Walk into any market-garden forum and you will find long lists of "must-have" tools. Add them up and a new grower can spend thousands before the first bed is planted. Much of that spending can wait until you know which jobs actually slow you down.
This guide takes a different approach. Every price below was read on a seller's page in September 2026, and we say plainly when a price could not be verified. We then group the tools into three kits: a starter kit under $1,000, a mid-range kit around $2,300, and an expanded kit near $4,800 plus software. You can mix and match.
Prices are list prices as of September 2026, before tax, and they change often. Check the seller before you buy.
Key takeaways
- As of September 2026, all-steel broadforks from Meadow Creature and Valley Oak list at $284–$314.
- Wheel hoes range from $309.99 for the Hoss Double Wheel Hoe to $865 for a Valley Oak package with a hiller.
- A single-row Jang JP-1 seeder is $496, or $598 as a Market Gardener Kit with four rollers. Multi-row Jangs run $874.50 to $2,112 at one dealer.
- A CoolBot controller is $399, but you still need an insulated room and a window air conditioner.
- Free, open-source record-keeping software exists: LiteFarm and farmOS.
- Buy for the bottleneck you have, not the one you expect.
The price table
All prices were read on the linked seller pages on September 17, 2026, unless marked otherwise.
| Tool | Model and seller | Price (USD, Sept 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadfork | Meadow Creature standard, via Easy Digging | $284 | 12" tines, 19" wide, 15 lb; free shipping to continental US |
| Broadfork | Meadow Creature "Tall," via Easy Digging | $297 | 14" tines, 20" wide, 22 lb |
| Broadfork | Valley Oak 5-Tine Steel | $314 | Made in Chico, CA |
| Wheel hoe | Hoss Double Wheel Hoe | $309.99 | Two 15" steel wheels, four cultivator teeth |
| Wheel hoe | Valley Oak Wheel Hoe (base) | $416 | Base unit |
| Wheel hoe | Valley Oak Wheel Hoe Package | $713 | Package |
| Wheel hoe | Valley Oak Complete Package with Hiller | $865 | Includes hiller |
| Seeder | Jang JP-1, via Dailey's Farm and BCS Shop | $496; Market Gardener Kit $598 | Kit includes four rollers |
| Seeder | Jang JP-1D (disc opener), Dailey's | $606 | |
| Seeder | Jang JP-2 / JP-3, Dailey's | $874.50 / $1,078.75 | Two and three rows |
| Seeder | Jang JP-5, Dailey's | $1,589; kit with 20 rollers $2,112 | Salad greens and beds |
| Seed rollers | Jang starter roller kit, Dailey's | $142 | Five rollers |
| Silage tarp | Farmers Friend 5-mil UV-treated | $245 shown | Same price showed for four sizes; per-size prices may not have loaded. Recheck |
| Cooler controller | CoolBot, Store It Cold | $399 | Needs a window AC and insulated room (extra) |
| Cooler controller | CoolBot Pro with Wi-Fi | $409 sale; $449 list | Includes 25 ft data cable and app |
| Records software | LiteFarm / farmOS | Free, open source | LiteFarm tracks multiple certifications |
| Records software | Tend | Free tier; Pro $30/month | Pro adds lot traceability, inventory, financials |
| Records software | Farmbrite | Crop plans $29–$59/month | Discounts for new farmers |
Prices we could not verify
These tools are widely used, but no price could be confirmed for this article: Johnny's broadforks, Jang JP-6 and Tilther; paperpot transplanters from Small Farm Works or Paperpot Co.; Glaser wheel hoes and seeders; Earthway seeders; flame weeders; and the Farmers Friend caterpillar tunnel. Check the sellers directly.
Three kits
Kit 1: Starter, about $839
For a first season on a small plot, or a homestead moving into sales.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Meadow Creature standard broadfork | $284.00 |
| Hoss Double Wheel Hoe | $309.99 |
| Farmers Friend silage tarp (recheck size price) | $245.00 |
| LiteFarm or farmOS | $0 |
| Total | $838.99 |
Why this mix: a broadfork loosens beds without tillage, a wheel hoe covers most between-row cultivation, and a tarp does slow, low-labor weed suppression and bed prep. Seed by hand or with a borrowed seeder in year one.
