Essential Farm Equipment in Winter
Farming activities during winter can be very challenging for farmers. Normal farming activities that do not consume a lot of time can end up taking the whole day during harsh weather conditions like heavy rains, wind, or snow. However, having the right tools during such a time can make farming activities easier. It is important to prepare early for winter farming by making sure the following equipment is available:
Digging Bars
Digging bars are very important equipment for any farmer. They are even more helpful during the winter weather. Digging bars are usually used for digging up rocks and loosening the soil to prepare it for planting. In winter, they are also used for breaking up the ice.
A digging bar is long and straight and can be used for breaking thawed water troughs as well as roughening up frozen soil during fence repair. There is no end to the list of uses that a steel digging bar can be put into. It is a must-have during the winter weather.
Snow Blower
Farmers living in areas that get too much snow understand that farming activities must not come to a stop just because of snow. With the right farming equipment, snow shouldn’t be that big of a deal. A snowblower will clear the way during winter, enabling other farm activities to take place. It is one of the most worthy equipment that a farmer can invest in during winter.
Most snow blowers are not designed to clear snow in large parcels of land. However, the equipment is very helpful during winter because it can create pathways to livestock pasture, shed, or to the barn. A snowblower simply makes it easy to access various locations on your farm during winter.
Snow Plow
A farmer with large tracks of land will find a snowplow more helpful than a snow blower. This is because a snow plow can be used to clear snow on large tracks of land. In fact, the equipment can be attached to a tractor and moved around a large farm clearing snow in a very short time.
For farmers who do not have the luxury of a tractor, they can use a truck. However, a truck or UTV will be far much slower than a tractor. Either way, snow will still be cleared and allow farming to continue.
Portable Generator
The most common and unpleasant thing about the winter weather are the power outages that come with it. Farming without electricity can make some farming activities extremely slow and difficult. However, farmers need not to worry because all they need is a portable generator to act as back up when power is not available. A portable generator is flexible and can be moved from one farm to another.
Before purchasing a portable generator make sure that it can power the farm equipment needed during winter. The amount of power needed by an equipment is always indicated on the manual. With a generator, all farming activities continue just like in summer.
Fence Repair Equipment
Repairing the fence during winter is never easy. It is even more difficult if a farmer does not have the correct equipment. Fence repair is a farm activity that cannot be ignored because fences help in restricting movement of livestock as well as keeping intruders away. For this reason, a basic fence repair kit that has all the fence repair equipment is necessary to assist the farmer during winter.
Protective Farming Gear
This is probably the most ignored type of farm equipment that a farmer must have during winter. Farmers are not robots and this means that the harsh winter weather is likely to affect their health and safety if they do not use the appropriate protective gear. Some of the protective items needed during winter include a facemask, base layers, insulated bib and coat, gloves, boots and socks. All these will help the farmer stay safe and active during winter farming.
Final Verdict
Farm activities during winter are difficult but not impossible to handle. All a farmer needs are the right tools and equipment to make work easier. Maintenance of the equipment to protect them from damage such as rust is also very crucial to make sure the equipment remain useful throughout the season. Finally, always get advice from a reputable farm equipment company when buying farm equipment to use during winter.