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Do You Have a Homesteading "Secret Weapon"?
Scott Sexton
Posts: 36 ✭✭✭
Does anyone have any lesser-known tools for gardening or homesteading that they want to let the rest of us in on? I don't know how much of a "secret" it is, but I love my Meadow Creature Broadfork. That thing rips through clay soils, and it could probably take a bullet and keep going. It's my ultimate off-grid garden prep solution.
Comments
@Scott Sexton looked for link: https://www.easydigging.com/broadfork.html Boy, this had better carry a "Lifetime warranty", at $249
question, how much does a person need to weigh to man-handle that thing ?
I'm about 110, with a broken (in garden) left shoulder & wrist mangled by the Criminal ama. - I need to either dig, (or get dug) dozens of holes for bushes & baby trees, for our foodForest.
@rainbow It's VERY tough! I'm not sure about working it with a broken shoulder and wrist. I've used it (carefully) with a hurt back. As for your weight, it might depend on your soil type. I have heavy clay and I weight just shy of 200. I just wiggle it back and forth while I stand on it, and it goes right in. Maybe someone lighter than me can give better info for your situation. All I know is (short of solid rock) I've never had a situation it couldn't chew through.
@Scott Sexton Thank you for responding.
@rainbow I saw a video the other day by Justin Rhodes where his son, who looked to be between 6 and 8 years old, was using a broad fork. Justin did step on it too to get it deeper into the soil. The little guy got it in probably 1/3 the tine length. I imagine he weighed maybe 60 pounds. And again, as has already been pointed out, I am sure the soil type makes a huge difference.
Whoa! That looks very nice, but it is expensive.
@dottile46 Thanks for that encouragement. - As far as "soil-type": we live on ROCK-mountain, just about.
And (criminal medical mutilations notwithstanding), I remain quite industrious, having already broken a 'regular'-sized hand-shovel trying to dig holes, plus that metal weeding tool, - so I'm giving it all I've got. - But better I post what tonight's WCFS class was about, in my food-Foresting discussion, as for once now I am hopeful with a realistic Alternative solution, YES!