History
The Farmer FootDrum, the flagship of Farmer Musical Instruments, was first conceived while Pete was listening to John Lee Hooker in his wood shop in 2003. He sketched out a rough design for a foot-played acoustic drum kit with multiple sounds. Using portability, great sound, and durability as the guiding principles in the design, he eventually constructed a crude contraption. He decided to officially start up his own business in the fall of 2005 after hearing many people ask to buy it out from under his feet. In 2008 it became a full time business. In 2013, his wife, Kate, joined on officially. Her main role is to take care of as much as possible so that Pete can focus on what he does best: designing and building instruments. The family and business moved to beautiful Northern Michigan in 2014 where they have built a bigger workshop, hired a first employee, and are enjoying being a part of the thriving local music scene.
Specialties
We create beautiful instruments for musicians around the world to spark creativity and provide musical freedom. We specialize in acoustic, handcrafted, and portable foot percussion instruments that give musicians the power to add rich, dynamic layers to their music and the independence to be their own band.