller set. I developed a three day series focusing on working situations that were on-going here. In our case they were a progression through the various aspects of working animals in the woods. I was much more pleased with the ability we had to focus on particulars.

I have not been working on teamster training, only on the skills associated with the work. This is not a sexy as letting people drive, but I’m not interested in teaching that. I know the difficulty and time that it took to gain the skill set that I do have, and I think that it is important to share that with those who seek it. I have been pleased with the way that emphasis has attracted focused individuals.

Of course with workshops, you need to remember parking, access, health issues, toilet, food, water, safety, adequate clothing, and help.

We charge $50/day and gave a discount for signing up for all three days. I waffle about cost, because it is like everything else, where do the factors come from that make up the cost? If it costs too much, people won’t be interested, but if it doesn’t cost enough they won’t take it seriously, and you won’t be adequately compensated.

And as you found out last fall we decided that if your going to have a social event around animal-powered farming and forestry, you might as well go big.

Good Luck, and keep in touch, Carl

[Anonymous]

HI, I attended the NOFA-NY workshop that Donn mentioned. The instructors were great and handled the large crowd well. It was hard to get to the meat I was looking for due to the instructor/student ratio. I would attend any workshops around the northeast, as mules are in my 3yr. plan. His suggestion of 2 teamsters to 8 students would work for me.

I would suggest that you find out which students have never handled large animals before, creating workshops geared toward absolute greenhorns and those of us who are much more familiar. My interests lie in farming with horses/mules, and starting to drive with a green broke animal.

I am really happy to hear of folks willing to teach these skills. I appreciate your knowledge and look forward to using draft animals at our farm. The mule man in my life recently passed, emphasizing the urgency of passing the torch. Keep up the good work 🙂

[Kristin]

Carl, I like your ‘go big’ idea. So much good stuff happens when you get all these people who do the same weird thing in one place. I have always thought horse powered farmers were the fringe of the fringe, but lo and behold, here are all these people wanting to learn about it!

On the subject of workshops generally, it seems they’re most useful if they either A) serve as an introduction for raw beginners or B) cover limited, specialized topics for those with more experience. I think farmers (who are generally short on time and money) want to know they’re going to acquire some real skills for their investment in a workshop. They want to come home knowing how to do some useful new thing. I know I’m stumped at the idea of starting a green horse, and that’s a skill I’d like to work on, so Donn, if you do that workshop, I am so there.

Regarding price, I just got the flyer for this year’s workshops from Fairwinds Farm, and I liked that on the price sheet they wrote something like ‘we don’t want cost to be a limiting factor’ for people wanting to take the workshop, so talk to us if you want to make special arrangements. That’s similar to our policy at our CSA. We ask a pretty hefty price but we have a sliding scale for lower income members, so we don’t have to exclude anyone. It works pretty well for us.

-Kristin

[Carl Russell]

A couple other thoughts came to me about workshops.

Liability is unfortunately a realism that we have had to cobb together the best we can. In Vermont there is a law that provides some cover, declaring that participants in equine events are liable for their own safety due to the inherent danger in such an enterprise. At our workshops we also have a waiver that each person signs to accept the responsibility for their own safety, and the well being of their belongings. There is nothing affordable in terms of day event insurance, or attachments to home-owners, so we just try to lay it out there, “this is dangerous, we have no way to guarantee your capability, you’re on your own, or don’t come”. Sort of, in a soft way.

As far as beginner skills, I really have a hard time with letting people drive my animals until they have gone through the fundamentals of my “skills of the work” workshops. I know that it seems paramount that people lay hands on leather before they know anything else. To me that is putting the cart before the horse, so to speak.

When I learned, I made a lot of mistakes, as Donn has said, and others, we all have, but mine were with my own horses. I have never had an old plug that didn’t need to be driven, who I could trust more than the beginner. I don’t make a habit of trusting horses anyway, so that puts my trust in the beginner even lower. That is not to say that beginners don’t need guidance and encouragement, but it is a fine line to walk when considering beginner teamster training.

My horses are ready to work. They need to be driven. When the lines tighten, you want to know what you expect from them, and you want to know how to make any corrections. I see no reason for having working animals that aren’t primed like that. They don’t start till spoken to, they work at an appropriate gait, and they stop and stand like rocks, but they want to be driven. This is the kind of animals that people should learn to drive, and that is extremely difficult, or impossible, to accomplish in a one-day workshop, nor should it be attempted. These animals would take advantage of beginners.

So as much as cost is a factor, cost will always be a factor. Whether you buy a green horse and skin your knees all over the back forty, or go pay for a week long working experience, you’re going to pay. As instructors we need to remember our responsibility, and use our understanding of the journey to construct an educational experience that truly guides the student, rather than trying to sculpt a class that will meet the desires of the novice.

I watch my children at their Tae Kwon Do class work and work and work at forms for weeks before the “MASTER” allows them to try breaking a board. Fundamentals, Fundamentals, Fundamentals. You gotta build the foundation before you can put on the roof. It is just my opinion, but that is what I try to provide with workshops at Earthwise Farm & Forest. Carl

[goodcompanion]

Green Mountain Draft Horse Association will hold another driving clinic for beginners and intermediates at Shelburne Farms on May 17th. I’ll put it on the calendar.

We charge $50 for a day workshop and that seems about right. Also shoot for a 1-4 teamster to student ratio. Feedback from participants has been quite positive.

This will be the third one I’ve organized for the club, and probably the last for the forseeable future due to the strain of very young boys keeping me up all the time.

[Anonymous]

Don

Let me know the schedule on that fall workshop on “Starting the Green Horse”. I’ll be retired by then and hoping to make it there.

[Author]

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