Farming with Horses

Think of a farm nowadays, and the picture that springs to mind is of tractors, endless fields of grain waving in the breeze, cattle grazing in green fields. This is the reality of today, but, not so long ago, we used a different kind of 'horsepower' for farming!

 

HORSES!

The use of horses for agricuture goes back almost as far as the domestication of the species. Over the course of centuries, horses were selectively bred for different types of tasks. Desired qualities in a farm, or working, horse included increased size, increased muscle mass, easygoing temperment, patience and the ability to thrive without a lot of care.

You might wonder why we are putting up a page on farming with horses. Well, simply put, we're going to try it out this summer! After much thought, we wanted to see how feasible it is. We market garden a relatively small acreage (with regard to farms wholesaling to grocery chains) and, even though we use a lot of non-mechanized techniques for planting and weeding, we wanted to see if we could reduce our carbon footprint even more. So, here we go...

If you happen to be driving by the farm this summer, keep your eyes on the north side of Route 2. You may see the horses out working in one of the front fields! And don't forget to stop by our little shop, for organic veggies produced with REAL horsepower!

 

Interesting article on the economics of farming with horses

although I don't think I'd agree with breeding the mares 4 years out of 5--what would you do with the foals?! besides the fact that you really can't use the mare while the foal is nursing.

Ecological farmers of Ontario article by a man who actually farmed with horses

Farming with Horses at Amazon.ca

www.farmingwithhorses.com--buy equipment for farming with horses. Neat!