| |
Tillers Farm and Guest House
Blacksmith Shop
Woodworking Shop
Directions to Tillers
Map to Tillers
Tillers Photo Tour
Thanks to Carroll, Ruth, and George Abbey,
and to Humphrey Products, Inc.
In 1989 when Tillers moved to the Abbey Farms, it
was at the invitation of the Abbey family. Carroll was a collector of early
farm machinery, and he appreciated
Tillers' efforts to keep the skills of early agriculture alive.
He and George made their grandparents' farm outbuildings and some
land available for Tillers to use as a Training Center.
The Abbeys had sold
some of their grandparents' land and buildings to a growing manufacturer
of pneumatic valves, Humphrey Products, for long-term expansion
options. Humphrey Products followed the Abbey brothers in making available
about 12 acres of land, a barn, and later the Tillers Guest House
for use by Tillers' students. The support of the Abbeys
and Humphrey Products for Tillers' plans has been critical to the
growth of Tillers International. |
|
|
Tillers' Training
Center has about 450 acres in woods, forage, and pasture, and
a crop rotation of corn, beans, sorghum, oats, wheat, and clover. The
newly aquired Cooks Mill is now home to Tillers' Training Center.
The oldest of Tillers' oxen, Lewis and Clark, appeared in PBS's In
Search of the Oregon Trail , and respond to even novice drivers.
They work tools ranging from walking plows to an animal-drawn baler.
The Guest House has three large bedrooms for students, arranged as bunk housing.
It also houses a library of animal power and craft literature and
videos along with Tillers' office. The Mill House has three
rooms for interns.
The Nehring Blacksmith
Shop has six forges and twelve anvils. Tongs, hardies,
mandrels, anvil shears, treadle hammers, and bending rollers contribute
to the learning environment. The shop celebrates the many hours
that Herb Nehring has volunteered to develop the smithing program.
The Woodworking
Shop is a timber frame structure that features oak workbenches,
hand tools, a steam box, and bending jigs.
Directions to
Tillers' Cook's Mill Learning Center
Take Exit 85 off of I-94 and drive south
on 35th St. about 1/4 mile to MN Ave. Turn right for 1/2 mile and
then left onto 34th St. Continue 2 1/4 miles to OP Ave. Turn left
and drive till you pass a cemetary and the first narrow bridge.
Tillers is the drive on the left between the bridges. Follow the
lane to the guesthouse. Welcome!
Tillers has several public events each year. Please
call to arrange a good time to visit.
Tillers' Response Form
tell us about yourself or pass along your ideas and
comments. The Form can also be used to request a Class Schedule
or Tillers Catalog of quality products and hard-to-find publications.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
