Meet Minnesota’s Master of Mini Machinery

HOBBY OR CAREER?

How many people in life get to turn their hobbies into full-blown careers? Not many. But on occasion, you meet someone who does something unique.

Meet Aaron Zenner. Aaron Zenner grew up on a dairy farm. He would tinker around with wood and make toy farm machinery back then. Who knew that it would one day become a full-time career?

ORIGINAL CREATIONS

According to an online article, Zenner makes life-like tractors, semi trucks, and other farm implements out of wood, at 1//16 scale. His toy tractors seem to be in high demand too, as he has sent his wooden toy farm machinery to Canada, European countries, and 30 US states.

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SEEING REACTIONS

"My customers are farmers and truckers; they are my kind of people. It's fun to see their reaction the first time they see it. A lot of times it was their dad's first tractor or the truck that they drove for 30 years or something that means a lot to them," Said Aaron.

Aaron's first build was a Peterbilt semi and cattle trailer. A friend had asked Aaron to build a model of one of his trucks, and became the first customer. The orders just kept coming in.

A BUSINESS BEGINS

In 2018, Aaron created a social media presence on Facebook for his creations. He started working on nights and weekends, but he finally got so busy he had to make a decision. Should he keep farming? Or start a full-time business building his models? In 2022, he decided to focus on his hobby-turned-business full-time.

"The number of requests can get overwhelming. It's so unique, and every aspect is a challenge, but I enjoy it, so it is worth it. The hardest part is saying no to some requests. I would love to say yes to every order that comes in, but I am only one person," said Aaron.

Aaron still helps out on a local farm, but when he's not working on his pieces or driving a tractor, he is a volunteer firefighter and Emergency medical technician.

"Like a lot of small towns, there are not always many people who can respond to emergencies during the day. I feel fortunate to be able to drop what I'm doing and respond," Aaron said.