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Michigan Heritage Awards
Arts
Nomination Form (PDF)
Arts Nomination
Form (word)
Community
Leadership Nomination Form (PDF)
Community Leadership
Nomination Form (word)
^ MHA Awardees List ^
Herb Nehring
2008 awardee, Kalamazoo (Kalamazoo County),
Blacksmith
Herb Nehring (b. 1918) is a highly acclaimed machinist and metalworker,
specializing in blacksmithing and farrier work. In 1936 at the age of 18
he took a class in agriculture after which he attended Michigan State College
and worked part time assisting blacksmiths and repairing wagons. Eventually
he enrolled in farrier school, learning to forge tools, make horseshoes,
and general blacksmithing. When he finished school he worked as a farrier,
servicing the southwest corner of the state. In the 1980s he made trips
to other blacksmiths to observe and interview them about their differing
practices.
In 1982 Nehring retired and joined Tillers International whose focus is
the utilization of 19th century American agricultural animal traction power
and machinery practices to improve agriculture in third-world countries.
Here his blacksmithing skills are highly valued and he has conducted blacksmithing
classes and developed public demonstration and exhibition programs. In 1994
Herb Nehring traveled to Uganda as part of a Tiller's training mission to
teach 40 agricultural extension personnel about draft animal training, woodworking
and blacksmithing.
For most of his life, Herb Nehring has been involved in both formal and
informal educational classes, public exhibitions, and organized demonstrations
of traditional blacksmithing practices. He is honored with a Michigan Heritage
Award for his mastery in and continued, unfaltering dedication to the traditions
of blacksmithing.
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