O ver two consecutive springs several years ago, we experienced the birth of a mule on our place. The offspring of a jack (or male donkey) and a mare (or female horse), these gangly foals were at first so weak that they could not even hold up the gigantic ears they inherited from their father. Within 45 minutes, however, they were standing, nursing, and exploring their world. The response from our neighbors and friends to our mules ranges from mild interest to amusement. Many of them have never seen mules (let alone heard themthey make an almost indescribable sound!). Some have ancestors who farmed with mules, but none have considered this possibility as a modern source of traction. Now that the mules are five and six years of age, we have started to ride and drive them. We have even started to farm and log with our mules, not from a sense of nostalgia, but rather for practical, environmental, and aesthetic reasons. From a practical standpoint, mules are multipurpose animals. Ours can be ridden, driven, and packed into the mountains. On our farm, they perform a variety of tasks, including tilling the soil, cultivating and harvesting our crops, and perhaps eventually carrying them to market (or directly to consumers). This year, we’ve started a firewood and custom sawmilling enterprise, using the oldest mule to skid logs to our processing sites. Recreationally, we enjoy riding and driving them. While the amount of land that we can farm with two mules is limited compared to what we could farm with “modern” technology (e.g. tractors), our capital costs will be far less. We’ ve been able to get started with our modern mule-powered farming enterprise for less than $10,000. The scale of operation that mule farming requires will also help us maintain an operation that will not grow beyond the size that we can manage efficiently and effectively as a family. From an environmental standpoint, I appreciate the fact that mules do not require fossil fuel to operate. As hay- and grain-powered creatures, mules convert solar energy directly to on-farm work. In the beginning, we’ve needed to rely on conventionally produced feed for our mules, but we’ll ultimately produce at least some of our own hay and grain. We also rely on our own pastures to meet a portion of our feed needs. Devoting a portion of our operation to hay and grass production ensures that our farm will include beneficial crop rotations and a diversity of products. Finally , unlike the by-product of a tractor (exhaust), the by-product of our power source will actually benefit our farm. We turn manure into compost, revitalizing our soil and producing better crops in the process. As oil prices continue to rise, we think that local sources of “power” will become as important as local sources of food. Self- sufficiency, both individually and within communities, will be critical as the transport of food, fiber, and other staples becomes more expensive. Communities that can move food products from the farm to the table with a minimal amount of petroleum will better withstand the uncertainty of declining oil supplies. The interest that our customers have shown in “fossil fuel-free” food and firewood suggests that this approach already has value within our local marketplace. Finally, working mules is aesthetically pleasing. Until we started using mules, we’d always relied on internal combustion engines. Unlike operating a tractor or a rototiller, working a mule is quiet (for the most part). I can observe what’s happening around me. I can see ground-nesting birds in time to avoid their nests. I can actually hear myself think. One of the most Farming Magazine– Fall 2007 [ 33 ] W W W W o o o o r r r r k k k k i i i i n n n n g g g g M M M M u u u u l l l l e e e e s s s s Dan Macon Photos by author