Farm Supplies

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, as of 2008 about two to three percent of the working population was employed in agriculture. To do their jobs properly, they need all manner of farm supplies, from clothing to combines. Here are but a few of the farm supplies workers need.

Irrigation
Farmers that grow crops can’t always depend on the weather, so there are many products that help bring water to these crops They include all kinds of sprinklers and sprinkler systems, sprinkler stands, heads, valves, pumps and sump pumps. These sprinklers need to be connected to plumbing systems and these supplies include couplers, clamps, water filtration systems, hoses, valves, gauges, water heaters, water cooling systems and boilers.

Sowing and Harvesting
A farmer with a large amount of land under cultivation can benefit greatly from large machines to sow and later harvest crops. A tractor can plow a field in order to prepare it for planting. A broadcast seeder actually sows the seed. A seeder can also spread fertilizer. It can be a small, hand-pushed type, or a huge machine operated by a tractor. Later, a combine harvester is used to harvest crops like wheat, corn, soybeans, oats and barley. The combine reaps, threshes and winnows at the same time, thus saving much time and labor for the farmer and his helpers. A farm truck may help carry the produce to the market or a processing plant.

Livestock
The needs of livestock are endless. Some farm supplies that can be used here are systems that grow fodder and systems that store and protect hay from the elements like hay tarps, covers and silos. Fences and netting have to be bought and installed to contain the animals and keep other animals off the farm. Animals also need medicine and shelter. These can be hen houses, stables, pens or barns, and these structures need lighting, heating and protection from pests and predators. They also need farm supplies like feeders and water supply systems.