Estimated Equipment Needs for Various Sizes of Vegetable Farms

Scale Seed Starting Power Source & Tillage Direct Seeding Production Equipment Cultivation Harvest Post-
harvest Handling
Delivery
1-3 acres Small hoop house, grow lights, planting trays Rototiller or walking tractor, custom work Earthway seeder, Cyclone seeder Back-pack sprayer, irrigation, tools Wheel hoe, hand hoes, digging forks, spades Field knives, hand boxes, buckets, carts Bulk tank, canopy, packing containers Pickup with topper or van
4-6 acres 1000 sq. ft. greenhouse, cold frames, field tunnels, planting trays 35-40 hp tractor, with creeper gear, power steering, high clearance Planet Jr. plate seeder 1-row transplanter, irrigation, more tools Cultivating tractor (IH Super A or IH 140) Potato digger, bed lifter, wagon, more boxes, buckets Roller track conveyor, hand carts, walk-in cooler Cargo van
7-10 acres Additional cold frames, planting trays 40-60 hp tractor, chisel plow, spader Stanhay preceision belt seeder with belts 2-row transplanter, sprayer Tool bar implements: beet knives, basket weeder More field crates Barrel washer, spinner, pallet jack 1 ton truck with refrigeration
20+ acres 2,000 sq. ft. greenhouse 80 hp tractor with loader bucket and forks, compost spreader Nibex or Monosem seeder Irrigation, bed shaper, mulch layer Sweeps (Besserides), Buddingh finger weeders, flame weeder, potato hiller, 2nd cultivating tractor Asa lift, harvest wagon Wash line, larger cooler, packing shed and loading dock Refrigerated truck
Reprinted from ATTRA