Favorite Homesteading Tools and Supplies

Ruth Ann Reyes

Do chickens count? Ha ha! Seriously, though, they are great "tools" for everything from spreading mulch in a garden bed to "fertilizing" my fruit trees to keeping the pest population under control.

But if I had to limit my answer to an inanimate object, I'd have to vote for my super heavy-duty poly dump cart by Gorilla Carts. That thing is a beast, and we use it ALL the time. We use it to haul wood, hay, feed, mulch, dirt, tools, and even the occasional kid. It is incredibly useful, and the dump feature is awesome. (I believe there is also a way to hook it up to a riding mower, but I haven't needed to do that yet....)

Ruth Ann Reyes

Oh wow Merin! I'll keep that in mind....our lawnmower cart is not built that well!

Merin Porter

You should! It really is amazing. We use it very regularly!

JanMurray

Jan here!  Kudos and thank you to Marjory for the Grow Network.  I've learned so much and love listening and watching.  I'm a big fan and will do better at financially supporting Grow Network when I'm just a tiny bit more stable myself.

Here's my favorite tool:  Fiskars Big Grip Garden Knife (70796935J)

As a landscape professional, tools are everything.

 

 

bmaverick

With the organic hobby farm, the best tool is a Compact Utility Tractor aka CUT tractor.   For the garden, a simple 4-ft PTO tiller saves much time, avoids using a walk-behind tiller that can hurt your back or jar your hips.  The results are excellent.   In the early fall, organic compost is spread on the garden and after the last frost or around Thanksgiving, it's then tilled into the soil.  Let it sit all winter.  The freeze, rain, snow and winds works well on the compost and soil to perfectly blend it all.  In the Spring, one nice tilling to do, then plant.  The hobby garden is 20ft X 240 Ft.  The tractor is great to clear out the organic materials from the organically raised animal stalls.   A small CUT tractor could be a Kobuta, Yanmar, John Deere, M-F, etc.  These are around 20hp to 40hp.  They are easy to locate on Craigs List for under $6,000.  Deals can be found for around $2,000 or less as well.  Some deals even have attachments too like a rear mower or a straight blade to help grade the driveway and/or remove snow.   Now, if this is too much to deal with, I've also seen regular riding mowers that take a pull-behind ATV tiller to do the same thing.  Use what works best for you.

pogmothoin.imirish

My favorite homesteading tool is peppermint essential oil. My daughter and I are highly allergic to red ant bites which when they attack you the whole army attacks you! We also have red ear slider turtles in a pond which draw a lot of mosquitos. Peppermint oil keeps all insects away so working in the yard doesn't feel like a constant battle against the bugs, bees, wasps, flies, and more! It is also used in our home for muscle aches, head aches, used to wake us up for school and work as well as to uplift the spirits when feeling blue. Good for respiratory issues and in our shampoo to stimulate hair growth. The bugs in the house hate it too! My daughter takes peppermint oil and mixes it with water then sprays her shoes, feet and legs with it to keep the ants in the grass at school off of her during marching band season. She sprays her arms, neck, underarms and chest to help her felling cool and refreshed on those hot days. It is our go to oil for pretty much everything! Give it a try.

bmaverick

Peppermint oil is great! One or two drops on the tongue makes a runny nose to stop and/or opens breathing nearly immediately. It's one of the few oils you can take internally. Love organic peppermint sticks as well.

Nice to know about it's use against those pesky biting ants. Wonder if it works against chiggers.

bmaverick

not sure if this will be my next best tool, but for tomato plants ... ITS A MUST.

So, the tomato plants are really taking off now, yellow flowers everywhere, BUT ...

White Butter Fly's have all showed up too. 

Now the favorite tool came FREE on Craigslist in the home town.  It is a simple pool skimmer on an adjustable pole.   Snagging those pesky white butter fly's that lay the tomato worm eggs made life soooo much easier!

Now my next task is this, make the netting of those things look like fun so the kids will keep on doing it for me. LOL

Ruth Ann Reyes

Very cool bmaverick...I wouldn't have thought of that!