Author & Farmer

Tilly Fern is an American author, educator, entrepreneur, farmer, and business owner whose writing is deeply rooted in the values of rural America. Drawing inspiration from a lifetime spent on family farms, in small communities, and among hardworking tradespeople, she creates stories that celebrate resilience, healing, faith, family, and the enduring beauty of country life.

Born in Hornell, New York, and raised on a small family farm alongside her two brothers, Tilly grew up surrounded by the lessons that would later shape both her career and her fiction. Her father was an electrician, butcher, and gifted handyman who believed every problem could be solved with determination and hard work. From him she learned practical trade skills, self-reliance, and the importance of helping others. Her mother, an accomplished cook and gardener, instilled a love for home, hospitality, gardening, and the simple joys found in caring for people and the land.

Tilly began working at just twelve years old, helping her grandparents operate their small Main Street store in Jasper, New York. Those early years taught her the value of responsibility, customer service, and the close-knit relationships that define rural communities.

Although traditional school life was never where she felt most at home, Tilly graduated and chose to enter the workforce rather than attend college immediately. She spent her early adult years working several part-time positions for local businesses while also spending three years employed full-time by a regional convenience store chain. These experiences gave her firsthand insight into the dedication of working-class families and the strength of small-town communities.

Following the passing of her father in 2004, Tilly accepted a position on the maintenance staff at the school she had once attended. That opportunity eventually led her to a regional Career and Technical Education center, where she worked for more than nine years in Operations and Maintenance during the evenings while substituting as a teacher during the day. During this period she pursued higher education through online college coursework, earning her New York State Teaching Assistant Certification while continuing her studies toward full teacher certification. At the same time, she remained active in agriculture, raising steers and breeding dairy heifers on the family farm.

Entrepreneurship has always been one of Tilly's passions. In 2009, she purchased an abandoned restaurant and transformed it into Nikk L Brew, a welcoming gathering place that she and her husband successfully owned and operated for eleven years before selling the business.

On May 27, 2012, Tilly married Terry Brewer, beginning a partnership built on shared faith, family values, and a love of rural life. Together they have pursued multiple business ventures that continue to serve their community.

In 2014, Tilly founded High Up Trucking, a transportation company serving local industries and sawmills throughout the region. While Tilly oversees the business, Terry manages the day-to-day trucking operations.

Continuing their commitment to preserving local traditions, Tilly and Terry formed a company in 2019 that purchased Woodhull Raceway, one of New York's most historic dirt racing facilities. Together they continue to own and operate the raceway, providing family entertainment while preserving an important part of their community's heritage.

Alongside her entrepreneurial career, Tilly has dedicated herself to education, helping students discover opportunities in skilled trades and Career and Technical Education. She expects to complete the remaining requirements for her New York State Professional Teaching Certification in 2027, marking the culmination of years of determination, online study, and professional growth.

Tilly's Mountain Cabin series reflects many of the values she has lived throughout her life. Her novels blend heartfelt storytelling with themes of healing, forgiveness, faith, family, animals, and the restorative power of nature. Readers are drawn to her authentic characters, richly detailed rural settings, and the comforting reminder that hope can often be found in life's simplest moments.

Whether she is teaching students, operating businesses, working on the farm, managing a raceway, or writing her next novel, Tilly remains devoted to preserving the traditions and values of small-town America while inspiring others through both her work and her stories.