Top 10 Gifts for the Farmer and Homesteader in 2018

Who doesn't need tools? A multi-tool like a Leatherman® tool is always useful to carry. If your favorite farmer already has one, you can't go wrong with a headlamp for the dark winter days. If you don't know what the farmer in your life needs, consider a gift card to somewhere that carries farm supplies or tools. But really - a hammer, a wire tool for fencing, a sledgehammer, or a gift certificate to a tractor dealer - you can't miss with tools or equipment.

That harvest of delicious apples, this year's deer, or the abundance of heirloom tomatoes - a food dehydrator makes short work of all of it, preserving it through the winter. If not a dehydrator, a pressure canner, water bath canner, glass canning jars, or vacuum sealer might be welcome additions to your farmer's collection of kitchen tools.

It's cold outside for most of us, and a warm flannel shirt, insulated work coveralls, wool socks, hats, mittens, and gloves are always appreciated by those who work outside a lot of the day. Carhartt Arctic insulated coveralls are super sweet for northern farmers who brave subzero temps and blisteringly cold wind chills much of the winter months.

Growing a few herbs and veggies hydroponically in the farmhouse kitchen is made fun and easy with the Aerogarden. A gift any northern farmer is sure to enjoy.

Yes, it goes without saying that you have to know a farmer well before giving him a Katahdin sheep, a Highland cow, or even a few geese. But if you do, and you know the farmer wants this particular animal or animals, what a terrific gift! Nothing says "I love you" like a freshened dairy cow.

Farming books abound - pick the species the farmer is focusing on right now, and buy a "how to raise" book on it, or look at a book that focuses on the business side of farming if your farmer already knows how to raise animals. There are also a plethora of farming memoirs, which can make for inspiring reading during the long winter months. Don't forget plain old novels or other nonfiction books - we farmers like to get our minds off of farming once in a while.

An MP3 player, a satellite radio and subscription, or even a gift card to download music, all make great gifts for the farmer on your list. More ideas: noise-canceling headphones for long tractor rides or ​snowblowing adventures, a tough, weatherproof radio for the barn.