Do you know the difference between a stirrup hoe and a chopping hoe? Or what conditions call for either one?

Selecting the right tools, whether it’s for a garden or a small-scale farming operation, is an important part of producing an abundant and profitable harvest. Fortunately, the ATTRA publication Equipment and Tools for Small-Scale Intensive Crop Production can help you make the right choice.

Andy Pressman, an NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, offers guidance in selecting hand tools for smaller crops, tractors, and equipment for larger operations, soil-preparation equipment, tillage equipment, bed-shaping tools, direct-seeding equipment, transplanting equipment, and weed-control tools. Learn why selecting the right tools for your gardening or farming operation will increase the performance and profits of your operation.

You also can read a case study featuring Paul Horton and Sally Beckwith, Vermont farmers who have put the guidelines from Equipment and Tools for Small-Scale Intensive Crop Production into action. The publication also provides an extension listing of further resources on the topic.

Equipment and Tools for Small-Scale Intensive Crop Production is available online at www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=373.