On an overcast late-June morning, trailers of all sizes began pulling into the field behind the barn at the Bassett Road Homestead. Teamsters quietly unloaded their working steers and oxen to settle in from their trips. Many drove two or more hours to join in Fabric of Life’s Working Oxen Demonstration on Saturday, June 29th. As the clouds threatened, the oxen were paired up and began to make the walk toward the tents where they were welcomed by an enthusiastic group of attendees.
Participants waiting to be introduced at the Fabric of Life working oxen demonstration
Melanie Brundage of Douglas, MA began the day with an engaging presentation about the history of working oxen in agriculture. She shared some specifics of what makes an animal an ox. While many folks think Oxen are a distinct breed of cattle, they can actually be any type of bovine. In fact, there are many breeds of cattle trained for draft power, such as the tall Brown Swiss, the black and white Lineback, the fuzzy Highland, the red and white Milking Shorthorn, the red American Milking Devon, the aptly named Red and White, the Normande of Viking heritage, and red Hereford with their white faces.
Informational display by Isaac Riendeau at the Fabric of Life working oxen demonstration
One of the participants shared an informative poster outlining cattle terminology. A heifer is a female who has not yet had a baby; a cow has had a baby and thus produces milk; a bull is a reproductively intact male; a steer is a castrated male who is unable to reproduce; an ox is a steer who has reached at least four years of age; oxen is the term for a pair of castrated males, often trained for draft purposes.
Melanie Brundage introducing the participants at the Fabric of Life Working Oxen Demonstration
The crowd heard many interesting facts about working oxen, including that they don’t sweat, are generally slow and steady, and the wooden yoke around each pair’s neck is specially sized for each team. Oxen have horns to help keep the yoke in place when a load is pushing forward on the team, and their horns can be shaped with the use of weights.
Participants heading to the woods to pull out logs with their teams at the Fabric of Life working oxen demonstration
Nine teams of steers and oxen joined in the fun, along with a single-hitch ox. As the animals waited patiently for their turn to work, Melanie introduced each set with their handler, sharing distinctive features of the animals in each turnout, such as the mature weight, coloration, and temperament of each breed or mix of breeds. Handlers included a mix of youth and adults who expertly guided their obedient animals into the woods to pull out logs. The young folks enjoyed a bit of friendly competition as they navigated their teams through an obstacle course, often directing their steers and oxen very precisely to move one step at a time.
Belgian draft horses, Mike & Ryker, at the Fabric of Life working oxen demonstration. Mike and Ryker are owned by Faith & Donnie Bisbee
In addition to the working steers and oxen, Faith and Donnie Bisbee of Clay Hill Farm brought a beautiful team of Belgian draft horses named Mike & Ryker. These impressive horses drew lots of attention in their fancy harnesses and really shined as they made their first foray into pulling a plow look effortless. After the event, a small group worked together to plant broom corn and wheat in the freshly plowed garden, mulching with mowed grass to help suppress weeds and retain moisture.
Spectator talking with Scott Brundage about his 2,100lb single hitch ox, Buck at the Fabric of Life working oxen demonstration
Attendees were able to meet these beautiful animals up close and many seized the opportunity to try their hand at guiding a plow as it sliced through the ground in the lower garden. Each was given a brief set of instructions and then did their best to create a straight line as the powerful animals pulled the plow forward.
Spectators visiting with Isaac Riendeau and his steers, Timmy & Tyler, at the Fabric of Life working oxen demonstration
Once the animals were settled back at their trailers, everyone came together for a shared meal and plenty of talk about oxen, farm life, and family. We couldn’t have asked for a better group of teamsters and appreciate the time they all took out of their busy lives to share these amazing animals with us. We look forward to hosting a similar event next year and hope to see many new faces when we welcome these dedicated folks back to Fabric of Life in 2025!
Thank you to the participants in our working oxen demonstration!
Fabric of Life Working Oxen Demonstration participants (pictured left to right): Justin Riendeau with Pete & Gil, Isaac Riendeau with Timmy & Tyler, Brooke Bisbee with Harvey & Lewis, Carson Bisbee with Taco & Loki, Earl Grey with Wayne & Garth, Owen Laurenzo with Aries & Zeus, Bailey Turnbull Grout & Rocket, Autumn Turnbull with Tonka & Truck, Sandy Eggers with Red & Rusty, and Scott Brundage with Buck. Not pictured: Melanie Brundage, Faith & Donnie Bisbee with Mike & Ryker.
Country Folks did a nice writeup about the event, which you can read on their website.
To learn more about working oxen, reach out to the Hilltown Misfits 4-H Club or your local 4-H club, the All Things Oxen facebook group, the Draft Animal Power Network, or the New England Ox Teamsters.
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