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Pioneering Change with Vern Schield
Vern Schield was an inventor and industrialist who founded the Schield Bantam Company in Waverly, Iowa in the 1940s. Vern was also a world traveler, humanitarian, and devout Christian concerned about global missions and world hunger. Raised on a farm during the Depression, Vern observed hard working farmers unable to get ahead due to limited means and inadequate farming practices. He developed a small and sturdy tractor called the “Self-Helper”. During his many travels, Vern recognized the need for appropriate farming technology in developing countries. He created the Self-Help Foundation in 1959 (later renamed “International”) to help meet this need.