Hand-Made Broom Business Keeps History Alive

Hand-Made Broom Business Keeps History Alive 31-4-9 Hand-stitched corn brooms made on foot-powered machines are a specialty of the David Schroeder family of Bradford, Tenn. "We use original machinery from the turn of the century to make our brooms," David says. "For example, the stitching vice we have says it was patented in 1878. It was probably made in the 1920's. The man who owned our equipment was legally blind - and broom making was a traditional craft taught to blind people because so much of the craft is done by feel." The Schroeders call their business "Plain and Simple Broom Shoppe," and produce six to eight styles of brooms, all of which are traditionally-styled, functional products. They're more expensive than conventional brooms of today, but Schroeder says this is made up for by their higher quality. The brooms' bristles come from processed broom corn, which was once grown throughout the Midwest. It's now grown mostly in Mexico, Africa and Hungary, which is where the Schroeders get their supplies. It's a very hand-labor intensive crop, according to David, so he usually grows just a small amount for demonstration purposes. The family started making brooms in 1989 after a good friend who was a broom maker taught David the trade. "The machinery is the key, and it's also the hardest thing to come up with. I spent about three years searching for broom-making equipment, which I was eventually able to purchase from a family's estate," he explains. The first device is called the "kicker" or "winder." You run it with your foot, turning a treadle to rotate the handle, while you layer on the bristles under a tight wire. The wire holds the handle and the broom corn bristles together. He uses a commercially produced hardwood handle that's made specifically for brooms. Next is the vice, where the broom corn is squeezed flat and held while it's hand stitched with waxed jute or, on small brooms, polished cotton. The last process is trimming the bristles to length with a "chopper." Depending on the size and style of the broom being made, it can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to complete one. "We spent many years doing craft shows with our brooms and then we quit when we started our family," he says. "Now we market our brooms through Mennonite bulk food and craft stores in Tennessee and Ohio." Broom prices range from $5 to $15 each (plus shipping), and the family accepts mail orders. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Plain and Simple Broom Shoppe, David Schroeder, 16 Peavine Rd., Bradford, Tenn. 38316 (ph 731 742-4373).

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