[dominiquer60]

Beautiful indeed! What a great way to visualize how things line up.

Please keep in mind that the statements quoted from the website are something that I wrote to help Lisa with new website content before we had a mission statement.

Here is our mission statement as developed by the people that became the BOD when the by-laws and articles of incorporation were signed.

“Advancing the use of draft animals and promoting sustainable land stewardship by providing resource connections and shared learning opportunities while building community.”

This states 5 clear goals
– advancing the use of draft animals
– promoting sustainable land stewardship
– providing resource connections
– providing shared learning opportunities
– building community

This affects Tim’s models in labeling only, it would be interesting to see how some of our activities stand up to a litmus test with these slightly different goals.

[dominiquer60]

A deep breath is always a worthwhile investment.

I agree with Andy that we are weak in the networking part of our organization. I think that we all take part in this key element of our organization, but we are all lacking. With some good ground work and procedure in place we could and should do a better job at this.

Tim’s aligning DAPnet with our goals is a great example of the foundation work that we need to do in order to build our organization. The statements that he quotes from the website are something that I wrote when I was helping Lisa write content for the new website, before we had a mission statement. Those statements are good enough to keep on the website but we should also be working off our mission statement that we developed as a more functioning board of directors.

“Mission Statement: Advancing the use of draft animals and promoting sustainable land stewardship by providing resource connections and shared learning opportunities while building community.”

One could read “providing resource connections” as networking and “shared learning opportunities” as events, both are important, but since our organization is a Network by title, it is my opinion that networking be the larger focus. A newsletter and an online forum are good starts but we can do better. Look at the resource lists on both webpages, they are lacking, if someone is not online they really lack benefiting from the potential connections. What would a directory do for us, what if our classifieds and DAP.com for sale were one in the same, would having a better page (in print and online) of other organizations or businesses make us a better place to go to for information? Attempts have been made, but I suspect that since these efforts are not as immediately rewarding as a live event, they have been dropped, I admit to doing this myself.

Look at our committees, we are top heavy in the event related committees and weak in the finance and communications committees where we need to be strong in order to support networking.

Don’t get me wrong I think events are important, to a point they are in line with our goals and values. Perhaps we should not be duplicating similar events, but rather holding events that are not offered in our region. We should be highlighting ongoing efforts according to our goal statement. If Jay Bailey is holding mower workshops, we should offer to support it by advertising or working with him to enhance it, not create another like it. If there is a topic not being covered, like trimming/shoeing oxen, we could work with a related group to develop an educational event, and if there is no interest there, then we could approach the possibility ourselves. But in line with Tim’s thoughts our events should be of an advancing level. Or in the case of Jen’s driving fundamentals a bridging clinic for those interested in becoming involved (her clinics are another good example of others organizing and DAPNet supporting) With the updated Athol information we advance this event from skidding logs into how to use animals to complete our forestry objectives and how to build a skoot, good basic skills that go beyond felling and skidding. Our Athol event is great, but does it copy LIF? or is it enough distance away that we are not competing with MOFGA? I imagine that these questions may have been asked before but if we are to cut back these are the questions that we should consider.

If folks like the Baileys and Perrys want to organize and host an event that we are welcome to call our own we should be grateful to have the help, not looking to reinvent the wheel and saddle ourselves with more work. If we want to have the Gathering rotate, that is different, but maybe someone else is willing to host it and put it together, we can help them, but why look a gifted volunteer in the mouth. I know the Plowing Clinic could easily be done with just the insurance and advertising assistance of DAPNet, we don’t need to make things harder than they have to be.

I do not agree about waiting 5 years to have the next NEAPFD, if we let the energy that Carl and Lisa created die down too much I am not sure it will return and I fear that the longer we wait the more of that energy we loose. I am not saying that we should rush into it, and we are not, we gave our selves this year to get more settled as an organization. We settled somewhat but we do have a long ways to go to get the network part going better like it should. I see the NEAPFD helping with that and with our other goals. Maybe we can wait a little longer, but finding that balance point is a tough call and I don’t see it at the moment.

There is a better overall balance somewhere, we just need to find it an make that a priority.

[dominiquer60]

Rick,

I just realized that his thread should have been started in the NEAPFD Committee category at the bottom of the forum. Only directors have access to this General category.

