Tools Sharing & Rental

Tool and Equipment Sharing & Rental Platform

Do you have tools that don’t get used every day, or only get used a few times a year? Thinking about purchasing a new piece of equipment, but want to try it out before making the investment?
Research conducted by Future Harvest in 2019 revealed that access to tools and equipment can be a limiting factor on both new and established farms.  Certain pieces of equipment that may be critical for improving efficiencies on a farm, would enable farms to experiment with new crops or can improve management practices, are often cost prohibitive for farms who are operating on narrow profit margins– and sometimes you just want an opportunity to try-before-you buy!

In response to this oft-stated dilemma, and to recurring requests from farmers, Future Harvest has created the Tool and Equipment Sharing & Rental Platform — a resource to facilitate farmer-to-farmer lending, renting, or custom hire, with the aim of increasing access to the tools of the trade.

How it works:

LIST EQUIPMENT: Farmers with equipment to share fill out this form, where you will be asked to set the terms for the lending arrangement, including: fee charged; length of rental period; pick-up and delivery options; custom hire availability, etc. Equipment submitted will automatically populate the Tool-Share Spreadsheet visible below, where farmers seeking tools can search by any field, to locate the equipment that meets their needs, closest to home. Equipment is broken down into five categories:

• Hand Tools – Broadfork, Wheel Hoe, Post Pounder
• Tractors – 2WD, 4WD
• Implements – For BCS, PTO, 3 Point Hitch
• Shop Tools – Drill Press, Table Saw
• Other – Stock Trailer

LIST YOUR EQUIPMENT

When listing your equipment, you will have the opportunity to set a fee, minimum and maximum rental periods, offer delivery or require pick-up, collect insurance information from the renter, and more. We’ve also created a sample Lending Agreement for use in your transaction.

SEARCH FOR EQUIPMENT: Farmers in need of equipment can browse the list, organized by equipment type, location, or grouped by any field to find out what’s available at the price/distance/terms that meet their needs. Click on the spreadsheet below to start searching!

AVAILABLE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Share Today, Borrow Tomorrow!

Having the right tool for the job can make the difference between labor-intensive and labor-efficient. Whether you are a brand new farmer just getting established, or a seasoned hand adapting to changing conditions and experimenting with new techniques, farmers sharing and helping one another is critical to success for the individual, and for our regional food system.