Crate Carts for Small Farms

Crate Cart

Overview

This project develops an easy-to-assemble cart for transporting standard vegetable containers on small farms, created in collaboration with the Young Farmer Network.

The Problem with Commercial Carts

Typical garden carts are:

  • Expensive (often $500+)
  • Too small for multiple crates
  • Unnecessarily heavy wood construction
  • Too narrow to straddle 30" vegetable beds

Our Design

The DIY crate cart addresses all these issues:

  • Cost: Approximately $120 in materials (less than 1/3 commercial price)
  • Capacity: Holds 4-8 standard farm crates
  • Construction: Lightweight electrical conduit frame
  • Width: Straddles common 30" vegetable beds

Materials

  • Recycled 26" bicycle wheels
  • 1/2" and 3/4" electrical conduit
  • Welded wire fencing
  • Custom laser-cut dropouts (open source design)
  • U-bolts and hardware

Skills You'll Learn

Building a crate cart teaches transferable skills for farm infrastructure:

  • Working with metal tubing
  • Bending and cutting conduit
  • Fabricating small metal parts
  • Skills applicable to low tunnels, hoop houses, and chicken coops

To find out more, visit: Edge Collective - Crate Carts