6 High Quality Farm Hand Tools on a Budget
December 18, 2024 As the Agronomy Manager at Taylor Farms Agricultural Operations in San Juan Bautista, CA, Kim Horton adheres to a variety of practices to improve soil health and biodiversity, including: Reduced till: Using conservation tillage practices where possible; Cover crops: Using cover crops to maintain ground cover, build nutrients, and prevent soil loss; Integrated pest management (IPM): Using IPM practices to promote biodiversity and pollinator habitats.; Nutrient management: Monitoring nutrient management to evaluate soil health, microbiological activity, and other factors.; New technologies: Using new technologies like automated cultivators and drones to collect field data. In the process, she relies on a variety of hand tools to grow 35 different organic and conventional leafy green and vegetable crops.
Here she lists six of her favorite hand tools as well as a bonus — her four go-to apps:
Closeup of the 15x Lighted Loupe tool. Photo by Kim Horton, Taylor Farms
15-Power Lighted Loupe, Lee Valley
“The best lighted loupe for viewing small insects and mites on plant leaves. This durable loupe is placed directly onto the surface of leaf, so no moving back and forth to get the right focus. Great for taking close up photos with your phone, too. Well worth $34.50.”
There is an array of budget-friendly farm hand tools used at Taylor Farms.
Photo by Kim Horton, Taylor Farms
Classic Footstep Soil Probe, Oakfield Apparatus [pictured above, standing second from the right]
“Great lightweight soil sampler with ¾-inch inner diameter tube and 0- to 6-inch measurement mark on back to indicate sampling depth. Easy to remove soil from it, clean it, and visually inspect soil profiles as samples are pulled. The sampler is 36 inches tall with a welded footstep, so it saves your back and hands. Cost: $128.70.”
Lettuce Field Knife with Plastic Sheath (The Organic Co. #412S), Many suppliers, including Central Ag Supply, Hollister, CA, and VGS, Yuma, AZ [pictured above, standing two items on far right]
“Non-slip, yellow handle with dual cutting-edged knife for vegetables. Easy to find when you put it down and durable enough to dig young plants up, too. I prefer the plastic sheath over the leather sheath because the plastic is ridged, which makes it easier to use to scrape clay soils off the knife. Cost: Variable but around $15 to $20.”
Felco 6 Pruning Shears (a.k.a., Hand Clippers), Felco (available at Bryan Equipment, Gonzales, CA) [pictured above, standing one item from left]
Excellent clippers for taking plant tissue samples in celery and for cutting woody plants. The rubber shock absorbers make a soft closing action that protects the wrist against strain and ergonomic one piece forged aluminum handle is easy to hold. Cost: $64.30.”
Gripped Latex Coated Gloves, ULINE [pictured above, far left]
“I started using these gloves when I was digging lots of carrots. They give extra grip (for twisting off bunches of stems), with good flexibility, and are water resistant on the palm side. I use them in my pumpkin patch to protect my skin and keep my hands warm, too. Cost: $27.”
Steel Spade Shovel with Blue Fiberglass Handle, Central Ag Supply, Hollister, CA [pictured above, lying flat]
“Durable, lightweight spade shovel. Blue fiberglass handle doesn’t flex with torque, and no splinters. 46-inch handle length plus 18-inch steel head — a good length for a variety of people’s heights. Cost: $20.99.”
Kim Horton’s Favorite Apps
- Picture This – for plant identification
- ArcGIS Field Maps – for map making
- Canopeo – for measuring green canopy cover
- Slakes – for aggregate stability testing
Click here to see more installments of American Vegetable Grower’s “Kick the Tires” series.
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