38th Annual Northeast Organic
Farming Association
University of Massachusetts, Amherst Summer Conference
Harnessing Draft Animals for
Fieldwork
Friday, Aug. 10, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Bob Crichton, teacher and president
of Maine and New Hampshire Draft
Horse Clubs, will be leading a workshop on learning the proper fitting of harness collars and pads for
field work. He will cover types of harnesses and how to adjust them to the draft animal for use with field tools
and wagons. He will focus on the most
common type of harnesses used in farming.
Ground Driving - Hitch a team of 1-6 Horses
Friday, Aug. 10, 4-5:30 p.m.
Bob Crichton, teacher and president
of Maine and New Hampshire Draft
Horse Clubs, will be leading a workshop on how to learn to use any number of equines to do the work at hand, such as row crop cultivation and
large field operations, such as plowing and preparing the ground for planting.
There will be information on twitching logs in the woods with a single or team. There will be opportunities for hands-on experiences with driving horses.
Equine Care: Nutrition, Hoof Care, and Housing
Saturday, Aug. 11, 8-9:30 a.m.
Bob Crichton, teacher and president
of Maine and New Hampshire Draft
Horse Clubs, will be leading a workshop on learning how to feed equines used for work. It will include
information on proper balancing of protein in the diet, hoof care considerations, and whether to shoe your animal or go barefoot. There will
also be notes on providing housing for animals in New England and basic medical care.
Planning for Traction on Your Farm
Saturday, Aug. 11, 10-11:30 a.m.
Bob Crichton, teacher and president
of Maine and New Hampshire Draft
Horse Clubs, will be leading a workshop that addresses essential farm planning questions regarding the cost
effectiveness of draft vs. mechanical power. It also addresses planning
choices about equine selection for farm work, and different uses for draft animals during each season of the
year. This is a discussion-based workshop.
Plowing
Saturday, Aug. 11, 1-2:30 p.m.
Bob Crichton, teacher and president
of Maine and New Hampshire Draft
Horse Clubs, will be leading a workshop on the use of a hand plow on the farm. The plow is an old tool to prepare the land for planting. The three most common used today are the sulky two-way, the one-way single riding, and the walking plow. Each will be discussed with questions and
answers. The disc plow is a duel
tool to not only plow the land but also to hill new crops such as potatoes.