helping traditional skills flourish in our modern world
Attend a two hour workshop with natural dyer, weaver, and spinner, Michelle Parrish and learn about planning a dye garden, and selecting, planting, and growing natural dye plants. Expect to get your hands dirty as we spend the second portion of this workshop planting out the Fabric of Life dye garden.
Workshop is open to gardeners, dyers, and enthusiasts of all experience levels.
Registration opens soon!
Join local arborculturalist, Walker Korby for hands-on instruction as we continue the process of reclaiming the Bassett Homestead apple orchard.
This class is designed to enhance your understanding and create a framework of the why and how we make pruning cuts. It will be appropriate for beginners as well as those who are already comfortable on a pruning ladder with a pair of Felcos. Bring along any pruning tools you have, a pair of safety glasses and a willingness to learn!
Lunch will be provided.
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Join us for a family-friendly day of working oxen demonstrations as teamsters of all ages work their animals. Bring your family and learn about this traditional form of draft power, meet some amazing animals, and find out why working oxen are so important to New England’s agricultural heritage. We will be serving lunch, so please let us know how many people to expect when you register for the demo (below).
This program is offered at no charge and donations to support this event are greatly appreciated.
Help Heal our Earth Through Biodynamics
Join Elisha Poulin for a one hour review of the theory and practice of biodynamics. Biodynamics is based off of Rudolph Steiner’s 1924 agricultural lectures and the work of Maria Thun and stimulates soil health and brings harmony to the land, enlivening the area and providing healing forces from the cosmos. The principles of biodynamics can be applied quickly and easily, or through deep and methodical practices. During this workshop, Elisha will share her approach to biodynamics, highlighting valuable ways we can contribute to the health of our Earth, ourselves, and the animals around us. Elisha’s hope is that attendees will come away with enough to be comfortable starting this practice. This program will focus on biodynamic preparations and the cosmic calendar. This workshop is intended for farmers, gardeners, and anyone who wishes to share in the beautiful practice of healing any piece of the earth, small or large, using biodynamics.
Elisha’s passions are all centered around anything to do with the health of the Earth, ourselves, animals and staying centered in love. She has been studying plant medicine and nutrition for the past 20 years. She is currently a studying/practicing homeopath, biodynamic land healing consultant, and a wellness coach. Elisha has been farming for the entirety of her life, and practicing aspects of biodynamic farming for the past 5 years on her own as well as many others’ farms and properties.
REGISTERJoin local arborculturalist, Walker Korby for a morning of hands-on instruction as we begin the process of reclaiming the Bassett Homestead apple orchard.
The fundamentals of any pruning regimen should always start with understanding how trees grow, break, heal, and degrade over time. Once you have internalized some of this knowledge, and have understood the effects our actions can have, we are well on our way to a successful pruning journey. In this class we will enter this journey through the process of reclaiming some older fruit trees that have been left untended. The concepts and guidelines that we will focus on will cover what and where to remove in order to encourage a structure that will withstand wind, ice, heavy fruits, and last for generations. This class is designed to enhance your understanding and create a framework of the why and how we make pruning cuts. It will be appropriate for beginners as well as those who are already comfortable on a pruning ladder with a pair of Felcos. Bring along any pruning tools you have, a pair of safety glasses and a willingness to learn!
RegisterJoin local farmer, David Fisher for a pasture walk and soil improvement presentation at Fabric of Life on Sunday, February 16th from 4-7pm. David has been the lead farmer at Natural Roots Farm in Conway for decades using draft horses.
The afternoon will begin with a field walk to assess the Fabric of Life vegetable garden and the lower field, which was plowed with oxen and planted with broom corn, wheat, and pumpkins in 2024. The group will then move into the Farmhouse living room to warm up by the fire while David shares his approach to soil improvement through mineralization, crop rotation, and cover crops. At the conclusion of the presentation, we will share a light supper with plenty of opportunity for hearty discussion.
This workshop is appropriate for beginning farmers and home gardeners, as well as growers with many years of experience.
RegisterOn 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!
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.
Do you want to learn how to dye yarn or fabric with plants you have planted, tended and harvested? Growing your own dye plants allows you to be connected to the colors you use in an intimate and thoughtful way.
During the first part of this two hour workshop, natural dyer, weaver, and spinner, Michelle Parrish will introduce a variety of plants we can grow to produce natural dyes. She will discuss the annual and perennial plants commonly used in natural dyeing, the colors produced, and what is needed to successfully grow your own natural dyes. This program will offer an understanding of how to successfully start a dye garden, including planning, plant selection, starting plants from seed, planting starts, and nurturing healthy plants throughout the season. The second portion of the workshop will be a hands-on planting party, complete with seeds, starts, and a freshly prepared garden bed.
Join us for a family-friendly day of working steer and oxen demonstrations. We will have teamsters working with steers and oxen of various ages. Bring your family and learn about this traditional form of draft power, meet some amazing animals, and find out why working oxen are making a comeback in New England. We will be serving lunch, so please let us know how many people to expect when you register for the demo.
This program is offered at no charge and donations are greatly appreciated.
Register for Demo***THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER***
Join us for a family-friendly day of working steer and oxen demonstrations. Bring your family and learn about this traditional form of draft power, meet some amazing animals, and find out why working oxen are making a comeback in New England.
Our day will start at 10am with an engaging talk from Melanie Brundage who travels around the region with her family demonstrating working oxen and sharing her passion with others. Stay for the day for live demonstrations of teamsters and their oxen pulling a stone boat, logging, and plowing a field to be planted with wheat. You’ll also have a chance to meet these impressive animals and their handlers up close.
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