In these increasingly unstable times, the idea of attaining self-sufficiency with a farming lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular. There is an inherent danger in toiling away in the city at a patently unhealthy desk job because you are living under the risk that a disaster might make basic necessities like food and water temporarily unavailable to you and your family, maybe even permanently! Wouldn’t it be better to enjoy a peaceful, pastoral existence on a rural farm where you can grow everything you need to survive with your own hands, safely removed from the winds of societal and economic change that can sometimes blow into a deadly storm? If that sounds good to you, then let’s take a look at an aspect of this lifestyle choice that most guides, which are usually laser-focused on what crops to raise and how many cows one should maintain, tend to neglect: The nitty-gritty reality of obtaining and maintaining the necessary equipment!
First off, we will consider that you have already purchased your acreage and built you and your family a home there. The next thing you will require is a durable farm machinery shed that can resist the elements and provide plenty of space for storing all the tools and machinery a farm needs!
So, what are we looking at here? Let’s make a list!
Hand Tools – We are certainly going to need some bigger equipment, but these hand tools have been in use since ancient times and will still come in handy today, especially if you go all in on an off-grid approach.
-Scythes are one of the oldest farm utensils in existence and are still useful for cutting tall grass and weeds.
-Sickles are a like a miniature scythe that can be used for harvesting or mowing smaller areas, and cutting back brush.
-Rakes are the thing you need if you’re making hay, and for cleaning up after harvest.
-Shovels dig holes and ditches, and they are what you grab when it’s time to muck out a stall- you have to get your fertilizer from somewhere!
Machinery – Like it or not you are going to want a little help from modern technology, if for nothing else than to save yourself some backbreaking toil!
-Manure Spreaders are what you need to make use of all that lovely stuff you mucked out of the stalls. This is going to make things grow, and you will be glad to have it!
-Tractors are the modern workhorse of a farm. Choose the model that has sufficient horsepower for the farm work you need it for. A tractor can lend its power to a bunch of useful peripherals like ploughs, rototillers, hay balers, seeders, and harrows, many of which you will also need depending on what you are growing.
-Farm Trucks are something every farmer should have for town and country hauling, it’s not just a necessity, it’s a tradition.
Australia is very supportive of farming efforts, check here for more useful information.
