Our Recommended Products
Tools and supplies we use and recommend for building living soil… and preserving your harvest!
Note: We have purchased and use these products. You may find alternative products attached to the linked pages that may be less expensive (and usually lower quality), OR better quality items on sale. Some may be affiliate links- when you purchase, you help support our channel at zero extra cost to you.
Tools
Sheet Metal Crimpers
Designed for stove pipes, use this tool to achieve a better seal on your biochar retorts and produce higher-quality biochar.
Plastic Welder
Great for repairing cracked bins, totes, trays, and even plastic automobile parts… instead of replacing them. Keeps your garden gear in service longer. Save $$$
Microscopy Supplies to Analyze Soil Biology
Amscope Microscope
AmScope B120 Series Student & Professional LED Binocular Compound Microscope – 40X-2500X Magnification – Includes 1MP USB Camera & Siedentopf Head.
Test tubes
TEKEFT Set of 6 Assorted Color Plastic Test Tube Set with Caps and Rack. Needed for soil analysis.
Microscope Slides
Rounded Edge Microscope Slides Kit, 50 Pcs Pre-Cleaned Blank Slides and 100 Pcs 22x22mm Square Coverslips.
Seed Starting & Propagation
Charles Dowding Seed Trays
These are THE virtually indestructible seed trays I rave about for stronger seedlings. They come in various sizes, designed by Charles Dowding.
Water Bottle Watering Rose
I appreciate these because the very small holes make very fine streams of water that don’t overwhelm my tiny seedlings.
Rooting Powder
Get better propagation success when rooting your cuttings!
Mesh Bags
Put these mesh bags over your tomato and pepper flowers to prevent cross-pollination, ensuring the seed produced is true to type.
Coast of Maine Organic Lobster & Crab Compost Blend 1 cu.ft.
We use this for all our potted plants, and for seed starting- Premium Soil Amendment w/Composted Manure, Sphagnum Peat Moss, Lobster & Crab Shell Meal.
Kitchen Tools / Food Preservation
Vita Mix Machine
For smoothies, soups, and even grinding charcoal and eggshells into powder! See also the Cool Knight Electric herb & spice grinder below as a better grinder for eggshells.
All American Canner
All American 1930: 21.5qt Pressure Cooker/Canner. The 921 Exclusive Metal-to-Metal Sealing System (No gaskets to replace ever!) Easy to Open & Close, for Gas, Electric, or Flat-top Stoves, Made in USA.
Harvest Right Freeze Dryer
Simply the best way to preserve food for up to 25-years!
Ball Wide Mouth Canning Jars
Lids and bands included
• Dozen 16 oz. jars
• Dozen 32 oz. jars
• Half Dozen 64 oz. jars
Ball Wide Mouth Lids
Approx. 3 3/8 diameter
fits 16, 32, & 64 oz. jars
These have proven the most reliable for us!
Wide Mouth Rings
Approx. 3 3/8 diameter
fits 16, 32, & 64 oz. jars
These have proven the most reliable for us!
Ball Spring-loaded Jar Lifter
Spring-loaded prevents hand fatigue when processing a large number of jars!
Beginner Fermentation Kit
Masontops Complete Mason Jar Vegetable Fermentation Kit – Easy Regular Mouth Jars – DIY Equipment Essentials
Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer
Electric Jar Sealer With Accessory Hose Compatible With FoodSaver – For Wide & Regular Mouth Jars, Includes Electric Vacuum Pump and Lid.
Magic Mill Food Dehydrator
Magic Mill Premium Food Dehydrator, 15 Extra-Large Stainless Steel Trays, 800W for Beef Jerky, Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, Yogurt, 48-Hour Digital Timer, 95°-167°F Temp. Control.
COOL KNIGHT
Electric herb & spice grinder w/timer. Stainless steel blades and removable bowl. Large capacity for quick grinding of spices, herbs, & coffee beans. It’s also great for grinding eggshells to a fine powder!
Ball Reg. Mouth Canning Jars
Lids and bands included
• Dozen 16 oz. jars
• Dozen 32 oz. jars
• 64 oz. reg. mouth jars N/A
Ball Regular Mouth Lids
Approx. 2 3/4 diameter
fits 16, 32, & 64 oz. jar
These have proven the most reliable for us!
Regular Mouth Rings
Approx. 2 3/4 diameter
fits 16, 32, & 64 oz. jar
These have proven the most reliable for us!
