James Beasley of Longview Independent School District in East Texas heads up production for the Farm to School program.

“The tractor is the workhorse of the garden. The 55-hp New Holland tractor is the perfect size for our 5-acre farm and gets the job done with plenty of power to spare. It has become the most used piece of equipment in the garden and cuts down on labor tremendously.” 

Agriculture.NewHolland.com 

Photo by James Beasley

“The tiller, in conjunction with the tractor, has become our best friend in terms of weed control. As a garden that feeds young children, we avoid the use of herbicides and pesticides. In fact, our motto when it comes to weeds between rows is, “Till it to kill it,” and it seems to work pretty good.” 

BushHog.com 

Photo by James Beasley

“The digital irrigation control box is wonderful because it gives you the ability to control water output, watering days, length of time to water, etc. It was a huge garden saver last year as we experienced extremely hot dry weather during the months of June through August.” 

HunterIndustries.com 

Photo by James Beasley

“The digital scale has been a huge asset to the garden because it gives us reliable weights on our produce. Last year we used a handheld spring-loaded scale, and it was hard to lift the product and hold it steady to get a reliable reading. This was especially true when trying to hold and weigh 50-pound bags of squash. This scale delivers weights down to the 10th
and keeps our production totals accurate.” 

Available on various e-commerce websites 

Photo by James Beasley

“The green chair I lovingly refer to as the ‘back saver 1000.’ It is perhaps my favorite tool in the garden because of my back issues. The ability to roll while seated is helpful in picking produce like strawberries and green beans.” 

SunnyDazeDecor.com 

Photo by James Beasley