Investing in Efficiency on the Urban Homestead

Well, we've done it. Yesterday we purchased our first piece of farm equipment. An Earthway Precision Seeder. A friend of mine and fellow fledgling farmer, Crystal at HeartSong Farms, was selling hers and I was able to pick it up for a great price. Brand-new, they usually sell for between $90 and $109 plus tax and shipping, and I was able to get this once-used Earthway for $65. Period.

Earthway Seeder

Seeders are a great tool not only for the small farmer, but for urban homesteaders, too, because they furrow, plant, cover seeds, and mark the next row for planting all in 1 pass. Just think about how much time (not to mention backache) you could save by using one. The Earthway Seeder comes with 6 plates for different size seeds (sweet corn; radish, leeks, and spinach; carrots, lettuce, and turnips; beans and small peas; jumbo peas; beets, okra, Swiss chard) and has an optional plate kit for other size seeds (carrot; broccoli; cucumbers; popcorn; lima beans).

Here's a video of the Earthway in action:

Have you used a seeder before? I'd love to hear about your experience.