By DOUG GRAVES

Ohio Correspondent

ORRVILLE, Ohio — Over the last several decades, agricultural manufacturers have increasingly focused on large, industrial, non-organic farms using pesticides and chemicals. As a result, small-scale growers have few options for the specialized equipment they need to run their farms more efficiently.

One area agricultural manufacturer has taken note of this dilemma and has decided to bring the focus back to small farmers by offering effective, simple, affordable and innovative equipment just for them.

Venture Products, Inc. of Orrville, Ohio, is manufacturer of the Ventrac tractor, a small tractor designed for the small farm. Now, the company is launching a new line of equipment for small operations locally and around the globe.

The new line, Tilmor, will include tools for planting, cultivating, harvest and post-harvest process to work with the new Tilmor tractor (which will be launched in 2018).

“This equipment can also be fitted to existing tractors such as the Allis-Chalmers G or Farmall Cub, decades-old machines upon which many small farmers rely,” said Lydell Steiner, Tilmor project leader and farmer on a fourth-generation family operation.

“As farms have gotten bigger, they have left the small farmer lacking in equipment. We realized other small growers must be having the same challenges that we had. At times, it took several months just to get hold of the manufacturers; other times, they were out of stock of an item or key component. We decided to work at solving that problem.”

Engineers at Venture Products (with 215 employees in Orrville) spent time talking with farmers across the United States as well as those overseas before designing the tractor and implements. What these growers wanted was a tractor much smaller than conventional ones, and implements that could be attached to larger-scale tractors as well as the Tilmor itself.

“Our focus is three-part: to help the small vegetable grower, the organic grower and the international market as we go down the road,” Steiner said.

Two years ago Venture Products launched a new mid-sized Ventrac tractor to fill a gap for farms sized in the 15-200 acres range. Dignitaries from throughout Ohio converged to see the tractor, including Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David Daniels. All wanted to hear about the vision, research and testing of the equipment on the Steiner family’s Venture Heritage Farm.

“We’re a fourth-generation family farm that’s been certified organic since 2006,” Steiner noted. “We have more than 50 years of experience designing and manufacturing turf and agricultural equipment. While operating the farm, we needed reliable, appropriately-sized, affordable tools and equipment for our smaller acreage and couldn’t find them.

“Coming from a family of farmers, we understand the work that goes into supplying fresh vegetables, fruit and grains to the local community. With our decades of manufacturing experience, we’re committed to developing tools and equipment that are designed, built and distributed to these smaller growers.

“Thus, the Tilmor line was born.”

The engineers’ goal was a practical, simple design – a tractor that would allow for more space for working under its “belly,” easy on-and-off implements, upfront visibility and being able to do multiple activities at once, such as sidedress fertilizer while cultivating.

Steiner said the implements are designed to be  easily attached, fastened and adjusted, which gives the operator maximum flexibility while maintaining quality.

“The Tilmor line is also being designed and manufactured for global farmers who, in addition to the challenges of working with old equipment or limited access to tools, must deal with a lack of agricultural labor, and equipment dealers who might be located only in the capital city,” Steiner said.

Tilmor has begun to develop partnerships in Latin America, Africa and Asia, and has a testing site in Nicaragua, in addition to various sites in the United States. “Our goal is to offer creative, innovative solutions that meet everyday needs for small farmers wherever they are.”

Tilmor launched its online marketplace website at www.Tilmor.com on Oct. 16. The marketplace will sell Tilmor attachments as well as retail other brands, and feature a convenient purchasing process with clear pricing and an online checkout system.

Dallas Steiner, CEO of Venture Products – who first worked with international appropriate technology in Bolivia in the 1970s – said today’s small farmers around the world have been left out, until now. “As we looked at Tilmor, we looked at solutions and things that can help the smaller farmer improve on raising crops, feeding the world and making a difference,” he said.