ITS WAY, SADDLE TREES WILL BE
NEEDED FOR YEARS TO COME.
IN THE SOFT GLOW OF THE SUMMER
SUN, THEY PREPARE AN AFTERNOON
SNACK FOR THE BELGIAN DRAFT
HORSES.
KNOWN FOR THEIR GENTLE SPIRIT.
>> WE WOULD GO TO SHOE THE
HORSES AND WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE
OUR SCHOOL BOOKS WITH US.
WE ORIGINALLY FIRST STARTED
PULLING HORSES AND THEN WE MOVED
UP AND I THINK WHAT STARTED US
SHOWING THE HORSES IS
COMPETITION.
I GREW UP WITH MY BROTHER AND
SISTER ALL AND THE 4-Hers AND
IT WAS A BIG COMPETITION THING
BACK IN THE DAY AND IT JUST
CONTINUES ON.
>> EVERY YEAR, STEVE AND HIS
FAMILY TRAVERSE THE MIDWEST,
PARTICIPATING IN DRAFT HORSE
COMPETITIONS AT STATE AND COUNTY
FAIRS.
>> MOST OF THE TIME WHEN YOU ARE
AT THE FAIRS, THE PEOPLE COME UP
AND THEY ARE JUST STUNNED HOW
HUGE THEY ARE AND MOST OF ALL
HOW QUIET THEY ARE.
HOW YOU CAN GET THEM OUT OF A
STALL AND YOU CAN PUT A KID UP
ON THEIR BACK AND THE PARENTS
ARE AMAZED WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH
THEM.
IT'S JUST UNREAL.
PEOPLE WE WILL SHOW AND DRIVE
TODAY.
WE CAN DRIVE THEM ALL DAY LONG
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WILL BE
READY TO GO AGAIN TOMORROW.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE THAT MUCH IN
THEM TO DO WHATEVER YOU ASK
THEM.
>> AND FARMERS LIKE STEVE ARE
DETERMINED TO KEEP THEIR LEGACY
ALIVE.
STARTING WITH INDIANA BELGIAN
HORSE ASSOCIATION.
>> WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS
GET OUT TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHAT
THE HORSES CAN DO, WHAT WE DO
WITH THE HORSES, DRAW PEOPLE TO
LIKE 'EM.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE
INVOLVED IN IT.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S DYING OFF A
LITTLE BIT, BUT WE WANT TO GET
BACK AT IT.
AND JUST HAVE FUN WITH THE
HORSES.
♪
>> THAT PASSION IS A COMMON
THREAD THROUGHOUT INDIANA'S
DRAFT HORSE COMMUNITY, AND IT'S
LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
UNIQUE VENTURE, THE FARM AT
PROFITS TOWN WHERE VISITORS AND
FARMERS ALIKE IN UP CLOSE
EDUCATION UNLIKE ANYWHERE IN THE
COUNTRY.
>> OUR FARM IS EXCLUSIVELY
POWERED BY HORSEPOWER.
WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND
TRY IT ON THEIR OWN AND
EXPERIENCE IT, AND EVEN OUR
DROP-IN DAILY VISITORS CAN GET
RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE OF IT.
WE TEACH SEVERAL CLINICS
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND WE HAVE
PEOPLE THAT COME FROM ALL OVER
THE WORLD, TO SPEND THE WEEKEND
WITH US TO LEARN HOW TO HARNESS
AND HOW TO DRIVE WITH THEM.
>> THE VETERINARY SCHOOL, WE
WORK HAND IN HAND AND MELISSA
AND LAUREN ARE GRADUATES OF THAT
PROGRAM AND WE COOPERATE WITH
THEM AND WE ADD THE EXTRA BONUS
WITH OUR CUSTOMERS, TO COME OUT
HERE AND GET THE EXPERTS FROM
PURDUE AND THE PEOPLE WHO
ACTUALLY DOT FARMING.
AT THE END OF THE YEAR, I WILL
PASS 700 PEOPLE.
AND NOW WE HAVE THE NATIONAL
GUARD TRAINING THAT WE TEACH
THEM BEFORE GOING TO
AFGHANISTAN.
WE ARE BECOMING A LABORATORY
WITH THE ANIMAL-DRAWN CARTS.
IT TAKES NO LONGER TO GET MY HAY
DONE, BUT ALL THE PASTURES THEY
PUT IN.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOUR TRACTOR
MAKING ITS OWN DIESEL.
OVERALL, I HAVE TO SAY, I ENJOY
THE QUIET.
I ENJOY THE SMOOTHNESS OF IT.
I LIKE WORKING WITH THE ANIMALS
AND THAT'S A REAL PLUS.
♪
>> IN TODAY'S WORLD, WE WANT TO
TALK ABOUT DOING A BETTER JOB
WITH FARMING, SMALL ACRE FARMS
AND ALL OF THESE PEOPLE YOU TALK
TO TODAY, THEY ARE NOT BIG.
THEY ARE SMALL.
WE USE THIS TO ATTRACT PEOPLE.
WE THINK IT'S JUST A BETTER WAY
TO FARM ON SMALL ACRES.
WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT
REPLACING PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE
BUT THE 250 ACRES OR LESS IS A
COMPETITIVE WAY TO DO THIS AND
MAKE IT WORK, PROVIDED THAT IT
SHOULD BE JUST A LITTLE
DIFFERENT TYPE OF FARMING.
IN 2008, WE HAD A SURVEY AND IT
WAS 425,000 PEOPLE IN NORTH
AMERICA, FARMING WITH HORSES.
LESS THAN 100,000 OF THEM, AND
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE
AGRITOURISM MOVEMENT.
EVEN GUYS THAT GROW CORN AND
SOYBEANS GIVE HORSE DRAWN RIDES.
THEY TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT
AGRICULTURE.
SO THAT VALUE ADDED THING HAS
MADE A RESURGENCE.
NOBODY EVER STOPS AND GETS THEIR
PICTURE TAKEN WITH A JOHN DEERE.
I GREW UP NEAR HOLMES COUNTY,
HIGH, THE CENTER OF HORSE-DRAWN
FARMING.
WE STARTED RAISING WITH THESE
HORSES AND FEELING ALL WEATHERED
AND TIRED AND SMELLY AND ALL OF
THIS STUFF.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DON'T DO
THAT.
I REALLY MEAN IT FROM THE BOTTOM
OF MY HEART.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I
WOULD DO.
IF YOU CAN DO THIS AND WATCH
THESE PEOPLE, WATCH THEM COME
HERE AND CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT
HOW THEY LIVE.
AND I THINK WE JUST HELP PEOPLE
TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
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