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Horse, mule field demonstration Sunday

Thursday, June 4, 2009
McCook Daily Gazette
(Photo)
Ken Kircher's team of draft horses run the elevator, while Bob Haag, left and his crew of young helpers unload the corn from his wagon during the 2008 fall corn harvest demonstration.
(Billie Cole/McCook Daily Gazette)
[Click to enlarge]
The Nebraska Draft Horse and Mule Association will hold its annual field day demonstration on Sunday, on the east end of Indianola.

"We expect approximately 10-15 teams of horses and mules from all over Nebraska to show up and work," said Ken Kircher, chairman of the event. "We plan to mow, rake, stack and bale hay. With the exception of baling hay with a stationary baler, all haying will be done with real "horse" power."

In addition to the hay work, the group plans to have several mule-powered corn-shelling demonstrations using a 100-year-old corn sheller powered by a merry-go-round-type horsepower.

Kircher found the horsepower "more of less in a junkpile" last winter. He and Lee Janssen have spent many weekends getting it restored. "It should be a fun and interesting afternoon," said Kircher.

The public is invited to watch the activities starting at approximately 1:30 p.m., Sunday. There is no admission charge. For more information contact Ken Kircher at (308) 364-2796 or Lee Janssen at (308) 345-3352.

© Copyright 2009 McCook Daily Gazette

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A century between the stationery horse-powered sheller and today's 12-row harvesters with air-conditioned cabs, stereo music and radio, GPS links and cellphones.

Sixty to seventy years since wagons with "bounceboard" extensions and one to four people moving through corn rows with shucking pegs and hand harvesting.

Slightly more than 20 years since massive farm foreclosures, which foretold the deaths of numerous small towns across the mid-western and wheat belt states. In Iowa alone, more than 500 weekly newspapers died.

Changing times, changing ways, yet after the bitter lesson of a "never-ending" Viet Nam war, we are nearing seven years with another mismanaged fiasco in Iraq.

More flag-draped coffins arriving and honor guards firing volleys in cemeteries coast to coast -- and nearly every grieving family among the working poor and lower income.

Smart bombs in place of blind artillery, ineptly guided from balloon observers over WWI front line trenches.

-- Posted by HerndonHank on Fri, Jun 5, 2009, at 7:59 AM

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