Welcome to DAPFI everyone!

[Scott G]

Congrats to everyone for hanging in there and giving us direction!

Now the rubber hits the road. We need to decide what our primary next step is going to be that produces tangible results. This is going to require some insightful dialogue.

Keeping in mind our mission statement and primary goals what do we want to work on next? Web site, newsletter, notification of practitioners, etc..??

The mission statement and goals are pasted below for easy reference and to keep people on track:

“Draft Animal Powered Forestry, International” (DAPFI)

Mission Statement

“To promote the use of draft animal powered timber harvesting methods that support positive impact forest management”

Primary Goals

1) “To improve opportunities for draft animal forestry practitioners to unite regionally, and internationally, to share information, work, markets, and advocacy.”

2) “To serve as a networking, clearinghouse and contact information for individuals and organizations involved in animal powered forestry throughout the world.”

3) ”To advance an ecological perspective of forest management, based on the use of draft animals, and other low impact/low input strategies.”

4) ”Work with researchers to study and publish ecological benefits of animal logging.”

Lets put some productive conversation into this over the next week. Something to ponder while you are digesting turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

-Scott

[Carl Russell]

I was moved by the post in another thread

http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?t=2469&page=2

by Andy McEvoy to consider how an organization could facilitate woodland apprenticeships. Would there be a way for us to address this issue, perhaps regionally, perhaps in partnership with another org?

Carl

[Gabe Ayers]

HHFF has trained 56 Biological Woodsmen through our mentor apprentice network.

[lancek]

I was allso moved and I think this would be a wonderfull start for this orginisation! He has hit the nail on the head with his coment on insurance I for one would be more interested in doing some interenship if the work comp situation was out of the way or if there was a loop hole like in Wisconsins satutes that workmens comp is not required for a apprentiace just a waver!
But I think we should tackel the marketing and networking frist I think that that is where most of the folks are having a hard time with according to past threads Lancek

[TaylorJohnson]

I would like to see some work done on some marketing tools for us that are making are living with horses. It is a tough game out there right now and any ideas, networking , and tools would help.
Any ideas on getting apprentices out in the bush and working would be great and it is needed . I would like to here how you all handle your apprentices and the laws as far as insurance and what not goes. Lancek you said in WI a waver is all I would need to have an apprentice ? I would like to know what it consists of as far as wording goes. Taylor Johnson

[TaylorJohnson]

Lancek ,
Thanks in advance . Taylor Johnson

[lancek]

Taylor,
The law I was qoteing I fond back in 2000 when I was fighting the state over my building there in Hillsdale! [ They were trying to get me on child labor laws for letting my daughter work for me for a wage at 14 ] It basicly said that if you wright a basic contracted between you and your apprentice stippulateing his hours and compensation for your training and training being the stand out word because if you stipulate training then it becomes a employer employ relationship! And as far as maketing goes Jason and I have been discussing some thing that amy help but they are just in the flegling stages hope to have something positive soon
We might want to invite some of these younger folks into DAPFI after we get everything settled to get there prospective and input what do you think Scott?Lancek
Ps Scott and taylor could you send me your phone numbers to my email its jak10860@yahoo.com it would be helpful Tim

[Gabe Ayers]

Well for the rubber to hit the road somebody will have to buy some tires for this buggy. How will be pay for what we do next? Or should we decide what to first and then how to pay for it?

A website would be nice, a newsletter first though and a collection of practitioners to invite to join.

Our theme and focus should be what we have to offer our membership; it has to be worth something to have people join, especially if there is a membership fee or dues.

Here we go. But I have never believed half the stories I’ve heard about hooking the animal to a log and turning them loose. My grandfather said the trick was to always keep their mate in the woods so they would come back and that this always worked best away from home….

Salute,

Jason Rutledge

I posted this yesterday, but it didn’t get delivered. Sometimes this medium is lame.

[Carl Russell]

I still see most of what we are doing as preliminary.

As Jason says, WHEN we decide to do something we are going to have to find a way to fund it, but at this point I think we need to be thinking about actions that will solidify the group.

