“My Favorite Farm Essentials: Must-Have Tools and Supplies
When I first started our version of homesteading, I thought I needed every tool and gadget under the sun. My Amazon cart was full, my garage looked like a hardware store—and yet, when it came to daily chores, I kept reaching for the same few items over and over again. Over time, I’ve learned that a handful of well-chosen essentials can make homestead life simpler, smoother, and a whole lot more enjoyable.
Today, I’m sharing part one of my favorite homesteading essentials—the ones that have truly earned their place on my farm. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been living the lifestyle for years, I hope this list sparks a few new ideas for you.
Buckets- oh the wonderful world of buckets, it seems like you can never have enough of them, there are never enough of them clean or the one you want is always being used. My Mom, who lives and works on the farm everyday, is 80+ years young and to make our lives easier we use the 2 gallon flat back buckets (these are our favorites, the Little Giant brand https://amzn.to/4mSQMUy ) to move a lot of water around. We use heated 5 gallons buckets in the winter, but they are generally not moved around much ( think dragging cords through the snow, not a great plan). We hang most, if not all, buckets off of brackets, like these https://amzn.to/4lYdF7F that are mounted on boards or fence posts
If you love a great food grade bucket, find yourself a cute little deli that serves pickles, they generally get them in 5 gallon buckets with these great lids, and they are normally kind enough to hand them over to you for no charge. We use a lot of these as well, they come in handy for so so many things, mixing grains, carrying veggies from the garden and to the chickens, fermenting small batches of whatever your heart imagines, they are the perfect size for carrying around and they don’t get too heavy
Toilet bowl brushes- bear with me here for a second, I will explain- Buckets need to get cleaned a lot, I mean always a lot. Bucket brushes that you get in the livestock section of your favorite farm store can be a bit costly, but you know what works amazingly? Toilet Bowl Brushes ! They have the right shape and the stiff bristles are wonderful for scrubbing out the bottoms of the buckets. Drill in a screw, or hang a hook, by where ever you have buckets needing to be cleaned and hang a toilet bowl brush right there, voila you have it at your fingertips every time you need it. We love the Libman toilet bowl brush https://amzn.to/427YyBy , they have stood the test of time here and we use them A LOT !
Grain Scoops and Measuring Cups - We head on over to our favorite Dollar Store and grab multiple sets of measuring cups ( they normally come with a set of measuring spoons as sell) all for the low low cost of your favorite dollar store item. We use measuring cups for everything from measuring grains for the animals to mixing small batches of herbal dewormers or mineral mixes. It is always nice to be able to leave exact instructions, on the off chance you are leaving the farm for a day or two and someone else is feeding the animals. But who am I kidding, not too many vacations have been had by most people who run their lives around their homesteads. But there is always the odd night off for a wedding or an event that we must attend. We have a grain scoop by Little Giant in every feed can, making it easier so they don’t move around too much. And it’s always there when you open the lid.
Aluminum/ Steel Garbage Cans- Your favorite farm store or hardware store carries great options, we do love this one https://amzn.to/4m5YFVB Behrens is made in America and has a great quality product. As anyone who has been feeding animals for long enough knows that the metal garbage cans hold feed, and the feed bags hold garbage- FACT !
10 Tine Pitchfork- This right here is an essential tool for moving old bedding, hay, straw, manure, you name it. Get the best one you can, look for a wide base and a D ring handle and you will treasure its usefulness from day one. I tried so many different types of these and so many broke or just didn’t get the job done. I use my 10 tine almost everyday and appreciate it more and more as the years go by.
I hope you find these ideas useful if you are just starting out or have been in it a while, I always love hearing about new ideas and tricks others have found that work tried and true.
All the Love Annette @ Scoop ‘n’ Poop Farm
Affiliate Disclosure: I am so excited and proud to be an Amazon Affiliate, which means if you click on one of my links and make a purchase, I might earn a tiny commission- like a “thanks for stopping by” kind of deal. Don’t worry, it won’t cost you anything extra, but it helps keep Scoop ‘n ‘ Poop Farm running smoothly.
I appreciate you helping this Farm Girl out ! You mean the world to us !
All the Love, Annette @ Scoop ‘n’ Poop Farm