Tillers International

What Tillers International does

Tillers International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit folk school and heritage skills education center headquartered on a 220-acre campus in Scotts, Michigan. Its core product is hands-on instruction in traditional homesteading and artisan trades, including blacksmithing and metalworking, woodworking, timber framing, coopering, stone masonry, draft animal handling (oxen and horses), and ancillary crafts such as broom making, soap making, basketry, and canning. Classes range from single-day workshops priced around $40-$100 to multi-day immersive courses priced up to $1,025, with on-site lodging at Cook's Mill Manor ($125-$200/night) and rustic camping ($35/night) bundled at a 10% discount for multi-day students.

The organization also operates the Abbey Farm Tool Collection, a living history museum housing over 4,000 historic farm implements in 18,000+ square feet of pole barns, and runs an international agricultural development program delivering draft animal power and tool-building training to small-scale farmers in Africa. Revenue streams include class registrations, lodging, event fees (e.g., the 2026 World Draft Cattle Symposium), donations processed through QGiv, and grants supporting the international program. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the Scotts campus, supplemented by AirBnB lodging integration, with international reach through partnerships with local farming communities and organizations such as DAPNet, the Timber Framers Guild, Midwest Ox Drovers Association, Michigan State University, and Western Michigan University.

Name

Tillers International

Legal name

Tillers International

Website

https://tillersinternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tillers International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit folk school on a 220-acre campus in Scotts, Michigan, teaching heritage skills (blacksmithing, woodworking, timber framing, draft animal handling) to individual learners and running international agricultural training programs for small-scale farmers in Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Skills Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAKAH

Traditional & Indigenous Crafts Lessons (Heritage Skills, Folk Arts)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Workshops & Classes (Arts, Crafts, Skills & Local Lessons)

SECONDARYTHAJAKAI

DIY & Home Skills Workshops (Woodworking, Carpentry, Home Repair, Gardening)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Workshops & Classes (Arts, Crafts, Skills & Local Lessons)

SECONDARYTHAAAOAA

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Educational Adventure Programs (Outdoor Education, Skill Development)

Keywords

• Heritage skills education
• Folk school classes
• Draft animal training
• Blacksmithing workshops
• Sustainable agriculture training

Headquarters

HQ city

Scotts

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Class Registrations: Revenue generated from fee-based educational classes ranging from $40 to $1,025 depending on duration and materials included. Classes cover heritage skills including blacksmithing, woodworking, draft animal handling, and more.
2. Lodging and Accommodations: On-site lodging at Cook's Mill Manor with rooms ranging from $125-$200 per night, plus rustic camping at $35 per night for students. Bundle discounts available with class registrations.
3. International Development Programs: Food security and agricultural training programs partnering with small-scale farmers in Africa, funded through donations and grants.
4. Event Registrations: Special event registrations including the World Draft Cattle Symposium at $200 per ticket.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tillers International is a 501(c)(3) non-profit folk school that sells fee-based, in-person heritage skills classes — ranging from single-day workshops ($40–$100) to multi-day immersive courses ($445–$1,025) — covering blacksmithing, woodworking, timber framing, coopering, stone masonry, draft animal handling, and traditional crafts. It complements classes with on-site lodging at Cook's Mill Manor, rustic camping, the Abbey Farm Tool Collection museum, special events, and grant-funded international agricultural training programs for small-scale farmers in Africa.

