Broadforks Handmade in Nova Scotia

At long last, we've made it through another Nova Scotia winter.  The soil is workable again! We've moved our broadfork out to the garden where it will remain until we put things to bed late fall.  Yesterday, I started reclaiming a rocky, brambly corner of the garden with this durable workhorse of a tool. 

I've discovered many uses for the broadfork. Essentially a giant pitchfork with two handles, it works so well for hand tilling and aerating garden beds. It allows you to deeply till your soil and break up compaction with neither the noise, pollution, fossil fuel consumption and compaction of power equipment, nor the strain on your body caused by double digging with smaller garden tools. It allows you to maintain healthy soil structure and doesn't chop weed roots into a gazillion pieces like a rototiller/tractor does. We also use our broadfork for working compost into beds and for harvesting root veggies. 

Ruben makes these to order. The tines are 12" long and forged out of reclaimed spring steel. Handles are 4" long and mild steel round tubing. Custom measurements are also an option. Broadfork comes as raw steel (and we leave ours that way), but if you want to paint yours check out Izzy's for bright inspiration in the photo above.   

$200 Canadian plus hst. Pick up at shop.  To place an order, email raina.mcdonald@gmail.com.