Tillers International works to master historical rural skills so they can be reapplied in adapted form to solve the challenges facing rural communities around the world. Tillers believes that rural development can build on the insights of rural history to find low-cost means of increasing food production. New science is available to blend with history to create micro-solutions. Localizing the re-invention process is critical to supporting efforts to transition to less petroleum-based, less capital-intensive farming technologies. "Modern" high-tech farm practices are too costly for most of the small-scale farms of the world. Further, making them available to over a billion struggling farmers in their current form would only accelerate the use of petroleum. Tillers finds localized solutions using alternative energies such as ox and horse power to be more practical. We blend historical rural tools with new low-cost practices to answer local challenges. Using a localized process, Tillers builds local trainers into rural leaders and village artisans into re-inventors. We think this will lead to a more sustainable rural development.
While encouraging entrepreneurial solutions, Tillers is a non-profit organization that depends on your support. It is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 charity with tax deductibility for donations.