Filed under: July 2022 | Tags: farm tour, horse drawn, school children, socialization, Suffolk Horses, Suffolk Punch foal, Suffolk Punch horses
July 7, 2022
This past week has been a blur. We celebrated the birth of our country on Monday after a busy weekend that included a fast trip to Indiana to Horse Progress Days.
On Wednesday, we hosted another group of school children here on the farm. We introduce them to farm animals and give them a glimpse of farm life. Many of these kids are from the “city”. Most have never stepped foot on a farm or interacted with animals other than a few pet cats and dogs.
So, once again, our baby got to meet 20 squealing, wide eyed youngsters. The socialization is good for both the horses and the children. They had a fun couple hours that included petting chickens, goats, a pony, a donkey, cattle and our farm dogs and cats. We give them a horse drawn wagon ride around the farm, pulled by our Suffolk mares Amee and Abby.
This is our third such tour this year. We have more scheduled too. It is my hope that the young people have a favorable experience. Perhaps, I will plant a seed that will start a dream in a young life. I hope that as we share our lifestyle, hearts are opened and God is glorified. I will do my best to teach the little ones and they in turn will help train our animals too. It is a win win, as they say :o)
Filed under: August 2021 | Tags: fertilizer spreader, homemade equipment, horse drawn, small farm equipment
August 11, 2021
Several years ago, we built this horse drawn fertilizer spreader. My uncle Fred was the main fabricator. The drive wheels are from an old Jeep axle. Channel iron and a sprocket were added to make the whole thing work. It is direct drive, but it works great. The original cone spreader that we used when we first built it, finally rusted out. I wash, oil and store it in a dry place, but this tool works in a hostile environment. Lime, fertilizer and soil amendments love to eat metal.
It is easy to tell which parts we used over when we replaced the spreader. I hope to get it painted before storing later this fall. The plastic hopper and stainless steel parts will hopefully add to its life. I use this piece of equipment to feed the soil, but also to plant our grass and hay crops. I simply mix the seed with pelletized lime and broadcast into a waiting seedbed. I have broadcast oats in this manner too for early or late season grazing. It is a handy, simple machine.
There are two seats on the forecart that we have hitched to this. Those are for training young horses. Its nice to have someone riding there in the event you need help. It also works well when raking or tedding hay. I can have a rider to keep me company at times.
Equipment such as this makes sense for a small farmer. The pto shaft turns at 540 rpm when the horses are walking at about 3.5 mph. It works well and has been tested again and again. We replaced the rusted out unit with one we purchased from Easy Trail Equipment in Mount Hope Ohio. I looked at a few other models, but settled on this one because of its rust and rot resistant materials of construction. I look forward to putting it into service soon.
In the background of the photos, a new windmill can be seen. It is enriching the back pond with oxygen. It hasn’t been in use long, but already we are seeing positive results.
Filed under: March 2021 | Tags: horse drawn, maple sap, maple syrup, maple time, Tapping Trees
March 4, 2021
Today is the date that tells us what to do…March fourth! We are in maple season full swing. It is a favorite time of year for me. This picture was taken on March second. The air was crisp with an east breeze. The steam stayed a bit close to the ground, but made for a pretty picture. This was our first run of the year. It went well.
This photo shows the new sap rig in use. The horses pulled it easily even when loaded. It rolled along and travelled well on the muddy and bumpy sap roads.
We got the pans “sweet” as we boiled and condensed the sap. It takes awhile to get the sweet liquid to the density needed for syrup. Occasionally, we don’t even get any maple syrup from our first boil. We make a lot of steam and reduce the sap but run out of sap before it yields the yummy maple syrup. This year we had an ample supply of sap (1450 gallons) so we managed to make some syrup. From here on out, we will get syrup every time we boil.
This process is a lot of work. It is truly a labor of love. We make it the old-fashioned way. We gather the sap from tree to tree, using horses to pull the sap sled. We boil the sap over a wood fire, without the benefit of reverse osmosis. This takes longer, but allows for the flavor molecules to develop. I follow in the footsteps of my grandparents in this time honored vocation. I make syrup. I make memories and I get to relive my childhood just a bit. For me, this is a sweet deal!
Filed under: June 2020 | Tags: animal powered farming, baby horse, horse drawn, horse farming, sprayers, Suffolk Horses, Suffolk Punch
June 27, 2020
What a crazy, wonderful month! Our baby Bree just turned 2 months old. She is learning very fast. She loves a good back rub. She knows her stall. She accompanies mom sometimes when we work and she brings joy wherever she goes.
