Organic Hobby Farming. Andy Tomolonis
get a lot of use from my wheelbarrow. No matter what task I’m tackling, I invariably load up the wheelbarrow with all the tools, supplies, fertilizers, compost, manure, buckets, and even seedlings that I’ll need.
I’ve learned that not all wheelbarrows are created equal. In my opinion, the best choice is a 6-cu.-ft. wheelbarrow with sturdy handles, a pneumatic tire, and a deep bucket made of heavy-duty steel. Buckets that hold only 4 cu. ft. are just too small for most organic farm chores, and the price difference for a larger wheelbarrow is only $10 to $15—it’s well worth the extra money.
Although the newer lightweight plastic buckets are enticing, I prefer the metal ones. My wheelbarrows carry boulders and firewood just as frequently as they tote bales of straw. And no matter what the advertising says about the “tough poly tub,” I don’t trust it to hold up to a dropped boulder, tossed pieces of oak firewood, or other heavy debris—especially in below-freezing weather. (I’m speaking from experience: I have a large two-wheel model with a plastic tub. The extra wheel is great for added stability, but the tub now has some strips of duct tape where the plastic has cracked after just two seasons.)
If you’re living in a warm climate and you want a large-capacity wheelbarrow for carrying wood chips, brush, yard debris, and other lightweight materials, a poly tub will do the trick. But make sure you have a metal one handy for heavier jobs—especially during winter weather.
Wheelbarrows are handy for carrying compost, mixing a potting medium, or just carrying an assortment of tools.
Make Your Wheelbarrow Last
Steel wheelbarrows can develop rusty buckets if water is allowed to collect. Prevent water from pooling in your wheelbarrow by storing it indoors. If there’s no room for indoor storage, stand it on its nose with the handles propped against a shed, fence, compost bin, or other structure.
If you’re working on a project that will last for several days, keep your tools in the wheelbarrow and wheel it indoors, where it will be ready for use again. Don’t leave a wheelbarrow filled with soil or compost standing outside for days or weeks; rain will collect in the barrel and turn the soil to mud, causing the bucket to rust.
Garden Cart
Large-capacity garden carts are also great for moving lightweight supplies and planting material to and from the fields. The old-style garden cart with plywood sides, bicycle tires, and a handle made from tubular steel is perfectly functional, but it has some flashier competition these days. New four-wheeled carts built like oversized kids’ wagons have fat pneumatic tires, a sturdy ergonomic handle, and steel-mesh sides that fold down and lock into position for carrying bulky loads. One big advantage that garden carts have over wheelbarrows is that the load stays fairly level when you’re carrying it. (When you lift a wheelbarrow, you tilt the payload forward, and contents can bounce around or topple.)
Garden carts are handy for moving lightweight materials or for carrying seedlings to the planting area and crops back to the cleaning station.
Bigger Tools
Most small-scale organic farmers face a bigger battle than rain, wind, insects, weeds, and fungal diseases: Their foremost enemy is time. And to save time, it’s often necessary to spend serious money for motorized tools that help them finish work faster and more easily.
All these purchases should be weighed carefully, since they can be big investments. Consult with other farmers and growers at farmers’ markets for advice, and keep in mind that you can rent some tools to try them out before you buy them. Buying well-maintained secondhand machinery is another option that will keep prices down. (But, as with all things, beware of purchasing someone else’s problems.) Also consider that machinery comes with costs beyond the original price tag—maintenance, gasoline, repairs, and so on. And you’ll need a shed or barn to safely store your motorized tools.
As with manual tools for the small organic farm, motorized tools should cover the basics first. So before you rush out to buy a tractor with attachments for every farm task you can think of, look to buy some entry-level tools—a heavy-duty rotary tiller, a mower, or a gas-powered weed-whacker.
Rotary Tiller
One of the first motorized tools that many small-scale organic farmers and market gardeners choose is a rotary tiller. It cuts new beds, churns through hard-packed soil, and turns lawn and meadows into vegetable-ready growing areas. Tillers fall into three basic categories: small garden tillers, medium front-tine tillers, and rear-tine tillers.
Small Garden Tillers
With two-cycle engines, these tillers buzz like mosquitoes, and they shred through the top 2 to 3 in. (5 to 8 cm) of soil. I own one of these, and I use it to mix compost and integrate organic matter into topsoil. But I try to run it slowly, and I’m careful not to use it too frequently. At full speed, the blades spin quickly and can pulverize soil and leave it looking like finely milled powder—damaging the structure created by soil organisms.
Medium Front-Tine Tillers
With handles at the rear and circular blades in the front, these tillers usually have about a 3- to 5-horsepower engine. They cut deep into the soil, but they can wrench your shoulders when they hit roots, rocks, and other underground debris. If you’re tilling any sizable plot of land, you will quickly tire of your front-tine tiller.
Rear-Tine Tillers
Although these tillers can be small and are made for home use, they are generally larger and more productive than front-tine models. If your farm has any size to it, or if you’re considering expanding operations in the near future, you’re better off spending money on a rear-tine tiller that is built to last. Below are some features to consider.
Powerful Engine. Rear-tine tillers typically have at least a 5-horsepower engine. For heavy farm use, an 8-horsepower engine might be a better option. If you’re considering a smaller tiller, an industrial/commercial engine is more durable and less likely to break down under heavy use.
Tine Rotation. Rear-tine tillers are built with tines that move either in forward direction (Standard Rotating Tines), reverse direction (Counter-Rotating Tines), or have settings that allow you to operate the machine with tines that move either backward or forward (Dual Rotating Tines). The forward rotation keeps tines moving in the same direction as the wheels, kicking out rocks and smoothing the bed. Tines moving counter-rotationally (in reverse as the tiller moves forward) cut into sod and dig deep into the soil to mix in cover crops or organic matter. But counter-rotating tines can present a serious safety hazard in walk-behind tillers.
If the tines get snagged on an underground object when they are rotating in reverse, the tiller can lurch back toward you, possibly catching your feet or legs. If you’re working along a fence or building, the tiller could pin you against the structure. Forward-rotating tines may not dig in as aggressively, but they are much safer because the tiller will pull away from you if the blades become stuck on an underground object.
Adjustable Tilling Depth. A bar in the back of the tiller will set the tilling depth. Make sure your tiller adjusts for deep or shallow settings. Shallow tilling is desirable when stripping sod or turning organic matter into the top few inches of soil. A deeper setting is handy for creating a new bed (after stripping the sod). It will also pull up small rocks and incorporate organic matter deeper into the soil.
Adjustable Handle. A handle that adjusts up or down to the user’s height will make the tiller operation safer and more comfortable, and one that swings left or right will allow you to work the tiller from its side and prepare beds without having to walk on them. This isn’t just a cosmetic consideration—stepping on freshly tilled, fluffed-up soil can compress the soil and destroy its structure.
Rear-tine rotary