Kit 2: Mid-range, about $2,252
For a grower with a season behind them, steady markets and a clear bed system.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Meadow Creature "Tall" broadfork | $297 |
| Valley Oak Wheel Hoe Package | $713 |
| Jang JP-1 Market Gardener Kit | $598 |
| Farmers Friend silage tarp | $245 |
| CoolBot (AC and cold room extra) | $399 |
| Tend free tier | $0 |
| Total | $2,252 |
Why this mix: a push seeder is a common next step once you direct-seed many beds, and a cold room helps you hold harvest quality between picking and market. The CoolBot price covers only the controller.
Kit 3: Expanded, about $4,788 plus software
For a multi-acre bed operation selling greens and a wide product list.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Valley Oak 5-Tine Steel Broadfork | $314 |
| Valley Oak Complete Package with Hiller | $865 |
| Jang JP-5 Market Gardener Kit | $2,112 |
| Jang JP-1 Market Gardener Kit | $598 |
| Two Farmers Friend silage tarps | $490 |
| CoolBot Pro with Wi-Fi (sale price) | $409 |
| Subtotal | $4,788 |
| Tend Pro | $30/month |
Why this mix: a multi-row seeder for salad greens plus a single-row unit for everything else, two tarps to rotate across blocks, and remote cooler monitoring. At this scale, many growers also consider a two-wheel tractor. Our article on choosing between a two-wheel and compact tractor covers that decision.
Buying checklist
- Name your bottleneck. Is it bed prep, weeding, seeding, harvest cooling or records? Buy for that first.
- Match widths. Wheel hoe attachments, seeder row spacing and tarp sizes should fit your bed and path widths.
- Check what "kit" includes. Seeder rollers, hoe attachments and cooler accessories vary.
- Add the hidden costs. Shipping, tax, the air conditioner and insulation for a cooler, and sandbags or weights for tarps.
- Read independent reviews, not only seller pages.
- Try before you buy at a farm incubator, tool library or neighbor's farm.
- Keep receipts for your records, and ask a tax advisor how to treat tool purchases.
Where the evidence is thin
Some tools carry reputations that go beyond the evidence gathered for this article. The Jang seeder is often called the market-garden standard. That is a common opinion, not a measured fact. The same goes for claims that one wheel hoe or broadfork "lasts a lifetime." Durability depends on soil, use and care.
For income expectations, be cautious too. Celebrated small farms, such as Jean-Martin Fortier's, report high sales from small areas, but those figures are self-reported, according to Modern Farmer. Keep gross sales, net farm income and your own pay per hour separate when you run the numbers. Tools are only one part of whether a market garden pays.
What to do next
- List your beds and bottlenecks before opening a shopping cart.
- Start with the starter kit or less, and add tools after one season of notes.
- Recheck prices, especially the silage tarp, which may vary by size.
- Pick free record-keeping software now, so your first season's data is not lost. If you plan to certify organic, ask your certifier what records they need.
- Ask your NRCS office about the EQIP High Tunnel Initiative if season extension is part of your plan.
Related reading on this site: our articles on silage tarps and occultation, and on choosing between a two-wheel and compact tractor.
Sources
- Meadow Creature Broadfork — Easy Digging (accessed September 17, 2026)
- 5 Tine Steel Broadfork — Valley Oak Tool Co. (accessed September 17, 2026)
- Double Wheel Hoe — Hoss Tools (accessed September 17, 2026)
- Wheel Hoe Garden Cultivator — Valley Oak Tool Co. (accessed September 17, 2026)
- Wheel Hoe Package — Valley Oak Tool Co. (accessed September 17, 2026)
- Complete Valley Oak Wheel Hoe Package with Hiller — Valley Oak Tool Co. (accessed September 17, 2026)
- Jang Seeder Products — Dailey's Farm and BCS Shop (accessed September 17, 2026)
- Silage Tarp — Farmers Friend (accessed September 17, 2026)
- CoolBot — Store It Cold (accessed September 17, 2026)
- CoolBot Pro — Store It Cold (accessed September 17, 2026)
- LiteFarm — UBC Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (accessed September 17, 2026)
- farmOS — farmOS (accessed September 17, 2026)
- Pricing — Tend (accessed September 17, 2026)
- Pricing — Farmbrite (accessed September 17, 2026)
- J.M. Fortier and the Rise of the High-Profit Micro Farm — Modern Farmer (October 2016)
- EQIP High Tunnel Initiative — USDA NRCS (accessed September 17, 2026)