Jen,

Can you move this to the proper category so that all of our committee members can participate in this discussion.

Thanks,

Erika

[dominiquer60]

Thanks Tim

[dominiquer60]

Also we need to be self supporting by raising all the needed funds for this event, a daunting but feasible task if we all work at it.

Another word that would be good to include is kind when referring to the use of animals or training methods. I think showing that we have a kind and respectful sentiment towards our animals is truthful and good PR.

I am not of mind to try for a big statement or multi-layered statement today, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts.

[dominiquer60]

Is the Carl that is doing the SARE grant Carl Russell? When a person is not on the committee it is good to include last names. If this is not a DAPNet grant how does it affect us and why are we helping. Just looking for clarification as a non-committee member. Thanks.

[dominiquer60]

I was getting ready to use the big team on my new Schipshe culti-mulcher this past July. I brought both horses through the large gate at the same time. Suddenly the trouble maker made a dash for grass and the other, a big 2300#er, was on me with his hind caulked shoe pivoting on the top and middle of my foot, at least we were on dirt and not concrete. It is still tender, but now I lead one at a time out when it involves the trouble maker.

[dominiquer60]

It was great that this was discussed on campus and brought into the open there, I completely support the decision and acknowledge that it was a difficult one to make. I truly think that it is best to honor any animal that puts in that much work with a quick and humane death. I can’t help but think it cruel to ask an animal that has worked so hard and is in pain to load on a trailer, take a bouncy ride to a strange place and to live with no purpose just because some people fear death and see the end of life as violent. Death is a necessary part of the life cycle, we celebrate being born, yet so many people are afraid of death, but it too can be an event to celebrate, especially when is ends the suffering.

It is a shame that the people opposed to this decision cannot see the kindness to both oxen in the schools action.

[dominiquer60]

It would be nice to weave in “show casing advancements in draft animal technology or methodology” Something to show that we are not doing things the old fashioned way (unless it fits in), it may be an old form of power, but ground driven fore carts, natural training techniques and modern saws and logging methods are not old fashioned they are more than Grandpa ever thought of (generally speaking).

The Gathering made the cover of the New England Country Folks and they stated that we were doing things the “old fashioned way,” much like the 2010 article on the cover of Lancaster Farming. I know it is hard for folks that don’t use draft animals to see us as progressive, but we should at least be seen as that among our peers.

[dominiquer60]

Just a reminder to everyone that our Fall Newsletter Deadline is coming up quickly, October 1st!

All DAPNet members are entitled to a free classified ad, so if you have something to sell or something you are looking for please submit ads to Jean Cross, jmnvt@yahoo.com, by October 1st. If you are not a DAPNet member classified ads are $10 each.

Also if you or someone you know would like to place a display ad (see above for rates) please do so by October 1st as well. All funds go toward publishing our newsletter

Please send information on any up coming draft events that you know of.

Up coming articles by Donn Hewes, Les Barden, Doc Hammill and Mark Cowdrey!

To see an example of our newsletter check our our archives here, http://www.draftanimalpowernetwork.org/newsletters.html

[dominiquer60]

The Homesteader was there, they tried it out on freshly plowed sod on a hillside, it was determined that this was not the appropriate application of this tool. It works better on flatter ground that A) sod has rotted well and worked in B) Clods have been broken down and a good seed bed has been prepared. The discs are light an may be fine for sandy soil or a smooth no sod plow down, but I think since they are spread apart they may be best to use for between crops and could be great for hilling corn. I saw it go at Horse Progress days and it really shines in a good garden that is cultivated regularly (using the Homesteader for just such purposes:)

[dominiquer60]

If you have enough interest in your area you can often work out something closer to home with the GOL folks.

[dominiquer60]

He usually takes a seasonal job running a combine, I think it generally takes him away from the internet for a while.

[dominiquer60]

The application that I have used it for is plowing, and it really helps on a slope. What do you plan on doing with your fore cart?

[dominiquer60]

In the past when a farm that I was on had an event we added it to our existing renters insurance/product liability plan with our agent. An event like that would not cost us much otherwise we would not have paid for it. Sorry I don’t remember numbers it has been a while.

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