First Animal Power Field Days
Proves a Big Hit in Tunbridge
By Sara Nelson

To some people, the image of a team of horses plowing a field belongs to a distant part of history.

For others, however, animal-powered farming is the agriculture of the future. Concerns about the rising costs of fueling heavy machinery, combined with a trend towards small, diversified operations, have meant that plowing or hauling with oxen, horses, or other strong animals has become a viable option for many people, according to Carl Russell.

Russell and his wife, Lisa McCrory, organized the first annual Northeast Animal Power Field Days, held last weekend at the Tunbridge fairgrounds.

Russell said the two-day trade fair and conference was designed to connect people interested in animal-powered enterprises to the mentors, products, and resources they need to be successful.

It was also open to "any people who are curious about the animals or about this lifestyle," McCrory said.

The event incorporated draft animal and equipment demonstrations, workshops, and panel discussions by experts hailing from near and far.

If there was any doubt that people are interested in animal power and sustainable agriculture, it was put to rest by the sheer number of people who turned out for the first-time event: about a thousand, McCrory said.

"It was bigger and better than we ever anticipated," she said.

"The only complaint we’ve gotten is that there were too many events going on at once that people wanted to attend."

Attendees could learn about grazing management, composting, CSA/market gardening, and working with draft animals on the farm and in the woods.

They enjoyed a farmer’s market, children's activities, live music, local food vendors, and an equipment auction.

The field days were inaugurated by Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Roger Albee, who gave a welcoming address on Saturday. Albee’s speech was followed by keynote speaker Lynn Miller, an Oregon farmer, artist, and horse-power authority, who also founded and edits the agrarian quarterly, the Small Farmer's Journal.

Mules Popular

One of the highlights of the weekend was a mule demonstration held on Saturday by Maine farmer and educator Bob Crichton, and presented to a crowd of about 100 people.

Crichton narrated the complicated hitching together of eight large, buff-colored mules, interspersing his talk with remarkable mule facts. For example, mules eat half as much as horses at the same weight.

"Two bales of hay and a pint of grain is enough to keep four mules fat and sassy like myself," Crichton said.

Mules also have a surprisingly long lifespan, often living to 50 years of age.

"This girl here is 47 years old," Crichton said, patting the beast closest to him.

"She’s a kind old thing, and she’ll pull the same amount as the rest of them."

The mules didn’t have to do any heavy pulling Saturday morning. With the hitching complete, the octet of animals trotted out of the arena, smoothly pulling two of their handlers on a small buggy.

According to Russell and McCrory, who have farmed and logged their land with horses and oxen for years, the friendliness and longevity of draft animals are just two of many reasons to farm with them.

Russell listed low overhead, versatility, low impact, and intimacy with the earth as some of the reasons animal-powered farming makes sense.

"When you’re plowing a field with horses, you can hear the soil turning over," he said.

"With the growing focus on local foods and sustainable enterprises, and with more and more people becoming aware of their energy consumption, and with people reaching out to their neighbors, this is a lifestyle that’s really having a rebirth," McCrory added.

Russell said the idea for the Animal Power Field days was planted as he and McCrory noticed more and more people seeking their guidance in their own animal-powered enterprises.

In response to this interest, the couple hosted a couple of casual gatherings, but it was becoming clear that the issues needed a more official forum.
"Eventually we realized that we needed more education, with experts who would be able to address specific details of things like the training of animals," Russell explained.

Putting together an event the size and scope of the Animal Power field days took a lot of work, and a lot of help from numerous people.
"We've been overwhelmed by the incredible support contributed by hundreds of individuals and organizations to make this happen," he said.

McCrory said that over the next few days, she’ll be holding meetings with her logistics people and animal teamsters to start planning for the next Animal Power Field Days. She said one of the changes she’s considering is having an entire day devoted to workshops preceding the field days.

"It’s going to be a hard act to follow next year," McCrory said.

"But it’s inevitable that we’ll do this again."