Above: Rural Heritage April – May 23 Cover: Zach Odom of Morrison, Tenn., drives Faith and Grace put to a logging arch in the woods.
Rural Heritage
is a bimonthly
journal in support of farming
and logging with draft horses,
mules, and oxen. The April/May 23
issue was mailed to subscribers on March 22,
2023. Below is this issue’s annotated Table of Contents, with a link to a full feature article to showcase the good reading delivered to your door every other month
when you
Subscribe to Rural Heritage.
If, in your reading, you run across
a drafty word you don't recognize,
consult our online
Draft Dictionary.
Table of Contents
Departments
Publishers Post
Joe briefly muses about maps and GPS and tells us of his upcoming (now-just completed) travels.
J C Allen Archives
Vintage photos of rural life by renouned photographer JC Allen including photos of six Percheron plowing, belt driven hay stacker,
Selections from our extensive catalog of books and videos
on draft animal farming, logging, self-sufficient living
and much more.
Associations and Breeders Directory
(contacts for breed registries and regional draft clubs)
(frequently updated online)
(please tell ‘em you saw it in Rural Heritage)
Features
Logger Zach Odom's team of Kate and Alice pulling a fairly good size poplar.
Draft Animal Logging
Zach Odom shares his insights on logging with mules. He discusses working with clients and mills as well as the logistics of logging, including the tools need. He also discusses his preference for using mules.
Crops to Communities
How crop mixtures can play a beneficial role in regenerative agriculture. Jenifer Morrissey focuses on a recent report, “Cereal species mixtures: an ancient practice with potential for climate resistance.” She also explores the stories in the book, “Forty Farms: Conversations about Change in the Landscapes of Cumbria,” by Amy Bateman. The book focuses on 40 farms in a small part of England are responding in various ways to agricultural challenges.
Small farms in the Central Valley of California provide diverse plant communities above ground and diverse microbial communities below ground that are critical to the health of the landscape and the human communities that tend them.
A Beginner's Guide to Growing Microgreens − − − click on title to read this story in full.
Brittany Bachman discusses the advantages of growing microgreens – whether for your own use or for sale – plus the equipment and steps needed to get started.
The Nordells made Lillie entirely from salvaged parts, with the exception of the hardware.
Lillie of the Valley
Anne and Eric Nordell describe making their petite tiller, “Lillie,” designed for making a narrow seedbed between established field crops or cultivating closely spaced rows.
Horse Palooza
A description of the three-day event hosted by Whispery Pines Percherons and the Percheron Association of America Education and Charitable Fund, held in Ashtabula County, Ohio, in the summer of 2022. The event included harnessing, basic horsemanship, driving, nutrition, dentistry and more.
Repairing Rock Walls
Jerry Hicks gives step-by-step instructions on repairing a rock wall: from gathering new stone and stripping out the old stone; finding the right sized and shaped stones for particular uses; to shaping and laying the stones effectively.
A repaired rock wall section that took three days. Old and new can be seen due to the aging and mosses on the older stones.
Assessing the Condition of Harness and Equipment
Suzanne Lupien gives an overview of when and how to restore old equipment for re-use with your equines.
Although old and well-used, this bridle remains very servicable due to the care it has been shown.
So You Want to be a Teamster
Dick Courteau outlines some general rules for people considering becoming a teamsters – the primary being: get first-hand, in-person instruction from an experienced teamster.
Trial of Fools
Part one of what will be a two-part tale of Jerry’s stint as a security guard and how it led to a court appearance.
Sold! And the buyer is...
Dale Stoltzfus covers the Pioneer Equipment auction, lists the bid winners and talks to many of the business-lot buyers about their plans for the future.
Halters, Ropes and Tying
Techniques for safely and effectively tying and untying halters from Dick Courteau.
Minute with: Living History Oxen Teamsters
Rob Collins shares the insights and experiences of oxen teamsters who work in a variety of living history farms.
Oxen plowing at Barrington Plantation near Washington, Texas, with oxen William and Polo. Nathan Giles is on the plow. Photo by Ben Baumgartner.
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when new contents are posted, please
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