Project Overview
Commodities
Practices
Proposal abstract:
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.
Project objectives from proposal:
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.