Horsepower 2
This morning, CB and I went to an organic, partially horse-powered farm in Scio ("oh, no, Claire's really loosing it - no chaise and four yet, but that's got to be the next thing!" Naw, I give myself credit for greater level-headedness than that).
The farm owner, Lisa Hubbe, has a pair of Belgians, a Percheron, and a Belgian w/ 1/4 Brabant blood (Brabants are the European style of Belgians - they're stockier than the American Belgians and thus better suited to farm work). We didn't get to drive her team, but asked a bunch of questions and observed her driving prowess. Andy could learn a lot from her team - they performed some impressive backing, were capable of standing still for 10+ minutes without a person at the lines, and didn't do any head-tossing nonsense.
As you may have assumed, Lisa farms with horses partly because they are a renewable energy source. I have implied this before, but people should think seriously about sustainable energy sources. If that thinking leads them to farm with draft horses, great. If they outfit their farm to obtain electricity from cow manure methane, great. If they research hydrogen-powered vehicles or soybean-derived biodiesel (Henry Ford would have been pleased; this link is pretty humorous, but read with discretion), also great. What they should not do is fail to think. And once they have thought and have produced a good option, they should not fail to act.
If you feel that you are currently incapable of deep thinking, you are not off the hook. There are a lot of common sense protocols that should be implemented by the general populace to conserve resources (not just energy resources, but land, building, and manufacturing resources). Limit food items purchased in disposable plastic, use energy-saving light bulbs, carpool to events - plain and simple conservation, recycling, and stewardship. (Hmm, I have a ways to go.)
The farm owner, Lisa Hubbe, has a pair of Belgians, a Percheron, and a Belgian w/ 1/4 Brabant blood (Brabants are the European style of Belgians - they're stockier than the American Belgians and thus better suited to farm work). We didn't get to drive her team, but asked a bunch of questions and observed her driving prowess. Andy could learn a lot from her team - they performed some impressive backing, were capable of standing still for 10+ minutes without a person at the lines, and didn't do any head-tossing nonsense.
As you may have assumed, Lisa farms with horses partly because they are a renewable energy source. I have implied this before, but people should think seriously about sustainable energy sources. If that thinking leads them to farm with draft horses, great. If they outfit their farm to obtain electricity from cow manure methane, great. If they research hydrogen-powered vehicles or soybean-derived biodiesel (Henry Ford would have been pleased; this link is pretty humorous, but read with discretion), also great. What they should not do is fail to think. And once they have thought and have produced a good option, they should not fail to act.
If you feel that you are currently incapable of deep thinking, you are not off the hook. There are a lot of common sense protocols that should be implemented by the general populace to conserve resources (not just energy resources, but land, building, and manufacturing resources). Limit food items purchased in disposable plastic, use energy-saving light bulbs, carpool to events - plain and simple conservation, recycling, and stewardship. (Hmm, I have a ways to go.)
posted by Claire at 16:11
3 Comments:
Sounds like an interesting farm.
But what I really wanted to say was that I enjoyed your poem!, and I didn't know if you'd see my comment if I put it down there. Good points, good points.
The Baritone
Thanks, Baritone!
(And the comments actually get e-mailed to me, so you can place them wherever you want and I'll see them.)
Claire,
The OSU Organic Growers Club student farm had Lisa Hubbe out to our annual Earthday Celebration and she did some plowing with tthe horses, it was really great! Unfortunately, I can't find her address to send her a thank you card. Would you be able to send that to me?
Thanks!
James Cassidy
james.cassidy@oregonstate.edu
Post a Comment
<< Home