Obviously before we move forward we will have to first work out the membership/funding issue.

I don’t think we should be thinking about how to sell this group to potential members. Alternatively the approach should be to invite folks to support this initiative to create an international connection around our mission. If we go into this thinking people need something from us then we will doom the organization to constantly chasing our tails to be everything to everybody.

My sense is that we can provide a lot to people in the form of networking and contact. As we have said, a newsletter could be the best way for members to share information. As important as marketing, apprenticeship, or insurance programs are to all of us, I just don’t see us doing much about them until we have a critical mass of interested people, supporting the effort. Setting some long term goals such as those mentioned could be good membership values, but first and foremost for me would be to devise a strategy to pull together a physical representation of this international network.

It could simply be an appeal for people to get us their contact info, along with donations to support the development of a newsletter/web site, and to broaden the core group into a more international representation. Getting the newsletter off the ground will be no simple feat, but it will probably be the best way for us to grow the membership.

So I suggest that the first thing we do is to create an invitation of support for DAPFI, as a way to get some cash on hand and as a way to establish our presence, to get the basic message out there, outlining some long term objectives, and building a true international network.

At the same time if there are some subgroups of this forum who want to be fleshing out some strategies for newsletter, insurance, or marketing, then that can be going on at the same time.

Carl

[Scott G]

Love the analogy, Jason. It is very true that in order to move forward with certain product driven actions we will need funding. It is the classic cart before the horse. There are private groups (NGOs’) out there that are very involved in financially helping sustainably based, grass roots organizations that are focused on a specific, viable cause. In order to look at that NGO funding as an option, however, you need a detailed plan; in essence a business plan. I am sure Jason has a handle on this with HHF.

There are many things we can do that are very proactive and productive that cost nothing more than time.

Initiating and prioritizing an operational plan that would be a component of a “business plan” would be a great start.

Receiving the Draft Powered Forestry contact list I sent out to many of you would be a great follow up. To date I have only received 4. Those of you who do not have the spreadsheet, e-mail me and I’ll send you a copy. I would post it on this forum but unfortunately it does not support .xls files.

Taking Carl up on his offer from a couple of months ago on possibly running the website through DAP may be a good start. We could just register the domain and park it on DAP as well.

I am not saying its time to jump in the deep end. I am saying we need a cohesive, coherent plan before we do to lessen our chance of drowning.

[lancek]

Scott and Carl you both have very good points my only conceren is how do we get people involved? As I stated before we had a lot of folks gumping in before but it has come down to a few of us now! As you said scott you only have had 4 responces to the contacted list and to be honest Im not sure if I submeted mine an if I didnt let me know and I will do it right away! We were in the mistted of our move and I think I put it off till we got here and as usual I spaced it out so my bad! And I am sure that other people have been busy with prodgects too but I think we need to find some way to get everybody engaged and participateing ! And Scott your comment on a buisness plan is a great starting place this way we can work out some of these things before we present them to the public! Lancek

[Carl Russell]

I have been managing my own mailing/contact list from NEAPFD. I have over 1000 names and contacts and just bought File Maker 10 which is an awesome data base manager, but that has been distracting me from submitting my contacts. I will soon.

I also have e-mail access to every registered member on DAP, so that I can send out mass e-mails to everyone at once.

Should we create an open forum on DAP and use the title of the association? We could post the mission and goals and entertain some discussions with the broader community. I will do that at the drop of a hat!

As far as a Web site, I will be as accommodating as I can be within the construct of this discussion forum.

Carl

[john plowden]

Hey all – I’m going to take tonight,tomorrow and fri. for the family – So will add thoughts then – Happy T-Day to all-
John

[TaylorJohnson]

Carl these sub groups are a good idea I think. Taylor Johnson

[Rick Alger]

The first thing I would like to work on is uniting with practicioners in my region .

I think Carl’s offer to host the group’s internet outreach is our best option.

Regarding apprentices, the big stumbling block here in NH is Worker’s Comp as it is apparently for Taylor and Lancek.

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