Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Johnny’s
Why we like it for small farms. Written for market growers. The catalog lists varieties and germination notes, which a rack packet usually skips.
Gear Guide
Tools and supplies for a small farm. Each button opens the brand’s own page. ASM does not sell these, hold them, or set the price.
Seeds and seed starting
Seed for a market garden, not a mystery packet from a rack. A variety name and a germination note matter more than a pretty bag.
High Mowing Organic Seeds
High Mowing
Why we like it for small farms. An organic seed company. Useful when the farm wants organic seed and the packet has to say so.
Seed Savers Exchange
Seed Savers Exchange
Why we like it for small farms. Open-pollinated varieties a farm can save. Start here if next year’s seed should come from this year’s plants.
Seedling heat mat
Bootstrap Farmer
Why we like it for small farms. A mat for peppers and tomatoes in a cold room. It is not a greenhouse, and it will not heat a barn.
Photo: Seedlings in a tray. Unsplash · Unsplash License · All photo credits
Greenhouses and trays
A small covered space and a tray you can reuse. These are kits and parts, not a turnkey barn.
10×12 hobby greenhouse kit
Bootstrap Farmer
Why we like it for small farms. A hobby kit with a real footprint for starts. Read what is in the box before you plan a foundation.
16 ft DIY hoop house
Bootstrap Farmer
Why we like it for small farms. A hoop-house frame, 16 feet wide. It is not a complete kit. Lumber and the top rail are bought locally.
Low tunnel wire hoops
Farmers Friend
Why we like it for small farms. Pre-bent wire for beds about 30 inches wide. A low tunnel, not a house you can walk in.
Extra-strength 1020 tray
Bootstrap Farmer
Why we like it for small farms. A heavy 1020 tray that survives more than one season of starts. Domes and inserts in that size still fit.
Lightweight deep 1020 tray, no holes
Johnny’s
Why we like it for small farms. A deep no-hole tray for bottom watering. It is the standard 11 by 21 size, so it stacks with other flats.
Photo: Potted seedlings. Unsplash · Unsplash License · All photo credits
Solar and power stations
Portable power for a market tent, a phone, or a small cooler. None of these runs a barn or a well pump. Read the watt limit on the brand page before a compressor.
Yeti 500X
Goal Zero
Why we like it for small farms. A portable station for a market tent, a phone, and a small cooler. It is not sized for a barn or a well pump.
Delta 3
EcoFlow
Why we like it for small farms. Another portable station. Read the watt limit on the brand page before you plug in a cooler compressor or a pump.
N-type solar panel
Renogy
Why we like it for small farms. Sold in more than one watt size. Match the watt number on the page to the roof and the charge controller.
Photo: Solar panels in a field. Unsplash · Unsplash License · All photo credits
Food preserving
Low-acid food needs a tested pressure process from a public source, not from a product page. A canner is a tool, not a recipe. A dehydrator does not replace a pressure canner.
National Center for Home Food Preservation
23-quart pressure canner, stock 01781
Presto
Why we like it for small farms. A pressure canner for a home or farm kitchen. It is a tool, not a recipe. Low-acid food still needs a tested process.
Pressure canners
All American
Why we like it for small farms. A metal-to-metal seal, so there is no gasket to replace. These are heavy. Check that the stove can hold a full canner.
Food dehydrators
Excalibur
Why we like it for small farms. For fruit, herbs, and jerky. It does not replace a pressure canner for low-acid food.
Photo: Home-baked bread. Unsplash · Unsplash License · All photo credits
Garden tools
Hand tools for beds you can walk. Not a tractor, and not the right kit for a rocky pasture.
Single wheel hoe
Hoss
Why we like it for small farms. A walk-behind hoe for beds you can get down. The wrong tool if the ground is a rocky pasture.
FELCO 2 pruner
FELCO
Why we like it for small farms. A bypass pruner you can take apart and repair. A better fit for a small orchard than a disposable pair.
Garden forks
Meadow Creature
Why we like it for small farms. A broadfork loosens soil without flipping it. Pick a width you can actually lift.
Photo: A workshop drill. Unsplash · Unsplash License · All photo credits
Homestead supplies
Everyday supplies a small place actually uses. A hand mill is not a tractor. Electric net is not a predator-proof building.
PoultryNet Plus 12/42/3
Premier 1
Why we like it for small farms. Portable electric net for poultry. You still need a charger and a ground. It is not a building that stops predators.
Cast-iron skillets
Lodge
Why we like it for small farms. A skillet a farm kitchen can keep for years. This opens the skillet collection, because one size goes in and out of stock.
Beekeeping supplies
Mann Lake
Why we like it for small farms. Hive parts from a beekeeping supplier. Match the frame size to boxes you can lift.
Non-electric homestead goods
Lehman’s
Why we like it for small farms. A catalog of non-electric homestead goods. A hand mill on that site is still not a tractor.
Photo: Market vegetables. Unsplash · Unsplash License · All photo credits
Pets
Gear for a farm dog and a flock. A harness is not a tie-out. A chew is not a training plan.
Front Range Everyday harness
Ruffwear
Why we like it for small farms. A harness for a dog that rides to the market. It is not a tie-out, and it is not a seat belt by itself.
KONG dog toys
KONG
Why we like it for small farms. A tough chew for a farm dog. It is not a training plan. Read the size notes on the brand page.
Poultry founts
Miller / Little Giant
Why we like it for small farms. A flock drinks more than a dog bowl holds. Match the fount to the birds, not to a house pet.
Dog travel gear
Kurgo
Why we like it for small farms. A seat belt for the drive to market. It is not a reason to let a dog ride loose in a truck bed.
Photo: A cat. Unsplash · Unsplash License · All photo credits