Progress report for ONC24-141
Project Information
Burning of fossil fuels for farming operations and fertilizer production is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and associated climate crisis. Electric motors, robotics, and other precision tools could reduce agricultural related emissions. However, not all of these tools are likely to be feasible for small farmers. Therefore, we may also look for low tech innovations.
Animal traction is a regenerative power option for small and medium sized farms worth examining further especially as fossil fuels become depleted.
Animals cause minimal compaction, appreciate, and can regenerate. Fuel can be grown on farm and some animals are multi-purpose. Animal traction also provides social benefit for farmers and the communities they exist in through enjoyment from working with and observing animals, community events, and other business ventures such as wagon and sleigh rides.
However, opportunities for aspiring teamsters to gain practical applied knowledge is limited. Extension materials and programming from public Universities is limited.
Therefor we propose a collaborative effort among three farmers and three institutions to provide hands on training and knowledge transfer to Midwest farmers and woodlot owners. The innovation of this proposal is the revival of an old practice as a climate smart solution to powering small farms.
Objective1 (O1): Provide hands on/intensive training on animal traction methods for market gardeners and woodlot owners in the Midwest through a collaborative effort among the Sustainable Horticulture Lab, the Wendell Berry Institute, and Tillers International.
Objective 2 (O2): In Partnership with aspiring animal powered farmers develop and implement animal traction-based research and demonstration plots at Purdue University.
Objective 3 (O3): Together with each farmer partner create an individualized economic based animal traction integration plan.
Cooperators
- - Technical Advisor (Educator)
Research
The objective of this research project was two-fold. 1. Demonstrate the use of animal power and animal powered equipment to vegetable growers. 2. Measure soil health, crop productivity, and economic and environmental sustainability of animal power in comparison to tractor power. Therefore, we set up a randomized complete block design with two treatments and three replications. The treatments were animal traction and tractor traction for potato production. For the animal traction treatment all field activities were performed with animal power and animal powered tools while the tractor traction treatment was all field activities performed with tractor powered tools.
The research portion of this project is being conducted at the Meigs Horticulture Facility in Lafayette IN 40.421704, -86.914641. Soil type is primarily silty clay loam (Mahalasville-Treaty complex and Starks-Fincastle Complex) with mean annual precipitation: 35 to 40 inches and mean annual air temperature: 50 to 55 degrees F.
Horse drawn machinery included a horse drawn potato plow was already in the research farm systems, a McCormick straddle row cultivator found at the annual Southern Kentucky Horse Drawn Machinery Auction for $350 USD. We also found a walk behind potato plow from a local person in Indiana for $100 USD. We collaborated with a local teamster with a team of Percheron horses and a team of draft mules. We used her forecart to pull the potato planter.
Three varieties of potatoes Huckleberry, Yukon Gold, and Gold Rush sourced from High Mowing Seeds were planted on 12, June in plots 12' x 80' with three rows of potatoes (one row of each variety) spaced ~4ft apart between rows. The animal traction treatment was planted with the horse drawn potato planter pulled behind a pioneer forecart with two Percherons. We hilled the potatoes in the animal traction system twice, once on 20 July and once on 3 August with the McCormick outfitted with hilling discs from Agri-Supply. Potatoes were harvested in the animal traction on 30 September with the walk behind potato digger and a team of draft mules. The tractor treatment was planted with a 3-point mounted potato planter, hilled once on 20, July and harvested on 11, October with a tractor and PTO powered potato digger. Granular fertilizer was applied at the first hilling using an organic fertilizer with an analysis of 8N-2P-4K based on soil test results. Drip irrigation was used by placing one line down the center of each row.
Data collection included: cost of equipment, time for each field activity (to be used in future LCA analysis and extension materials, potato yield, and comprehensive soil health assessment including penetration resistance.
Potato yield did not differ between AT and TT. Preliminary results reveal that similar yields to tractor power can be achieved when using animal power. However, the 2025 season will be needed to confirm these results. In addition, over all yields were low. Late application of fertilizer is likely the main contributor to the overall low yields. Fertilizer will be applied at planting in 2025.
There is a learning curve for farmers interested in using animal traction. Farmers should connect with an experienced teamster to gain knowledge and hands and basic skills before starting out. Purchase of a seasoned team will also be crucial to success. There is a need for more training opportunities for aspiring teamsters especially in the Midwest. Currently, Tillers international is the only location where aspiring teamsters can get formal training in draft animal handling skills and brief introductions to types farming implements.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Hands on training at The Berry Center Farm and Forrest Institute Feb 22-23 2025. Two farmers and three young farmers (the teenage children of the two farmers) attended a workshop on woodland management and oxen handling. The workshop included forestry safety, hand tools for tree felling and processing, chainsaw safety and use, oxen training, and evening discussion of cover cropping in the market garden. This event was specifically crafted by Rick Thomas and Moriah Bilenky for the farmers in attendance.
Hands on training at Tillers international June/July 2024 - Partner farmers had the chance to attend either farming with oxen of farming with draft horses at Tillers International. Each of these classes is a multi-day hands on course providing attendants with instruction on draft animal handling, harnessing, hitching, and operating animal powered farm machinery.
Demonstration at the Midwest mechanical weed control field day September 2024. At the Midwest mechanical weed control field day, the Sustainable Horticulture Lab demonstrated several horse drawn pieces of equipment including a cultivator, a cultimulcher, and a mower. The field day had over 100 people in attendance.
Hands on class on use of animals for powering the small farm and the basics of harnessing and ground driving for sustainable food and farming systems, small farm experience students (15 students) October 2024. Bilenky teaches the small farm experience course which provides students in the college of agriculture hands on experience operating a small farm using the Purdue Student Farm as the centerpiece. In part related to this project students had the opportunity to learn about using animal power on the small farm through lectures, discussions, and a hands-on component where students learned about the parts of the harness, harnessed and un-harnessed, learned the basics of ground driving, and watched a live mowing demonstration.
Poster for the small farm conference March 4, 2025. Presented a poster on the first-year results of the project.
Hands on training to sustainable food and farming systems students September 2025. We are planning a similar workshop for the SFS class for fall 2025 similar to the one in 2024.
Demonstration at the Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Field Day July 2025.
Vegetable crops hotline and diversified food and farming newsletter articles planned for Fall and winter 2025
Planned presentations include small farm conference 2026
Learning Outcomes
Awareness of the possibilities with draft animal power
Skills in draft animal power handling
knowledge of draft animal power
Project Outcomes
Our project is collecting data on cost of equipment and time in the field for both animal and tractor-based production activities. This provides useful information on the economic cost of using animal power as well as the social cost eg; what are the time and labor differences in animal power vs tractor power for different field operations. This data will be very useful in providing decision making resources for farmers interested in adopting animal power. In addition, the data from this project can be used in life cycle analyses of animal power which can help determine the environmental sustainability of animal power.
More research is needed on time and cost of field operations using animal power for different crops and animal management activities to better build animal powered farm budgets. Collaborative research with already established animal powered farmers would be necessary.