Product overview

Tillers International is a 501(c)(3) non-profit folk school and heritage skills education center located on 220 acres in Scotts, Michigan. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of in-person educational programs and services. Its core educational offerings center on heritage skills classes covering blacksmithing and metalworking, woodworking and timber framing, draft animal training (oxen and horses), coopering, stone masonry, and traditional crafts like broom making and soap making. The organization operates Cook's Mill Manor for on-site lodging and rustic camping facilities for multi-day class attendees. Supplementary offerings include the Abbey Farm Tool Collection museum, international agricultural training programs for farmers in Africa, special events (Open Forge Nights, Michigan Herbal Conference), and free technical resource guides on draft animal power topics. The portfolio is unified as an educational non-profit focused on preserving and teaching traditional homesteading and agricultural skills.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heritage Skills Classes In-person educational classes teaching traditional homesteading and artisan skills including blacksmithing, woodworking, metalworking, timber framing, coopering, stone masonry, and draft animal training. Classes range from single-day workshops to multi-day immersive courses and are aimed at adult learners and hobbyists nationwide.
• On-Site Lodging at Cook's Mill Manor Guest accommodations at Cook's Mill Manor on the 220-acre Scotts, MI campus, including private rooms (Cherry, Pine, Ash, Beech, Olive) with shared amenities, offered with a 10% bundle discount for multi-day class attendees.
• On-Site Rustic Camping Rustic campsites on the 200-acre farm for students taking classes, with access to outdoor restrooms and shower facilities at $35 per night; RVs welcome if fully self-contained.
• Abbey Farm Tool Collection Museum A museum housing over 18,000 square feet of historic farm tools and implements collected by Carroll Abbey from 1911 to the 1980s, documenting early American agricultural history and rural ingenuity through self-guided and group tours.
• International Agricultural Programs International initiatives providing agricultural training, tool building education, and draft animal training to small-scale farmers in Africa to improve food security, reduce the drudgery of hand labor, and support climate-adapted farming practices.
• Special Events and Programming Community events including Open Forge Nights, the annual Michigan Herbal Conference, Lantern Rides, Yuletide Market, and other programming designed to draw visitors to the Tillers campus and reinforce community engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dramatic reduction in drudgery of hand labor through draft animal training for small-scale farmers

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DAPNet (Draft Animal Power Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in draft animal education and resource sharing, featured in events programming.
• Michigan Herbal ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual multi-day herbal education conference hosted at Tillers, bringing together naturopaths, master herbalists, MDs, and mycologists.
• AACORN CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership hosting goat milk soap making classes; works with adults with intellectual differences.
• Goats for HireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTargeted grazing business providing livestock education through Tillers classes.
• Western Michigan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting Tillers' programming.
• Michigan State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLand-grant university partner supporting agricultural education initiatives.
• The Timber Framers GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuild members teach timber framing courses at Tillers; collaborative education in traditional building techniques.
• Gandia CateringminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChef Alex Gandia provides cooking classes at Tillers, enhancing culinary programming.
• ALHFAM (Association for Living History, Farms and Museums)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for living history museums and farms supporting heritage education.
• Midwest Ox Drovers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization whose president (Rob Collins) serves as Tillers instructor; shares draft animal expertise.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Heifer International: Non-profit focused on ending global hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture. Comparable international-development mission and smallholder-farmer training focus, though far larger scale and different delivery model.
• ECHO Global Farm: Non-profit in Fort Myers, FL providing agricultural training resources for missionaries and development workers internationally. Comparable sustainable-agriculture training mission with international development focus.

Direct peers

• Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts: Non-profit arts and crafts school in Gatlinburg, TN offering workshops in woodworking, metals, and ceramics with on-site lodging. Closely aligned hands-on craft education model.
• Living History Farms: Iowa-based open-air agricultural museum interpreting 300 years of farming history. Directly comparable through its farm-tool collection, traditional farming demonstrations, and heritage education programming.
• Penland School of Craft: Non-profit craft education center in Penland, NC offering immersive 1–3 week workshops in woodworking, metal, and book arts. Same workshop-school model with resident studios and on-site lodging.
• John C. Campbell Folk School: Non-profit folk school in Brasstown, NC offering week-long and weekend classes in blacksmithing, woodworking, crafts, and music. Most direct US comparable — same nonprofit model, similar class catalog, and immersive on-site lodging.
• Old Sturbridge Village: Massachusetts living history museum recreating early 19th-century rural New England life. Comparable in combining historic tool/artifact collection with hands-on craft demonstrations and educational programming.
• North House Folk School: Non-profit folk school in Grand Marais, MN focused on northern crafts including woodworking, blacksmithing, and fiber arts. Comparable scale, nonprofit structure, and heritage-skills curriculum with bundled lodging.
• Hancock Shaker Village: Non-profit living history museum in MA focused on Shaker crafts, agriculture, and architecture. Overlaps through heritage skills demonstrations, craft workshops, and farm interpretation.
• Pine Mountain Settlement School: Kentucky-based Appalachian heritage education center offering craft and environmental programs on a historic rural campus. Comparable scale, rural heritage campus model, and craft-education mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TillersInternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/TillersInternational
• Instagraminstagram.com/tillersinternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tillers-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tillers International