Some people start hobby farms because they are striving for a sustainable lifestyle. Others have ambitions of starting a barnyard rescue or had grown up on a farm and want to continue the family tradition.
No matter your reason, you’re going to want to get your hands on the following items before you get started.
A Reliable Truck
If you have a larger farm, a truck can be used to haul supplies from one end of your property to the other. All-wheel drive and height give trucks an advantage over smaller vehicles in mud and snow, ensuring you’re not stuck for hours during a trip that should only take minutes.
Even if you have a smaller farm, you might still want to look into new commercial trucks, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep trucks for sale. They come in handy if you have to haul sick animals or transport bulkier items, like feed bags and hay bales.
Watering Equipment
You’re going to need to get water from Point A to Point B. Depending on the distance and amount of water you need to transport, you might need hoses, buckets or even storage tanks to load in the back of your truck. If you’re planting crops across several acres, you might want to even consider an irrigation system.
Adequate Housing
You might think that barnyard animals are tough and don’t need your protection, but they really do. If you live in a region with brutally cold winters or scorching summers, you need to give your animals a dry place protected from the elements.
If you have smaller animals, like chickens, or live in a region with larger predators, like wolves, you need to ensure your animals are penned securely, or else your farm is going to turn into an open buffet for your local carnivores.
Research the animals you plan on raising thoroughly, as some will have unique needs. For instance, chickens need nest boxes and roosting perches. Horses, sheep and cows all need pastures, but different types of fencing may be more effective for each.
A Well-Stocked Tool Shed
No matter what you’re farming, you’re going to need to get down and dirty at some point with shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows. It’s also safe to assume that you’re inevitably going to need a toolbox stocked with things like a drill, hammer and set of screwdrivers.
Food and Storage
You can’t rely on just the land to provide for your farm. If you want a happy and healthy homestead, you’re going to have to supplement. If you’re a vegetable farmer, that means buying fertilizer. If you’re raising livestock, it means buying grain or hay.
When you get it home, you can’t just throw it in the corner of the barn and be done with it. With fertilizers, improper storage may be an environmental hazard and with feed, it might attract pests, like rats, that can harm your livestock. Both should be stored properly to reduce hazards.
Prepare Your Hobby Farm With These Essentials
A hobby farm is a lot of work, but it can bring you decades of purpose and satisfaction. By starting well-stocked, you can skip a lot of headaches and growing pains and maximize your enjoyment.