The Future Begins Now for Working Cattle

Breaking New Ground

Insights into the newly founded International Center for Draft Cattle Research and Education

by Claus Kropp of Lorsch, Germany

Background

From March 8 to 10, 2024, more than 125 cattle experts, farmers, scientists, historians, archaeologists, museum experts and engineers from 21 countries met in Lorsch in southern Hesse (Germany) for the first World Draft Cattle Symposium. The event was initiated by the Lauresham Open-Air Laboratory, which has been working on the topic of cattle traction for over ten years, both as a museum facility and through various third-party funded projects, and has considered both historic and modern contexts. In 2021, the institution had invited people to the “Draft Animals in the Past, Present and Future” World Congress, which was held digitally due to the pandemic and was attended by over 500 people. As part of this comparative analysis of various draft animals, it became very clear that – even though the importance of draft cattle in the global context is still very high – they receive little attention in the public debate compared to other work animals. Compared to other work animals, draft cattle are more likely to be seen by political decision-makers, agricultural lobbies and also by many laypeople as part of a narrative of a primitive past that needs to be overcome with more “modern” working methods. Accordingly, in many countries, farmers working with draft cattle face the problem of being publicly denounced as backward – even though there are so many positive examples where draft cattle can be used as part of organic farms in agriculture, viticulture or forestry.

From the outset, the main intention of the 2024 symposium was to address this problem and at the same time bring together different stakeholders and disciplines for the first time. As a result, the three days of the conference created an enormously important networking platform and a very special atmosphere with everyone both sharing their knowledge and learning from each other. In addition to specialist presentations on history and archaeology, status reports from around the world and keynote speeches on new innovations, there were practical demonstrations of different harnessing methods, equipment and the training and behavior of draft cattle. Several conference participants said that they had found themselves in a larger community than they had originally imagined, who were focused on the special relationship with cattle as working animals. It was recognized that each country has its own specific problems and challenges to overcome and that the discussion of the importance of draft cattle in the 21st century can only be advanced if as much knowledge as possible is accumulated and contextualized. As a central result of the event, an International Center for Draft Cattle Research and Education was founded, which will be tasked with facilitating joint efforts and creating an international platform for professional exchanges. At the same time, important research initiatives are to emanate from the Center in order to help strengthen the potential role of draft cattle in discussions about sustainability and innovative, resource-conserving working methods in specialist circles. The aim is to break new ground and provide political decision-makers with comprehensive factual and technical information on the potential and the limitations of cattle traction.

Structure

The Center for Draft Cattle Research and Education is an institutional part of the Experimental Archaeological Open-Air Laboratory Lauresham. This in turn is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Lorsch Abbey which is administered by the State Palaces and Gardens of Hesse. This connection enables access to various teaching and experimental fields, meadows and a forest as well as agricultural and forestry machinery and a large collection of implements for training purposes on site. The open-air laboratory currently (as of 2024) has eight draft cattle of different training levels and harnessing traditions. These can be fully utilized by the center.

In terms of infrastructure, the Center has its own office, a guest room with a workplace and an extensive library, which will be discussed separately below. The Center is also supported by an internationally renowned team of advisory board members such as Paul Starkey (UK), who advise on projects and other plans at annual meetings and provide the institution with advice and support.

Collection, Archive and Library

In order to enable people from all over the world to get to know and research different traction traditions, the Center is continuously striving to build up a display collection and an archive on the subject. The core aspect here is the collection and management of historical and contemporary archival materials such as photos, files and also objects such as yokes, collars and ox shoes. The Center benefits from close cooperation with national and international museum institutions and archives, but also from the willingness of private individuals to make their private collections available to the Center. Building on an exhibition on the cultural history of the yoke held in March 2024, work has also begun on building up a digital collection in cooperation with researchers from Heidelberg University. This involves successively scanning individual yokes and collars in high-resolution 3D and photographing them so that they can be viewed and studied in their final state free of charge and from the comfort of anyone’s home. The same applies to the online provision of photos and oral history testimonies, such as tape recordings or video interviews with cattle farmers from all over the world.

Thanks to a generous donation from the private collection of the renowned German draft cattle expert Dr. Rolf Minhorst, it was also possible to build up a special library on the subject of animal husbandry, agricultural engineering, sustainable forestry and agriculture. It is now planned to continuously expand this – also through further donations.

Access to local resources is uncomplicated and, on request, internships and research stays can also take place at the Center, during which the guest room can also be made available.

International Fellowships and Courses

Every year, the Center invites international experts as well as practitioners to spend some time in Lorsch to undertake investigations and studies. The aim is to learn from the recipients of the fellowships by enabling them to share their own knowledge with the Center and the interested public through lectures and courses and to provide them with a place of learning where they can advance themselves and their projects.

These fellowships are made possible by the support of private donations and foundations such as Local Futures, the Lorsch Abbey World Heritage Foundation and the Friends of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Lorsch Abbey.

