Lord Mond and the management of the Palestine Plantations Company Ltd. were well aware that if they wanted to transform the desolate land they had purchased into a flourishing area, they would need to take unconventional steps and cultivate it using the most modern methods. To this end, they ordered massive steam-powered tractors from England known as Fowlers.
The machines arrived at the port of Haifa in early June 1929, and the manager of the Palestine Plantations Company, Yechiel Weizmann, personally oversaw the unloading of this valuable cargo. The task of unloading, assembling the partially dismantled machines, and loading them onto the train was entrusted to the Haifa Port Group, which included Ephraim Pollack, who later moved to Ein Vered.
The group worked with full dedication, completing the job within a week. However, the journey to the destination was far from simple. The train was to transport the machines from Haifa to Tulkarm, from where they would be transferred to the future plowing site in Tel Mond.
At Yechiel Weizmann’s request, the Haifa Port Group sent two of its members to accompany the transport until the machines arrived safely at the lands of the Palestine Plantations Company. The Fowlers made a huge impression on both the workers and the crowds of curious onlookers who came to witness this marvel of modern technology. The disassembled machines were first transported by freight train to Tulkarm. In Tulkarm, the escorts breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the machines had been successfully reassembled and could be operated. Then the journey from Tulkarm to the plowing fields began:
“Slowly and with great care, they bypassed old bridges not built to bear such weight. Every kilometer felt like a great distance. And then, a fortress appeared in the distance. The road ended, and the sand dunes began. The massive machines sank into the sea of sand. The escorts were forced to sleep in the open. In the morning, railroad ties were fastened to the wide wheels of the machines, and so, at last, they managed to break free and reach the designated parking spot for the Fowlers…”
When the convoy reached the future hilltop of Tel Mond, the crowd watching broke into cheers. The machines halted and fell silent. Everyone approached, gazed at them, and was amazed by the sight. It was a moment of triumph for the escorts, the local workers, and the distinguished guests present. Overcome with joy, they broke into a mighty song that echoed across the barren plain:
“Behold, we have come to revive you, and to cover you with the greenery of blossoming citrus groves!”
On Friday, 18th of Tammuz, 5689 (July 26, 1929), five weeks after the start of the Fowler transport operation (June 18, 1929), the first plowing in Tel Mond began.
(Source: Tel Mond Bloc Documentation Archive, writings of Eliezer Esterin, p. 3).