The covid virus still has us doing things differently. The unrest around the country has us saddened for all involved. We pray for peace and resolution, along with understanding from all sides. It is nice to be able to get lost in the farm happenings if only for a little while.
We shot another episode for RFD-TV, that will air in August, about our new Suffolk Punch horses. Our son Jake introduced his to the world too. We also wrapped up the finishing touches on an episode regarding our recent timber harvest. It was a good day of filming. Little Bree did great too.
We purchased a horse drawn sprayer. We will use it once a year to spray weeds if needed, but mostly to spray liquid fertilizer, like fish emulsion, on our crop and pasture fields. Shout out to Boontown Sprayer in Mount Hope, Ohio
This simple, well built machine, works wonderfully. It is powered by a 5 horsepower Honda engine. The manufacturers have it well designed. It sprays, pulled by horses, at a rate of 20 gallons per acre. Our first outing found this rate to be spot on, as we did our animal corn field.
I managed to get half of the field cultivated, but the weeds were starting to take over. Ragweed and especially a nasty grass called barnyard grass had gotten a real head start. You can even see the corn beginning to suffer from the weeds stealing all the nourishment.
After last nights rain, the gardens, pastures and the field corn all look refreshed. We will be feeding the fields liquid fertilizer in the coming days. The options are many, so research must be done. It has been a long journey making this farm productive and fruitful, but it has been fun!
Filed under: October 2019 | Tags: field corn, horse drawn, kindness, maize, sunset
October 16, 2019
First I should clarify, any day is a good day. Each day we are given the opportunity to reach for our goals, strive for excellence and share our light with the world. It is a choice to be happy, so smile, be kind and give of yourself to others. This positive attitude towards life, will make every day better. Sometimes, you may be the only positive thing others will see that day. You may uplift someone else, by simply smiling, now that my friends, is power!
I have been working on many projects as autumn is making itself known. It’s that last dash of preparation before winter slows down and even stops some outside activities. My biggest push right now, is to get the field corn harvested. The picker is ready to go. The crib needs emptied of the last of last year’s corn. A good clean out, fix a slat or two and the crib will be ready to receive the new crop.
Abby managed to lose her front shoe. So, yesterday, we ran to get one nailed on. You can’t pick corn with a flat tire on your tractor…or a missing shoe on your draft horse! She was all fixed up in the space of ten minutes. Abby and the geldings are ready and waiting for the corn harvest to begin. The corn is almost dry enough. The last two mornings of hard frost, will help in that effort too.
So, after a day of preparing for winter, equine pedicures and a beautiful sunset, I would say that it is the end to a perfect day.
Filed under: March 2019 | Tags: antique wagon, horse drawn, parade wagon, Shop projects
March 12, 2019
After many years of monkey business, my parade/tank wagon project has been completed! This is an old fuel delivery tank, mounted on an Oliver running gear. The tank is circa 1900-1910, the running gear dates from the late 1940’s. I mated them together with the help of a couple friends who are true craftsmen.
This tank will never again haul liquids. It is simply a play toy for this old boy. I wanted a parade wagon a little different than everybody else’s. This old three-compartment wagon, sure fits the bill.
The nozzles for dispensing fuel can be seen under the cabinet. The cabinet once held three fuel cans of different sizes. The wagon driver would have dispensed fuel in one, three or five gallon cans, based on the needs of the home owner. He also carried three different types of fuel in the compartments.
I hope this wagon is a tribute to the men and horses who made our country run, back in the day when they did it with horses! The hardware on the cabinet came with the old rusty tank when I bought it. There was just enough rotted wood to make a pattern for the new cabinet. I thought it was a good idea to use the old hardware, some of which was hand wrought.
We worked in my buddy’s warm shop. This was another great project to complete. I am very happy with it. You’ll be able to read the complete story about the wagon and all my crazy attempts to restore it in an upcoming issue of Rural Heritage magazine.
Once the weather breaks and warm sunny days are upon us, watch for us on the roads near the farm. The project is complete and this old boy is very happy with his new toy!
Filed under: February 2019 | Tags: dump wagon, home built equipment, horse drawn
February 16, 2019
The dump wagon project has been completed. This little work saver will be pulled with my horses behind a forecart. The gooseneck design will allow me to turn very sharp, almost in its own footprint.
