FARMING IN FANTASYLAND
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN NIKKEL
Robin Nikkel fondly recalls playing with toy farm equipment as a child at his family’s farm near Morden, MB. “I did a lot of carpet farming and making hay on the front lawn,” said Nikkel, who now operates an auto transport company in Delta, B.C.
As an adult, in 2000, he considered model railroad building as a hobby. He admired the artistry involved but hankered for an agricultural component. Online, he stumbled upon Toy Tractor Times and an international community of hobbyists who create farm dioramas. These miniaturized agricultural displays are typically populated with model equipment the size of Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars.
In a converted coffee nook in his apartment, Nikkel methodically sculpts scenes one small section at a time. The base and contours are shaped using pink Styrofoam. He plasters these to form farm fields, hills and waterways and carefully adds crops, trees and buildings. Here, tiny farmers seed, harvest and truck their crops with the help of model vehicles purchased at farm equipment dealerships. Often mistaken for real-life farm scenes, Nikkel posts photos of his work on Instagram.
“It’s a creative outlet,” he said. “It’s like a fantasyland.” Part of the fun is being able to share the fantasy. This past November Nikkel won the large-scale (1:32) category at the 47th annual National Farm Toy Show in Dyersville, Iowa. While judges look for craftsmanship, creativity and originality, crowd response and wow factor are duly noted. His winning display was inspired by the river valleys of southern Manitoba and features a field lunch at harvest, a tractor demo and a discer and sprayer at work. This followed his 2023 small-scale (1:64) win at the same event. He must now sit out the competition for two years.
Nikkel is happily at work on a 64-square-foot display intended for the 50th National Farm Toy Show. Its roadways will connect a southeastern Manitoba lakeside cottage scene with various farm field activities.
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