ars Modern manufacturer makes a classic farming oo - Vasher-Maur Istand Beachcomber [2ivashon Beachcomber GSPRINTTHIS Modern manufacturer makes a classic farming tool Mac, 2082 PM By LESLIE BROWN For The Beachcomber ‘quiet revolutions taking place in adratty warehouse on Vashon, where ahandiulof Islanders are earing decent wages ‘manufacturing steel farmingimolements. The fort defies, if not the myth of america, certainly the myth ofvashon island — that ‘manufacturingis dead and that nobody realy rakes anything anymore 0b Pawel stands with one of hs boners. Stingare encom Centre macinit Pou Thibault are prodaction one up to ingenulty, a bit ofluck, a rmonagerInred Milde, image Cro esi row Chalkthisone up to ingenuity, a bt of luck, hoe machine that can fabricate the product anda ‘market forit. Plenty of people, it turns out, ‘want what Meadow Creature manufactures — heavy-duty broadtorks for hand-tling long rows of hard-packed solr, as the founders of Meacow Creature lke to say, “artisan forming implements formedern times, Bob Powell founded Meadow Creature in 2009, after a handful of Vashon farmers tld im they needed a decent broadfork, tool that could replace gas guzzling rototllers or the much more labor-intensive process of using a pick-axe and shovel. An MIT-rained engineer wi environmental etic, Powell went to work, toiling alone in the cavernaus warehouse atthe Sheffield Building, using the perfect machine — a waterjet — to create the steel tines that lp to make the broadforka powertulhand tool Today, Powell employs four people ful time, paying them family-wage salaries, He's sold more than 3,000 broadfors, toes that have been shipped to every corner ofthe county. Thirteen retail outlets ineluding Vashon Tre Value— sel the tem. And he's now close to retailing his second “artisan Irnplement’—an industialstrength cider press, designed tobe efiient, easy to use and indestructible Powell 54 stall, bearded man witha set-tfacing manner, and he calls Meadow Creature “an accidental business” that garnered more atention than he anticipated after he put up 2 website." never would have guessed,” he says ofhis success His wife, Margot Boyer, former writing instructor who handles the company’s sales and marketing, seems not so surprised, Not only re Meadaw Creature's broadforks well-designed and wellnade, he sad, they “solve one of the olcest arablems of civilization — how ta break apen the soil soit can bbe worked withthe hands and grow seeds of tre gardener o: farmer's choosing.” “Also, they look cool, she sid The Sheffela's large warehouse sa hub of acthvty these days. The BURN Design Lab, which makes small stoves for developing nations, is located there, The Backbone Campaign’shuge puppetshang from the rafters, And this is where the tool that has enabled Powell to put his inventor's bral to ‘work's located — a kitchen table-sized precision cutting machine that uses water and abrasive sand ‘to.ut through thick pallets of stel, “high-speed, controlled erosion,” explained Paul Thibault, Meadow Creature's machinist In half rtpslwanw pits clickabilitycom/pueptexpre=8itles Modems manufacturer makes at classicfarming+toot+-+Vashon Maury+Island+ Beachcomber... 12ars Modern manufacturer makes a classic farming oo - Vasher-Maur Istand Beachcomber day, the wateret can carve auto steel enough tines for 18 broadtorks The waterjtis an impressive machine — Ituses software that allows Thibault to draw his cesign onto a screen and then push a ew buttons to begin the culting process. “I can go from an idea toa finished parti tess than 30 minutes," he sald ‘Tne beauty ofit, Powell explained, is that he can fabricate low-volume products with a smal overhead, Asa result, Powell has built up a small machine shop in the building, taking custom orders forall sorts of things —parts to be used in sculptures, art pieces, one-oF sinc signs. Both he and Boyer are social activists, and a philanthropic spirit infuses his shop (he's donated $50,000 in, services to BURN Design Lab). But atthe hear of this shop are the broadforks, tools that have garnered attention and won accolades from small-scale farmers across the county. “Eureka! We found i, proclaimed the editor of Mother Earth News inthe January 2012 Issue, "The Vashon Broadfork, with ts sharp, super~igi, slightly curved 14 oF 16.inch tines. penetrates soil sort of ike how eagle talons work with less operator effort than any other fork we've tried.” Powells broadfork was aleacy selling wellin the niche market of small-scale organic farmers, but the endorsement gave the small company anotver boost. “The publicy wasa wonderful gi Powell said. His then parttime employee, Jared Middle Calf, became his falltime production ‘manager, and he soon hired three others. Today, testimonials forthe broadfor fil his website, including videos of three wellknown Vashon {arm families using the tool. One video features the Yarkn family, Joe and Celina and ther three daughters, each with thelr own broadfork, doing “broadfork races" across thelr small family farm, Powell hopes to now parla the succes of the broadtork into other tools and products all manufactured with thesame set of guiding principles. "We want to make only good products and do Fight by our customers and our employers and the earth," he sad ost gratifying to Boyer has been the feedback she hears from customers — comments that underscore the need to marufacture qualily items, People often say to her, Wow, you make those here? You make those yourself” she said “We desperately need to bring our manufacturing sector backto life with rel stuft—not junk, but well-made things that meet genuine human needs," she added Leslie Brown is a commu and the former editor of The ions specialist atthe county's Department of Public Defense .chcomber. ‘pute. vmraseseheonbeconhens 26-0520 rtpstwanw prints clickaility.com/pueptexpre=8ito= Modert manuiactirert makes at classicfarming+toot+-+Vashon Maury+Island+ Beachcomber... 222