The manual lift to raise and lower the bed, is easy to operate. It goes up very quickly and comes down smooth. The bed measures six feet by eight feet, with one foot sides. I am excited to use it on firewood and all sorts of hauling jobs around the farm.
Hats off to E Miller Repair in Burton Ohio for the fabrication and build. I will be doing a detailed article for Rural Heritage magazine in an upcoming issue.
Filed under: February 2019 | Tags: dump wagon, Fabrication, Farm built, horse drawn, shop built
February 5, 2019
I am working on a project. I am replacing my big old style hay wagon, with a small more versatile one. This one will be pulled by horses with one of my forecarts. It is small enough to be able to get into small areas, including using my sap roads in the woods. I will use it not only for hay, but for all sorts of things including firewood.
The little wagon will also be a dump wagon. A cylinder will be activated by a hand pump. I can move dirt, gravel compost and a host of other things. Then once I get to the place I want them, I just raise the bed and dump the material. This will save me time and effort.
My old hay wagon is very high off the ground, getting on and off, is a problem. A step will make it possible to simply climb up on this one with ease. It will be pulled by cart and horses, so I will have a seat. The dump handle will be in easy reach from the seat. Stake pockets will allow for any arrangement of sides.
I am even working out a design for the tailgate to have a small door like on a semi trailer. The little door will come in handy when I am hauling ear corn or grain. I can back up to the elevator and control the load that I am dumping. This is a fun project, nearing completion. I am very excited. Finished pictures coming soon.
Filed under: September 2018 | Tags: draft horse equipment, horse drawn, Power cart, powercart, safety on the farm, steel tongue
September 23, 2018
A week ago, I broke the old wooden tongue on my powercart. I use this cart to power equipment, while being pulled by my horses. When the tongue snapped, I was only backing it into position. I was in no danger. I unhooked the horses and quit for that day. Upon inspection of my set-up, I realized that I could have been in a bad accident, had the tongue broke while I was working the horses.
I completely revamped my tongue and hitch point. I also looked at what was available to us draft horse guys and changed the way I switch from a two horse hitch to a three horse hitch. The “Z” laying on the ground gets inserted where the tongue is currently. The tongue then gets moved to the “Z” piece. The “Z” is the right spacing to move the horses over and align with a three horse evener.
I also chose to use steel instead of wood for the tongue. There are many times when I am pulling very heavy loads with the power cart, like when picking corn with a wagon behind the picker. I sure don’t want the tongue to break causing me to lose both steering and brakes. The tongue does both jobs on a wagon or in this case powercart. You see, knowing where you are going and knowing you can stop is important in driving and in life! I feel much better now.
Hopefully, this is a better view. The lower hitch pin in the picture is where the eveners hook to the cart.
Here is a picture with the powercart hooked to a brush hog, for folks who have not seen one of these carts power tractor equipment. The horses supply the traction power. The powercart supplies the PTO, three-point hitch and hydraulics when needed.
Filed under: September 2018 | Tags: autumn, forging, horse drawn, horse drawn wagon, productivity
September 12, 2018
After oppressive heat and humidity, rain ushered in some cooler weather. The rains fell for three days here giving us 2.75 inches of moisture. I used the wet days to complete a couple of projects. The knife and hatchet set, forged from a farrier’s rasp was a fun project and is now complete. I learned a lot during the process. I will continue to put this new skill/hobby to work for me. I must say I really enjoy it.
We also completed putting a new wagon rack on my horse drawn wagon. This is the second rack on this same running gear. The last rack was 9 years old. It rotted out even though it had been painted. I now have room to keep this one inside during winter weather. It should last a good long time. The boards were wet as we built from rough cut hemlock lumber. Once it dries out, I will seal it from the elements. It will be all ready to gather firewood and pick our field corn.
The cooler weather also makes me get excited about fall plowing. The horses and I can do more in the cool comfortable days of autumn. This summer’s heat was one for the record books. It did make for a great corn crop. Timely rains and hot weather kept the pastures lush and green. Hay making was a challenge as we would get “pop-up” showers that didn’t do much more than wash the drying hay. It makes the hay dusty, okay for cows, but not for horses. Oh well, we can’t control the weather, but we can work with it…like doing something productive on a rainy day!
RicelandMeadows 