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Farm Hack – Inexpensive, Innovative Tools By and For Farmers

By   /  May 5, 2014  /  Comments Off on Farm Hack – Inexpensive, Innovative Tools By and For Farmers

Farmers have always created new tools or repaired old ones using whatever was available. Now, there’s a place where you can share your solutions, as well as finding ones you may not have thought of.

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Here are some examples of tools you'll find at the Farm Hack Site. Click and visit!

Here are some examples of tools you’ll find at the Farm Hack Site. Click and visit!

Hack

Doing something in a very clever, non-obvious, admirable fashion.

Farm Hack

An open source community for resilient agriculture that is helping folks create equipment solutions in a very clever, non-obvious, admirable fashion.

In 2011 a group of farmers got together with some engineers from Massachussetts Institute for Technology for the first ever “Farm Hack” convention.  They shared and brainstormed blueprints and designs for farm tools and equipment that were inexpensive to build and repair, often using leftover parts or older equipment to make do.  Since then, the Farm Hack community has held over 10 events and has gone online to expand the number of people they reach and the ideas that are shared.  Their three minute video describes the history of Farm Hack and how you can add your own “hacks” to the mix of ideas you’ll find there.

Here’s the link if you’re using a tablet.

If you sort the tools by fencing and livestock management you’ll find a hack for being able to turn your electric fence off and on by text message.  There’s also a picture of a solar powered chicken tractor mover, no documentation available yet for how to build your own, but if you’re tired of dragging your chicken housing yourself, this could provide some inspiration.  You might also find that you have some good hacks of your own to contribute.

Check it out. Have some fun and maybe save some money too.

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  • Published: 7 years ago on May 5, 2014
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  • Last Modified: May 5, 2014 @ 9:32 pm
  • Filed Under: Money Matters

About the author

Publisher, Editor and Author

Kathy worked with the Bureau of Land Management for 12 years before founding Livestock for Landscapes in 2004. Her twelve years at the agency allowed her to pursue her goal of helping communities find ways to live profitably AND sustainably in their environment. She has been researching and working with livestock as a land management tool for over a decade. When she's not helping farmers, ranchers and land managers on-site, she writes articles, and books, and edits videos to help others turn their livestock into landscape managers.

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