Small acreage · Big gardens · A few good animals
Gear advice from somebody who has fixed the fence.
A plain-spoken guide to the tools, feed, fencing, and equipment that actually hold up on a few acres. Nothing gets recommended here that I would not put in my own barn.
Where to start
Four places to dig in. Each one opens with the handful of decisions that set the rest of your budget, because most of the money on a small place gets spent before anybody buys the fun stuff.
Garden
Raised beds, row crops, and the season that never quite goes to plan.
Inside: Soil and compost · Seed starting · Irrigation · Hand tools · Pest control · Season extension CategoryLivestock
Chickens, goats, cattle, and the fencing and feed that keep them where they belong.
Inside: Coops and shelters · Fencing and gates · Waterers and feeders · Health and first aid · Hay storage CategoryHomesteading
Putting food up, keeping the power on, and getting more out of what you already grow.
Inside: Canning and preserving · Dehydrating · Water and backup power · Processing · Woodstoves and heat CategoryTractors & Tools
Compact tractors, attachments, and the small engines that do the heavy work.
Inside: Tractor attachments · Chainsaws and splitters · Mowers and brush cutters · Generators · Shop toolsHow this site works
Recommendations are earned. Advertising is bought. I keep the two apart.
When I recommend a product, I link to it on Amazon. If you buy through that link, Amazon pays me a small commission and you pay exactly what you would have paid anyway.
Brands also sponsor sections of this site, and anything a brand paid for is labeled so you know what you are reading. What no brand can buy is a recommendation. If a product is the wrong tool for a small place, that is what it will say here.
FamilyFarmer.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are accurate as of the time of posting and are subject to change.