Inline Square Baler

Fortunately, the development of simple, inexpensive tests makes it easy for anyone to test their own soil. Leaf Shredders & Wood Chippers Watchcaddy/Flickr There are countless ways that farmers can use organic mulch and wood chips.

Oats are planted in April or May and harvested in July or August. If square baling, it is recommended to connect a wagon to the back of the baler to catch the bales coming off the baler.

You'll need several consecutive days of fine, fair weather to put up hay dry. “Even if a hobby farmer had the time and could find inexpensive equipment, he might be lucky to just break even,” says Highland Cattle breeders Nick and Anneke Self of Bent...

He has been selling, servicing and using walk-behind tractors for more than 30 years. My pull-behind rough-cut mower works as well behind my ATV as it does behind a compact tractor.

Also, those crops which require more sun or are receiving too much sun and perhaps getting, can more easily be moved to a more exposed or protected area dependent upon the need.will find that a container or raised vegetable garden will enable them to...

These shops should have the parts that the small tractor will need to make quick repairs, according to "Mother Earth News." So a small tractor that might seem like a good deal could turn out poorly if the tractor turns out to not have parts that are easily...

Placing hay bales in an area that will make for smooth, calm water at the shoreline will help the eroding slope to grow vegetation and establish permanently. In the fall and winter you can purchase hay bales to decorate for certain holidays.

(Just be careful not to overfill!) Even though they had appeared full and ready to go when the yard cart wasn't in use, the addition of a heavy load caused the tires to sag noticeably, especially the left wheel in the rear.

Here are four classes of tractors to consider for your hobby farm, along with a few guidelines to give you an idea of the type you need. While they don't have quite the same horsepower as a utility model, compact tractors can be equipped with attachments...

The heart of the tractor, the engine provides the power to do heavy work. The strength of the engine is measured in horsepower; a higher number means more power, so a large tractor with high horsepower is needed for intense farming tasks.

These pieces of equipment have an arm or other mechanism that attaches to the PTO. Joystick If you're purchasing a front-end loader to use with your tractor, you can opt to control it with traditional dual-steering levers or a hydraulic joystick.

That combination of chilly temperatures andheavy dew on their large buds causes many of them to tear themselves apart as they try to open.So the flowers I do get are often ripped and tattered.I don't have a trellis for the morning glories either, so I...

“A dealer of ours sold a man a tractor with a rigid ROPS [a roll-over protection structure],” Sieper says. Before heading out to your local dealership, it's a good idea to know your basic options and which would best suit your farm.

It can be slow and sometimes shaped awkwardly with a short neck, but it travels well and is generally docile. Download the excellent “ Draft Horse Handbook ” from WSU Extension.

But it is difficult, especially if you produce the small square bales that are so convenient for many hobby farmers. No farming pursuit is worth someone having a heat-related issue, so be careful, use good judgment—and bale on cooler days if possible.

A really cool feature of modern European walk-behind tractors is a reversible set of handlebars, putting the operator on either the implement side of the machine for soil-working implements or the engine side of the machine for most other implements,...

That's what we struggle to deal with. It seemed like a lot of work up front, but ultimately, it has been very convenient and time-saving to have light, electricity and everything we need under one roof.

Automatic waterers. The door should be wide enough to allow large animals to comfortably pass through, as well as allow you to get a utility cart into the stall to clean it. Electrical outlets located where they are easily accessible (i.e., outside each...