Draft Horse-Power
Reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and treading lightly on the land….
Light Root Community Farm utilizes draft horse-power as an integral part of our farm management. The farm is scaled to a size that we can work the land and manage the farm with our two working teams of draft horses, along with some supplemental tractor work for baling hay and managing manure. The draft horses are truly “solar powered” in that they are fueled by the grass and hay they eat, and they generate fertility for the farm from the manure they produce.
Working with draft horses requires a respectful and living relationship between the farmer and the horses. We use gentle handling techniques and work with the natural language of the horse to foster a trusting relationship and a willingness to work. The horses are utilized to mow and rake hay, move round bales of hay on the farm, spread compost, till and cultivate soil, and a variety of other practical tasks on the farm.