Here is a list of market gardening tools and equipment that we use on our micro-farm, along with their commercial names and the suppliers that sell them. Many of these items are not available in traditional gardening stores.
Stirrup Hoe
The stirrup hoes that we use have a sharp, square, swivelling blade. They are made in Switzerland and come in three sizes: 3¼", 5", and 7". Sold by Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine, USA.
877-564-6697 johnnyseeds.com
The 7" blade collinear hoe we use for hoeing salads and leafy vegetables was designed by Eliot Coleman and is also sold by Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine. johnnyseeds.com
Bed Preparation Rake
The 30-inch rake that we use to prepare our permanent beds is sold by Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine, USA.
877-564-6697 johnnyseeds.com
Broadfork (Grelinette)
The broadfork that we use is manufactured in Quebec by Denis Bergeron. The tool is 24" wide and has 6 tines. This model has been designed according to my own personal recommendations in order to make it the most efficient broadfork on the market. Available online from Dubois Agrinovation in Saint-Rémi, Quebec.
800-667-6279 duboisag.com
Denis Bergeron has also built us a custom 3-hole punching dibbler that we use for the intensive spacing of ours leeks.
Wheel Hoe
A durable, sturdy, and high-quality wheel hoe made by Glaser. The tool has exchangeable blades of different widths: 5", 6", 7", or 8". Sold by Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine, USA.
877-564-6697 johnnyseeds.com
We also use and recommend wheel hoes from the American company Hoss.
Both the Hoss and Glaser wheel hoes are worth every penny.
Two-Wheel Tractor
The most widely distributed two-wheel tractors in North America are made by the Italian company BCS. I recommend Model 853, as most 30-inch tools can be installed on it. BCS two-wheel tractors are equipped with a rototiller, but there is a wide variety of attachments available: flail mowers, chipper/shredder, plow, ridger, snow thrower, etc. There are various small companies in Italy that make more specialized market gardening tools such as rotary plows, spading machines, and the rotary power harrow we use on our farm. You can get all of these from Earth Tools Inc. of Kentucky, USA.
502-484-3988 earthtoolsbcs.com
A Canadian BCS dealer that I have dealt with and recommend is E & F Sauder Sales & Service of Wallenstein, Ontario.
Greenhouses and Tunnels
We have dealt with a number of companies that make quality greenhouses and tunnels.
Hol-Ser, Inc. of Sainte-Cécile-de-Milton, Quebec.
877-378-6465 hol-ser.com
Les Serres Guy Tessier of Saint-Damase, Quebec. Tessier also makes very well-built and affordable caterpillar tunnels.
450-797-3616 serres-guytessier.com
Multi Shelter Solutions, from Ontario, offers simple and economical tunnels. Multi Shelter Solutions, Palmerston, Ontario.
866-838-6729 sheltersolutions.ca
Irrigation Equipment
Dubois Agrinovation in Saint-Rémi has very competent consultants who are available to help design irrigation plans. We benefited greatly from their expertise when we were designing our system. This company supplied our Naan low-flow sprinklers and Dan micro-sprinklers, as well as all pipes, cam-lock joints, and drip irrigation. Dubois Agrinovation of Saint-Rémi, Quebec.
800-667-6279 duboisag.com
Groupe Horticole Ledoux also has many interesting supplies for greenhouse production including tomato clips and hooks, substrate, geo-textiles, heat mats, etc. Their catalogue is worth a look. Groupe Horticole Ledoux, Quebec.
888-791-2223 ghlinc.com
Indoor Seedling Equipment
We buy all of our cell flats, trays, and pots from Dubois Agrinovation of Saint-Rémi, Quebec.
800-667-6279 duboisag.com
Our Precision Vacuum Seeder was homemade, but Johnny’s Selected Seeds now sells one that I would recomend. It’s quality made and worth its price tage. USA.
877-564-6697 johnnyseeds.com
The same company also sells really nice Hydro farm commercial heat mats that can be chained together to cover whole seedling tables. Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine, USA.
877-564-6697 johnnyseeds.com
Harvest Equipment
Two knives that we really like:
The mini-machete-type field knife is used to harvest broccoli, cauliflower, and lettuce. Sold by William Dam Seeds of Ontario, Canada.
905-628-6641 damseeds.com
The #10 Opinel knife is a high-quality knife from France. It is light and very pleasant to handle. Available for order online from Lee Valley Tools, Ottawa, Ontario.
We sharpen our field knives daily. This job is a lot easier with an ultra-fast sharpener called the Speedy Sharp. Although this sharpener wears the knives down more, its speed and ease of use make it an indispensable tool. We also use it to sharpen the blade of our mesclun harvester. Speedy Sharp is sold in all Canadian Tire stores and is available online.