Real Salt
Redmond Real Salt – Ancient Fine Sea Salt, Unrefined Mineral Salt, (3) 26 Ounce Pouches
Soil Amendments
Sometimes you need to amend your soil while building your soil fertility! These are the products we use:
Coast of Maine Organic Lobster & Crab Compost Blend 1 cu.ft.
We use this for all our potted plants, and for seed starting- Premium Soil Amendment w/Composted Manure, Sphagnum Peat Moss, Lobster & Crab Shell Meal.
Blood Meal
Blood Meal is a great source of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash, especially in colder weather, making it an ideal soil amendment for your crops.
Worm Castings
Necessary for potted plants for the microbiology required for plant health… living soil! We also add it to our seed starting mixes.
Mykos
Xtreme Gardening MYKOS 1 lb. Mycorrhizal Fungi Root Stimulator for Plants. Organic Root Booster for Stronger Roots, Bigger Growth & Higher Yields. For Vegetables, Flowers & Trees.
Azos & Mykos
Get the benefits of both Mykos and Azos.
Char Bliss Biochar
A good source for Biochar if you can’t make your own!
Azomite
AZOMITE stands for-
A to Z Organic Minerals Including Trace Elements.
Improves root systems, micronized to a flour-like consistency for better and more complete utilization.
Bone Meal
Especially valuable for virtually all root crops due to its high phosphorus content.
Azos
Xtreme Gardening AZOS 12 oz. Beneficial Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria for Plants & Trees. Natural Root & Growth Promoter for Cloning, Seedlings & Transplants.
Liquid Fertilizer
I add a drop per pint of water for my seedlings, and about a cup per gallon of water for biochar inoculation.
Audiobooks from Audible (or hardcopies)
You need hardcopies of good books if or when conventional food sources are down, or when the power goes out! Audio books are great to listen to in your car, or while doing other things! Usually, audiobooks are a lower price than hardcopies, or you can get a 30-day free trial for any of the audiobooks below. Better than TV!
Grow or Die: The Good Guide to Survival Gardening (hardcopy) — David the Good
What if everything collapsed tomorrow? What if the supermarket shelves were empty? What if you couldn’t get gas for your tiller? What if you’ve never even planted a garden in your life… and your life depended on growing your own food? Don’t panic! Grow or Die: The Good Guide to Survival Gardening has the answers. This book is the cheapest insurance you can own against the crash we all know is coming sooner or later.
Gardening without Work (audiobook or hardcopy) — Ruth Stout
Ruth Stout has shown tens of thousands of gardeners how to greatly reduce their gardening workload. Let Ruth (and, within a few chapters, she will feel like a friend), show you how you can rejuvenate the soil and make your fruits, vegetables, and flowers thrive with low-maintenance mulch gardening. This was MY first gardening book!
Burn: Using Fire to Cool the Earth (audiobook or hardcopy) — Albert Bates & K. Draper
Explores bold, practical climate solutions and the beginnings of a circular economy where energy, natural resources, and human ingenuity create a virtuous cycle.
Backyard Homesteading and Market Gardening (hardcopy) — Small Footprint Press
Backyard Homesteading & Market Gardening: 2-in-1 Compilation Step-By-Step Guide to Start Your Own Self Sufficient Sustainable Mini Farm on a ¼ Acre In as Little as 30 Days (Self Sufficient Survival).
Charles Dowding’s No Dig Gardening: Course 1: From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly (audiobook or hardcopy) — Charles Dowding
Compared to Charles’ other books, this is more about no-dig, eliminating weeds, garden layout, compost making, and using compost. There is also a history of no-dig vegetable gardening in the last 100 years. Listeners will understand the context, and the reasons, why no-dig has not been much valued until recently, and why it is now.
Miraculous Abundance (audiobook or hardcopy) — Charles and Perrine Hervé-Gruyer
This is the eloquent tale of the couple’s evolution from creating a farm to sustain their family to delving into an experiment in how to grow the most food possible, in the most ecological way possible, and create a farm model that can carry us into a post-carbon future when oil is no longer moving goods and services, energy is scarcer, and localization is a must.
Freeze-drying the Harvest ( hardcopy) — Carolyn Thomas
Learn the 7 essential steps to safe home freeze-drying and start preserving delicious food today. With clear tutorials, tasty recipes, and handy charts, you’ll master everything you need to know about freeze-drying at home.
From mashed potatoes and lattes, to wild game and watermelon, this book is your go-to resource for turning your kitchen into a freeze-drying powerhouse.