Comments on: The Minimum Tools For Small-Time Garden Farming http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2008/09/16/the-minimum-tools-for-small-time-garden-farming/ Organic Grocery Market, Shop Local, Small Farms, Family Farms Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:01:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gene Logsdon http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2008/09/16/the-minimum-tools-for-small-time-garden-farming/#comment-3297 Gene Logsdon Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:15:35 +0000 http://organictobe.org/?p=1198#comment-3297 Martin, About the only six foot pull-behind that I'd recommend is the Allis Chalmers "66" All Crop or other closely related AC models. Finding one in good enough shape is not easy. And you must get a repair or operator's manual available from antique tractor sites on the Internet. Really helps if you can find someone who was "raised up" when these combines were common. They are complicated little things, over a hundred grease cirqs for example. A friend of mine just found one in good shape so they are still around. I gave mine away a few years ago. Sometimes an ad in a local rural paper will bring a response from a farmer who has had one sitting in his barn for years. Go on the Internet, under AC equipment or any antique farm machinery collector. Or go to a antique farm machinery fair or show. You will find out more than you want to know. For a seven foot pull behind mower, the New Idea No. 30A is a good one. Mine must be 60 years old now and still running. What I wrote above applies here too. Getting any old mower to cut properly is tricky when they get out of register or to replace knives and guards. If you can find a copy of the old book, The Operation,Care, and Repair of Farm Machinery, in the 18th or later editions, put out by John Deere (from the 1940s and 50s) you will find it most invaluable. I don't know where the fellow got those big bags that I wrote about in the post "Time To Start Growing Your Own Bread." I'll have to try to check that out with him. Maybe he will see this and answer you direct. Good luck. Gene Logsdon Martin, About the only six foot pull-behind that I’d recommend is the Allis Chalmers “66″ All Crop or other closely related AC models. Finding one in good enough shape is not easy. And you must get a repair or operator’s manual available from antique tractor sites on the Internet. Really helps if you can find someone who was “raised up” when these combines were common. They are complicated little things, over a hundred grease cirqs for example. A friend of mine just found one in good shape so they are still around. I gave mine away a few years ago. Sometimes an ad in a local rural paper will bring a response from a farmer who has had one sitting in his barn for years. Go on the Internet, under AC equipment or any antique farm machinery collector. Or go to a antique farm machinery fair or show. You will find out more than you want to know.
For a seven foot pull behind mower, the New Idea No. 30A is a good one. Mine must be 60 years old now and still running. What I wrote above applies here too.
Getting any old mower to cut properly is tricky when they get out of register or to replace knives and guards. If you can find a copy of the old book, The Operation,Care, and Repair of Farm Machinery, in the 18th or later editions, put out by John Deere (from the 1940s and 50s) you will find it most invaluable.
I don’t know where the fellow got those big bags that I wrote about in the post “Time To Start Growing Your Own Bread.” I’ll have to try to check that out with him. Maybe he will see this and answer you direct. Good luck. Gene Logsdon

]]> By: Martin Payne http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2008/09/16/the-minimum-tools-for-small-time-garden-farming/#comment-3279 Martin Payne Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:31:22 +0000 http://organictobe.org/?p=1198#comment-3279 Gene: I have been reading your books since the late 70's! I am just now able to grow a couple of acres of grain, etc. I wonder if I could ask a couple of questions? Could you recommend: 1.)6' pull behind combine makes/models 2.)7' sickle bar makes/models 3.)source of "big bags" used for haying or harvesting, picked up by forklift (pic shown in one of your past articles). Many thanks, Martin Payne Austin, TX Gene:

I have been reading your books since the late 70′s! I am just now able to grow a couple of acres of grain, etc. I wonder if I could ask a couple of questions? Could you recommend:

1.)6′ pull behind combine makes/models
2.)7′ sickle bar makes/models
3.)source of “big bags” used for haying or harvesting, picked up by forklift (pic shown in one of your past articles).

Many thanks,

Martin Payne
Austin, TX

]]> By: Brad Hedges http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2008/09/16/the-minimum-tools-for-small-time-garden-farming/#comment-3222 Brad Hedges Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:27:54 +0000 http://organictobe.org/?p=1198#comment-3222 I was given my Ford 9N and brush-hog mower for free... along with a 2-row corn lister (middlebuster plows and planter), 8-ft disc, spring-tooth harrow, spike tooth harrow, wheat drill... I'm buying a (new) single-bottom 16" plow, as my heavy heavy clay soil is tough for the old tractor to pull it's rated 2-14 plow... I still need a hay mower and rake, but hope to get them soon! I need a bit more grain than you seem to, but I like pork, and they need more grain than my Jersey does... Love your stuff, Gene - keep it coming! Brad Hedges I was given my Ford 9N and brush-hog mower for free… along with a 2-row corn lister (middlebuster plows and planter), 8-ft disc, spring-tooth harrow, spike tooth harrow, wheat drill… I’m buying a (new) single-bottom 16″ plow, as my heavy heavy clay soil is tough for the old tractor to pull it’s rated 2-14 plow… I still need a hay mower and rake, but hope to get them soon! I need a bit more grain than you seem to, but I like pork, and they need more grain than my Jersey does…

Love your stuff, Gene – keep it coming!
Brad Hedges

]]> By: alan http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2008/09/16/the-minimum-tools-for-small-time-garden-farming/#comment-3150 alan Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:22:14 +0000 http://organictobe.org/?p=1198#comment-3150 Looking at a 1950's farmall cub for our 5 acres. Could mow some hay and do some cultivation. About the right size. Wish it had a front end loader to clean out the barn. Looking at a 1950′s farmall cub for our 5 acres. Could mow some hay and do some cultivation. About the right size. Wish it had a front end loader to clean out the barn.

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