A calendar of events available on the Center’s website also offers additional courses and online lectures (www.draft-cattle-center.de).

Surveys

For the World Draft Cattle Symposium, the open-air laboratory conducted several surveys to gain a deeper insight into the current situation of draft cattle farming. In a fixed and always consistent questionnaire system, cattle farmers in certain regions were and are surveyed. In this case, questions are asked about the size of the farm, the number of animals kept, their sex and breed, and also about the areas of operation, weekly working hours and particular problems and challenges. The first surveys were carried out in Germany and Romania, followed by Uganda and Namibia. The initial results are both optimistic and alarming at the same time: while in Germany there has been a steady increase of draft cattle farming – admittedly still at a very low level – in Romania the numbers have fallen dramatically by more than 90% in just 20 years. For Uganda and Namibia, on the other hand, it is becoming increasingly clear how strongly external factors such as civil war or climate change are triggering dramatic developments. These could lead to the almost complete loss of the skills essential for continued use of draft cattle in less than a generation and also pose the imminent threat to draft animals from persistent droughts or animal diseases.

A further survey is currently being prepared for the Cuban region of Pinar del Rio, where cattle traction is a long lasting tradition and where it has gained renewed importance due to sanctions and the scarcity of fossil fuels.

Strengthening National and Regional Initiatives

The Center is also keen to support existing initiatives and projects or those planned by partner organisations. One of the flagship projects in this respect is the so called Oxen Clinic Uganda, which was founded in 2017 with the support of Tillers International and other partners. The Draft Cattle Center currently supports a new initiative of the Oxen Clinic in which they plan to work with smallholder farmers, local wood and metal artisans, development partners, agricultural institutions of learning such as colleges, universities as well as business partners to develop, design, test and promote low capital draft animal powered tools and equipment using the available local materials and most importantly putting farmers interest first. It is supposed to be a demand driven initiative. The tools and equipment will include but not be limited to a tool bar for attaching different field equipment (planter, ripper, weeder/cultivator), improved donkey harnessing, single ox yokes, compost spreaders and improved yokes for different activities such as weeding, planting, transportation among others.

High Value Nature Farming

As several scientific studies have shown to date, traditional farming methods, pastoral systems and small-scale circular farming systems are associated with a high level of biodiversity. The great structural diversity and highly varied use creates niches and habitats for a large number of rare plant and animal species. It is significant that this particularly valuable management system of our cultivated landscapes still receives insufficient support from agricultural funding systems or political decision makers. In many regions of Europe, these systems can now often only be observed in low mountain regions that are not particularly densely populated. Of central importance here is the fact that, although specialist studies give working horses a major role in the management of such areas, draft cattle are once again not given any consideration. For this reason, the Draft Cattle Center, under the leadership of the author, has begun a comprehensive study in various selected regions and farms with draft cattle use to work out the essential importance of cattle traction for the functioning of these high-quality circular agricultural economies. An initial study was launched in May 2024 in a Romanian low mountain region in Bra?ov County. A combination of photo-documentary elements, whether through on-site photography or drone images, the documentation of all structural elements on the farm sites and the comparison with databases on flora and fauna should enable a deeper understanding of the role of draft cattle in the respective farm cycle. At the same time, it will help to build up a greater appreciation of draft cattle and, above all, that the people who live in these environments should be better protected and promoted.

The Way Ahead

If the Center wants to achieve its objectives, it needs to work with all stakeholders and at all levels. This article should therefore also be seen as a call to not hesitate to approach us with concerns and ideas, to collaborate on the development of new research projects and to work together to change the public perception of draft cattle. This also includes the essential task of expanding or at least maintaining the infrastructure necessary for working with draft cattle, be it in the area of harnesses, shoeing or working equipment.

The invitation also goes out to all those who would like to support the Center with archive materials, books or financial resources and, of course, to all those who would like to get actively involved through a stay on site, either as a fellow or as a trainee.

Contact Us

Claus Kropp
Center for Draft Cattle Research and Education
Nibelungenstr. 34
64653 Lorsch
Germany
email: c.kropp@kloster-lorsch.de
web: www.draft-cattle-center.de

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Draft Ox with forehead yoke during the field day of the conference.

Logging workshop during the conference.

Left: Yoke making during the conference.

Below: Rolf Minhorst at the hand over of his book donation.

Right: Advisory Board member Paul Starkey during his keynote at the conference.

Beyond: Patron presentaion on the first day of the conference.

Group photo of the conference attendees.

Kassine multitool display at the conference.

Student Helena Spielhofen was the first fellow of the Center right after the conference.

Draft cattle use in Namibia.

Right: Draft Cattle use in Uganda.

Below: Yoke making at Oxen Clinic in Uganda.

Interns can learn the various ways of working with Draft Cattle at the Center.

High Value Nature Farming in Romania.