Farm Facts

The prices you get at market are generally better, “organic” is a nice thing to add to your market sign for customers, and being certified eliminates that whole conversation about “Do you spray?” It's a very attractive idea overall.

It's always a good idea to keep a generator on your farm in the case of an emergency, but with flammable fuel, electrical current and carbon monoxide emissions, running one can be dangerous.

Your body is crucial equipment for farm work. “The loss of physical contact is representative of the changing relationship with the crop,” she writes. … [T]hey also symbolize the move to tobacco production as ‘business,' as it is primarily hired...

Whether you plant an acre in a day or in a year is up to you. Check books, articles and websites on permaculture. Identify existing fruit or nut trees and bushes that can serve as a focal point for a “guild” or combination of complementary plants.

Using human-powered tools in the garden isn't for the faint of heart. Replacing mechanized equipment with these human-powered tools reduces your fossil-fuel use and lets you tread more carefully on your land.

It's Powerful While the capabilities of staple guns vary from model to model, the one I used had no difficulty driving half-inch staples into pine wood. I've already explained my fondness for electric drills and pruning loppers (both critical, in my opinion),...

I plan to use Velcro strapping for some and wood retainers for others. When I lifted the panels to their closed positions, they easily swiveled into place. I secured 24-inch-long, 3/4- by 1-inch pieces of trim from a recent oak-flooring installation as...

I'll bring my steel ball bearing with me and do the drop and bounce test that my blacksmith friend suggested. If you are looking to create farm tools, they may even be able to meet your needs themselves.

Manual spray systems use lower-cost piston pumps, while diaphragm pumps common to motorized spray systems are more durable and expensive. Make sure replacement parts, especially seals and gaskets, are available, and follow directions when storing extras...

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...

One option is to pile them on a large wagon and haul them someplace where they won't be in the way, while another option is to use a wood chipper to grind the branches into tiny wood chips, which can then be used in a variety of ways on your farm.

As I look ahead, a really high-quality hand saw looks increasingly worthwhile. The owner makes heirloom quality saws. A reader recently responded to a July blog post that talked about buying tools locally where you could get service.

Which means that when snow starts to pile up on the slanted roof of a building, you need to watch out. Only the cold weather allowed the snow to defy gravity and hover over the edge of the roof.

I found on my farm a 5-foot metal wheel with a handle and odometer. On my farm, one unusual item left behind by the previous owner (or perhaps by a couple of previous owners) is a large metal wheel more than 5 feet in diameter, with a handle for keeping...

Looking for two valuable tools to add your collection? In essence, wire cutters and bolt cutters have similar purposes—they're both designed to cut through metal. They'll chop through thin plastic if you need to open packaging or cut a hole in something.

Last week, I picked up my handmade 16-inch, 12 ppi, hybrid-cut cherry handle tenon saw. What was I doing? Someday I may even try making a tenon. After all, it's the sharpest saw on the bench, and it does handle nicely! << More Shop Talk >> Tags Jim Ruen...

As I have written before, I have a weakness for chainsaws, a respect for the work they can do and even more respect for the damage they can cause when misused. Because of the uneven nature of the slope, there were spots where the ground fell away beneath...

If you already own a lawn aerator, let us know what you think of it. Hand Pushed or Tractor Powered? Some small aerators are designed to be pushed by hand, while others are designed to be towed behind a lawn tractor.

In 1903, Ummo F. Within three years, Allis-Chalmers marketed more than 23,000 Roto-Balers. His small round baler (patented in 1910) revolutionized haying, making it a lower cost, far less labor-intensive operation.

If you think a little more creatively, there are all sorts of uses for a pair of locking pliers. It's almost like having an extra hand—if you've got the locking pliers clamped on to a bolt and need to leave for a moment, the pliers will stay right in...

It is easy to get into trouble if a cutting or grinding wheel gets into the wrong position, digs into the work piece and kicks back at the operator. The closest I came were tool descriptors of “high torque.” Often times the type of drive isn't described...

A Digging Bar This is another tool that is more of a substitute for an actual ice scraper, but if you're faced with a lot of ice and don't have the right tools on hand, a digging bar can step in and help you get the job done.

As counterintuitive as it might seem (why would snow on the bottom of the sled be an issue?), the frozen snow can cause your sled to grind to a halt, making it extremely difficult to slide across the ground even under light loads.

Other common names for digging bars are “pinch point bar,” “tamper bar” and “San Angelo bar,” with the various names describing tools with slightly different designs on either end.

When spring is just around the corner, you'll want to have a few tools and other items on hand to carry you through the wet "spring thaw." This way, you'll have them on hand when you're ready to prepare your machines for another summer of farm projects.

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. If the axle on your yard cart is, say, 3/4 inches in diameter, the axle opening on the wheel needs to be precisely this...

I plan to use the bricks to build a couple of more walkways in 2018 … now I just have to decide where they should lead. Here are some of my farming-related new year's resolutions for 2018.