Best Farm Buys Hogs

According to Bollenbacher, termite inspections are mandatory in the heavily wooded region of southeast Missouri. Boundary Issues Property lines can be a bone of contention between neighbors, but Bollenbacher says newcomers to his region can expect longstanding...

Good vegetables never resulted. I tried to till in one or two bags of composted manure, watered till my husband was blue in the face while paying the bill, and stared longingly at my dirt clod for hours.

To them, the farm is a living, breathing organism that both nourishes and completes us. Each of these preparations is made in a specific way that's meant to bring about its ability to both properly ferment the organic matter and to further the farm's...

If you take pride in your lawn and want to keep it as healthy and vibrant as possible , you might want to expand your list of lawn care tools to include a lawn aerator. Some small aerators are designed to be pushed by hand, while others are designed to...

If the hub is too shallow, the wheel will slide around a bit on the axle, which—although not the worst thing—is less than ideal. Third—and easier to overlook but no less critical—is the width of the wheel hub.

These are tractors that were either manufactured outside of the country or are used tractors. However, given how inexpensive they are, they might be the best small tractors for those with a minimal budget.The best tractors have a live power take-off feature,...

It is increasingly hard to find a small tool repair shop, but more importantly, the industry has a bad reputation when it comes to replacement battery packs. If I just bought a fiberglass-handled splitting axe with a lifetime replacement guarantee, I...

Understand The Property's Water Rights It's imperative you know what you are purchasing with your property in the way of water rights. Look really thoroughly around the property for anything you want removed.

A reader recently responded to a July blog post that talked about buying tools locally where you could get service. However, I often struggle with buying a high-priced, high-quality tool versus one that will get the job done when it will be seldom used...

In the end I bought a 1.1 hp, 8-amp, 11,000 rpm Bosch 4½-inch angle grinder with a paddle switch. I especially liked comments from professional welders and metal workers who preferred the German-made grinder to similar-sized alternatives.

With the right tools, you can preserve the open spaces of your farm from forest encroachment. Speaking from personal experience, I know that trees can be troublesome. Maintaining Cleared Fields If the trees you're cutting are several feet tall, it can...

I envy experienced organic farmers that I observe, those who seem to effortlessly slide in and out of their work in their most comfy clothes, with very little to stand between them and their plants.

Comfrey roots reach up to 10 feet down to mine minerals, so the plant can be used to enrich the soil or break up compaction. Red Clover A highly productive biennial legume, red clover produces a lot of mass over time and excels at accumulating nitrogen...

“In Central Illinois where I live, the solar season corresponds well with peak electricity farm use.” Outbuilding Structures “At a minimum, any farm operation will need a permanent structure to house the electric, water and other systems that are...

In the winter months, only larger orders will do. Tags Chicken Quarters , Lists Until spring, it's too cold for the chicks to retain enough heat inside the shipping container unless there are enough of them to warm each other to survive 24 to 72 hours...

Keeping trees from invading your fields requires careful effort and diligence. The harder part is cutting down the numerous trees that have crossed the boundaries and invaded the fields.

Some Border Collies are a little more one-sided, being strong and having a tendency to bite more and therefore only work cattle. One thing to remember is that a pup will probably work, but there's no guarantee that it will.

“It is wise to see if someone regularly uses the land you are considering purchasing, as this person may have legal rights to continue to access the property after the sale if such a precedent has been set,” Armstrong says.

Also keep any invoices for sales in case a certifier want to see those. Every certifier is a little different, but in my experience they all respect the certification of the Organic Materials Review Institute or those that meet the National Organic Program...

In an emergency situation, use a generator safely to keep power running without even more problems. When too much current is run through the breakers, electrical fires can occur. Bad Extension Cord Finding out your extension cord has bare wires somewhere...

Then introduce beneficial plants that build soil fertility and health. Review current permaculture practices for companion-planting opportunities, such as pollinator- and predator-friendly flowers.

The farmer places the tines into the soil, steps on the bar, and uses the handles to rock back and forth, gently breaking up compaction along the soil's strata. And when you consider the price-point of most human-powered tools compared with mechanized...

Here are five reasons you need a staple gun among your farm tools. It's powered entirely by your own strength—it doesn't require batteries, a power cord, or an air compressor. You will not tire from carrying a staple gun around! 4.

I secured 24-inch-long, 3/4- by 1-inch pieces of trim from a recent oak-flooring installation as bumpers to the ends of the four panels. My plan was to secure the panels with a latch, magnets or some other system at the ridgepole.

I'll bring my steel ball bearing with me and do the drop and bounce test that my blacksmith friend suggested. Many of them offer in-depth information on the products they carry. Once you've evaluated your needs, talk to local blacksmiths and metal workers.

I like my Hudson sprayer for just that reason. Choosing among the many sprayer options can be confounding, and an ever-expanding offering of sprayer types, sizes and component parts is making selection more complicated every year.

String-Trimmer Mowers My personal “I'm thankful for” list wouldn't be complete without mentioning string-trimmer mower s! Some people might not like the hand-pushed design, but I relish the opportunity to slowly guide a string trimmer mower through...