April 14 – April 17
Central Wisconsin Horse Sale, Clark County Fairgrounds, Neillsville, WI: Randy Reineck, 715-238-8088, rrhorsesale@gmail.com , www.centralwihorsesale.net

March 27
Draft Horse Training Seminar, Tillers International, Scotts, MI, Richard Roosenberg, 800-498-2700, tillers@tillersinternational.org, www.tillersinternational.org

March 9 – March 13 Mid-Ohio Draft Horse & Carriage Sale, Mt. Hope, OH: Steve Mullet, 330-674-6188, www.mthopeauction.com

March 12 – March 13 Oklahoma “SELECT” Draft Horse and Mule Sale, Stillwater, OK: J.L. Nichols, 620-297-3017, nicholsauction@hotmail.com , www.nicholsauctionservice.com

March 16 – March 19 Spring Draft Horse Sale, Topeka Livestock Auction, Topeka, IN: 260-593-2522, www.marketing@auctions-usa.com , www.auctions-usa.com

March 17 Gingerich’s 7th Annual Spring Horse Sale, Lavalle, WI: Denny Gingerich, 608-254-8293, cell 608-963-0083

March 18 – March 20 Ox Driving Clinic, Tillers International, Scotts, MI, Richard Roosenberg, 800-498-2700, tillers@tillersinternational.org , www.tillersinternational.org

March 20 – March 20 TDHMA Spring Draft Seminar, Sealy, TX: Steve Wisnieski, 979-771-2839, horselakefarm@yahoo.com, www.tdhma.org

March 23 – March 26 Draft Horse Basics, Tillers International, Scotts, MI, Richard Roosenberg, 800-498-2700, tillers@tillersinternational.org, www.tillersinternational.org

March 24 – March 27 Waverly Midwest Horse Sale, Waverly, IA: Ron Dean & David Byers, 319-353-2804, waverlysalescompany@kca.net, www.waverlysales.com

March 25 – March 27 California Draft Horse and Equipment Sale, Tulare, CA: Dan Baumgardner, 559-334-7731, danbdrafthorse@comcast.net, www.californiadrafthorseauction.com

March 26 – March 27 Dixie Draft Horse & Mule Sale & Carriage Auction, Iredell County Fairgrounds, Troutman, NC: Dean Beachy, 330-893-3541.

March 27 Draft Horse Training Seminar, Tillers International, Scotts, MI, Richard Roosenberg, 800-498-2700, tillers@tillersinternational.org, www.tillersinternational.org

April 3 26th Annual Southern Kentucky Horse Drawn Machinery Auction, Scottsville, KY: Michael Mast, 270-842-6276.

For a more complete 2010 event listing, visit: http://ruralheritage.com

Southern teamsters host a 2-day event promoting animal power farming and logging.

Friday, February  26, 11PM CST.

1PM show pre-empted by Livestock Auction

~ Departments ~

Reader Feedback – Letters from our readers.

Porch Conversations: A Bouncy Cart & More
The expertise shared on the “front porch” of our website is showcased in a thread about a pony cart. There is some amazing engineering going on here!

Reader Profile: Jonathan Lawton
Mr. Lawton is introduced to us here. He and his wife have been farming with horses for 32 years in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania.

A Reader Asks about…An Acme Giant Mower
An Acme Giant Mower inspires a look into the Acme Harvester Co. Sam Moore gives us a history of this turn-of-the-century Peoria, Illinois Company. Gary Cole of Pomeroy, Oregon works on a wheel during the restoration of a vintage water wagon.
photo by Bud Henderson

J.C. Allen Archives More photos from the archives of renown photographer, J.C. Allen.Porch Conversations: Some Days are Good Days… Just the right amount of snow, a sleigh ride, a project, and gingerbread houses make for the perfect afternoon with Karl Moulton and family.

Grandma’s Kitchen: Kid-Friendly Cooking
Read Joe Mischka’s perspective on getting the kids involved in the kitchen while his daughter, Maggie, prepares a delicious lasagna.

Teamster Tips
Our monthly look back at tried and true advise from the 1970′s and 1980′s issues of Rural Heritage, featuring leg mange, diminishing flight reflex and more.

The Rural Bookshelf: The Raw Milk Revolution
Karen Bergener reviews David Gumpert’s new book, in which he “brilliantly laid out the volatile forces on both sides” of the raw milk controversy.

Reflections: The First Snowfall
Ralph Rice shares his love of winter…even when it sneaks up on him.

Associations and Breeders Directory
(contacts for breed registries and regional draft clubs)

Calendar of Events
(frequently updated online)

Advertisers in this issue (with links)
(please tell ‘em you saw it in Rural Heritage)

~ Features ~

Vintage Restoration
Now this is a Project! Gary and Carl spend 200+ hours, with the help of many others, restoring a vintage Mitchell & Lewis Co. running gear on an old water wagon. Lots of photos and tips for readers considering a restoration project.

Good Farming Apprenticeship Network A listing of apprenticeships currently offered in the US and Canada.

Collecting Maple Sap
With the help of Marcy & Hoeger (his team), Phillip Oden harvests maple sap so he & his wife Else can make syrup.

What is a “Normal” Horse?
Knowing what is “normal” for an individual horse includes both subjective and objective observations. Jereld Rice, DVM, guides us in how to use that informtion.

Let’s Talk Rusty Iron – Quack Grass Puller – click on title to read this story in full.
A mystery is finally solved when Sam Moore identifies this elaborate contraptions called a “weed exterminator”. Included are some great photos and vintage patent drawings.

Starting a Team IX: Pulling the First Vehicle Whether using an experienced teammate or another green horse, Dave Feltenberg continues our education with this lesson on pulling a load with the team. The Wisdom of Cattle: This Ox is King of the Hill Find out what happens when Bill & Bob meet Patches & Freckles! Another life lesson for us all. Taking a Spin in the Hearse: We introduce Dell M. Magnum’s original poem. Boss Jack Tom Berningstall’s big draft mule Boss Jack earns his name, but with his mind, as much as his braun.

Patricia Brandt – Dancing Ponies Working horses are the subject of Ms. Brandt’s beautiful watercolors featured here. Raising Ducks in Colorado Colorado winters, no pond and predators are some of the challenges facing Jennifer Morrissey. Read about how and why she loves the challenge. Clarifying “Naturally Raises” Rules Limited funding is an encouraging sign that NAIS will not meet it’s original deadlines for implementation, but the fight is not over, according to Karen Bergener.

For more upcoming events, please visit http://ruralheritage.com/calendar/index.htm