The garden cart we use to transport our harvest bins from the gardens to our storage area is the Model 26 cart from Carts Vermont. The 26"-diameter wheels of the cart have a track width of about 40", allowing the cart to easily straddle our 30" garden beds as we harvest. This tool is durable, ergonomic, and indispensable. Carts Vermont. Lyndonville, VT.
800-732-7417 cartsvermont.com
The Model 26 is also sold by Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine, USA.
877-564-6697 johnnyseeds.com
For mesclun production, we use the Greens Harvester developed by Jonathan Dysingerin of Farmers Friend LCC, in combination with the Six-Row Seeder. As the company says, one person working alone can efficiently harvest 100 pounds of mesclun mix in less than an hour. The tool is simple, affordable, and highly profitable. Sold by Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine, USA.
877-564-6697 johnnyseeds.com
Seeders
All of the seeders used in our gardens (Glaser, EarthWay, and Six-Row) are sold by Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine, USA.
877-564-6697 johnnyseeds.com
The seedbed roller we are experimenting with will be sold by Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine, USA.
877-564-6697 johnnyseeds.com
The hand-pushed finger weeder used for cultivating dense stands of salad mix is commercialized as the Grass Stitcher, a perfect companion the 6-row seeder.
Flame Weeder
The flame weeder that we use to kill pre-emergence weeds in our carrot beds comes from a small American company in West Virginia. We work with the five-torch model, which is 30" wide. Flame Weeders of West Virginia, USA.
304-462-7606 flame-weeders.com
Row Cover and Anti-Insect Netting
The floating row cover we use most often is Agryl P19. The anti-insect netting we use for protecting against leek moth has a mesh size of 0.05 inches and is cut to size based on our needs. Both are sold by Dubois Agrinovation of Saint-Rémi, Quebec.
800-667-6279 duboisag.com
Dubois also sells the biodegradable and compostable black mulch film BIOTELLO. Dubois Agrinovation of Saint-Rémi, Quebec.
800-667-6279 duboisag.com
Backpack Sprayer
Not all sprayers are created equal, and it is worthwhile investing in a high-quality one. If you are trying to cover a length of 330', an efficient sprayer can cut the number of times you need to pump in half. We have been using the same Solo sprayer for more than 10 years. It was originally purchased from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
The next sprayer we buy will be a more expensive model from Birchmeier.
Cold Room
We purchased our cold room second-hand with a new compressor under warranty. The ideal situation may be to deal with a company that sells and repairs air conditioning systems in your area, as after-sales service is very important if your equipment breaks down or is damaged.
An alternative to cooling with a compressor is the CoolBot, which transforms any air conditioner unit (the kind installed in windows) into a cooler that keeps your cold room at a controlled temperature, just as an air compressor would. The CoolBot unit costs a fraction of the price, is easy to install, and consumes less electricity than a conventional compressor. We have not tested it ourselves, but the unit was designed by farmers and comes with a satisfaction guarantee.
888-871-5723 storeitcold.com
Seeds
We order most of our seeds from the following companies:
Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine, USA.
877-564-669 johnnyseeds.com
William Dam Seeds of Ontario, Canada.
905-628-6641 damseeds.com
West Coast Seeds of Vancouver, Canada.
888-804-8820 westcoastseeds.com
High Mowing Organic Seed of Vermont, USA.
802-472-6174 highmowingseeds.com
We also import some seeds from les Graines Baumaux in France.
Finally, we proudly support the Kokopelli association of France in their fight against Monsanto. The Kokopelli collection offers more than 2,200 varieties of organic heirloom seeds.
Greenhouse Vegetable Seeds
Groupe Horticole Ledoux. 785 Paul-Lussier St., Sainte-Hélène-de-Bagot, Quebec, JOH 1MO.
888-791-2223.
Plant Products. 3370 Le Corbusier Boulevard, Laval, Quebec, H7L 4S8, Canada.
800-361-9184 plantprod.com
Deer Fence
You can purchase the different components to build a vertical electric fence at most farm co-ops or feed stores. On a technical level, this involves linking a few “polytapes” (or a number of metal wires with a diameter of 1/10", or 12.5 AWG) on posts spaced every 33’. The wire must be attached to the post by a plastic insulator, and the electrical current circulating must have a tension of at least 4,000 volts. (More is ideal; 8,000 volts will prevent deer from knocking the fence over at night.)
Polypropylene trellises designed expressly for guarding against the entry of deer, raccoons, hares, and other wild animals are sold by Dubois Agrinovation of Saint-Rémi, Quebec.
800-667-6279 duboisag.com
Our delivery truck and our family vehicle have both been modified to run on recovered vegetable oil. The conversion is possible if you have a diesel motor. The company Greasecar sells conversion kits with comprehensive diagrams and installation instructions. Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems, P.O. Box 60508, Florence, Massachusetts, 01062, USA.
413-534-0013 greasecar.com