Wirecutter - I milk my cow every morning

I’m a senior writer for Wirecutter, and each morning I milk my cow.

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I also have a flock of sheep, two hives of honeybees, and 30-plus chickens.

On my New England homestead, we have a number of mature apple trees, a berry patch, and a 3,000-square-foot vegetable garden. In the summer months, I raise a few pigs and about 50 meat chickens, and in the late-winter we tap some maple trees.

All of this supplies us with an abundance of meat, vegetables, eggs, herbs, honey, cider, vinegar, maple syrup, and dairy products.

The rural homesteading lifestyle is a lot of work, but much of the labor is manageable and can mostly be limited to the weekends—if I’m using the right tools.

Here are just some of the things that help me ensure our lifestyle has as few setbacks as possible. And even if you aren’t a homesteader, these can still be helpful, whether you’re in the suburbs or a 450-square-foot Brooklyn apartment.

This little Leatherman Skeletool CX (our favorite multi-tool)—hardly bigger than a Sharpie when folded up—lets me instantly solve problems, or at least do a quick fix, so I can delay the real work until a better time. It helps me with tasks like opening hay bales and feed bags, but it also does double duty in the house tightening a loose door handle, or retrieving a Lego piece stuck between two floorboards. It’s a stripped-down gem, with nothing more than the pliers, a blade, a four-bit screwdriver, and a bottle opener. It’s light in the pocket, and the blade can be opened with one hand—a rarity among multi-tools—so I can cut something I’m already holding (which seems to always be the case).

I’ve been wearing Carhartt Washed Duck Work Dungarees for more than 25 years. They’re durable enough to shrug off minor nail snags and rose thorns, and the added pockets are discreet enough that they don’t have an overly “workwear” look. I get at least a year of everyday use out of each pair before the knees blow out and they retire to a life as painting pants.

The King Arthur Flour Dough Whisk is nothing short of magical. I’m a devotee of no-knead bread because it’s simple, always comes out looking great, and tastes delicious, but the mixing can be tough. Then I got this whisk. My bread life improved dramatically. I don’t know if the exact shape of the whisk end is calculated, or if it’s just some random curlicue, but it cuts right through a sloppy, cement-like blob of dough and incorporates flour at least two or three times faster than a wooden spoon.

One of the strangest items to bring me happiness on a daily basis is the Continental Commercial Grade Rubber Hose (our top garden hose pick). I used to think that the classic green hose was the only option, so I fought through the kinks, the stiffness, and the terrible couplings. The first time using a black rubber hose was a eureka moment, and since then, it’s just about all I’ve bought. The Continental is so easy to wrap up, and it almost refuses to kink.

Making cider is really satisfying. I’ve tried building a number of homemade presses, and they have all been either barely effective or incredibly dangerous, so I did my research and invested in the Pleasant Hill Grain MacIntosh Fruit Press. Since getting the real deal four years ago, my yield has jumped from a few gallons of cider each fall to nearly 35 gallons a year. It can be a time-consuming process, but there’s no roadblock when it comes to operating the cider press (and the kids love it).

• A kraut-crushing tamper that can jam vegetables into the bottom of a Mason jar for pickling
• An ultra-effective insect repellent to ward off ticks
• A headlamp that lets me manage gate latches and navigate cow plops

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Check out my full roundup here→

Even if you’re not tending after an entire homestead, you could still benefit from carrying a multi-tool around. Trust: If you don’t carry one, you can’t imagine ever using it, but once you have it, you use it seven times a day.

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The Gerber Gear Armbar Drive is a solid option for folks with more basic needs. Its size, functionality, and cost make it a great selection for the person who wants to dip a toe into the world of multi-tools.

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Snag it for $10 off here.