In 2019, Food Well Alliance launched Atlanta’s first Urban Agriculture Tool Lending program, in partnership with the Atlanta ToolBank and with the generous support of Whole Foods Market & The Glenn Family Foundation. We have learned from our network of local food leaders that affordable access to heavy duty professional-grade tools is a major barrier to community gardens and urban farms in metro Atlanta.
In response to this need, Food Well has established an urban agriculture tool lending program at the Atlanta ToolBank where community gardeners and urban farmers can borrow BCS tractors year-round. BCS tractors and attachments are available for growers who have successfully completed the Food Well sub-user membership process. Learn more about our process below.
How Does It Work?
As a sub-user of Food Well, all tool handling fees charged by the Atlanta ToolBank each time the tractors are borrowed will be covered by Food Well, as the member agency. To become an approved sub-user of Food Well at the Atlanta ToolBank, interested growers must:
Complete a BCS tractor training
Sign a sub-user membership agreement and liability form with Food Well
Pay a $75 annual sub-user membership fee for year-round access to the BCS tractors and attachments or pay a one-time payment of $35 if you would only like to borrow the equipment once
Create a sub-user account with the Atlanta ToolBank. Please see "How do I sign up to borrow equipment" on our Tool Lending FAQs for more information.
Eligibility & Criteria
Urban farms and community gardens must be located in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties.
Register for BCS Training
If you’d like to participate in the Urban Agriculture Tool Lending Program, you must complete a BCS Training. This hands-on session covers operation, transport, safety, and equipment security for the BCS tractor. Training lasts approximately 3 hours.
Sign up for an upcoming group training session below. If they’re aren’t any training sessions listed, please email tools@foodwellalliance.org to learn about dates for upcoming training.
Only the individual who registers and attends the training will be able to use the equipment.
Training Options
New Member Training: Required for all first-time users of the Tool Lending Program.
Group session lasting 3 hours, depending on your experience
You'll indicate your experience level when you register
Any grower using the equipment, must be a member of the program and therefore complete a New Member Training session.
Refresher Training: Additional hands-on experience for existing members who need to get reacquainted with use the equipment.
1-hour session for additional hands-on experience and instructor support
Ideal if you haven’t used the BCS Tractor in a while or want more comfortable operating it
Have more questions about the Tool Lending Program? Visit our Tool Lending FAQs here.
If you have questions about the group training sessions, please email tools@foodwellalliance.org for more information.
Training Videos
Did you know that the Atlanta ToolBank has other farming & gardening tools in their inventory?
Separate from the Urban Ag Tool Lending Program, the Atlanta ToolBank has the other equipment that metro Atlanta growers might find useful: broadforks, hoes, loppers & shears, mattocks, McLeod tools, pitchforks, pruners, rakes, shovels, weed wrenches, weedeaters, wheelbarrows.
A full list of the general inventory can be found here: Atlanta ToolBank Inventory. If you are a member of the Urban Ag Tool Lending Program and have paid your annual dues, you do not have to pay the standard Atlanta ToolBank annual membership dues. You will still have to pay the ToolBank's standard 3% of the equipment cost when you borrow the tools.
Program Partner
Funders
Need more help?
Labor Support
We offer farm support through our Farm Labor Stipends. Learn about eligibility and how to apply.
Mechanical Assistance
Have a bigger project at your farm? Tractor operator Small Farmer at Large can help.
Farm Compost Delivery
Healthy soil is essential! Farmers can request bulk compost delivery between January-April.
Tool Lending Program FAQs
Getting Started
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Growers that work with community gardens and farms that are eligible for Food Well’s programs are also eligible to become a member of the Urban Ag Tool Lending Program.
Please note that each individual who will be using the BCS tractor & it's attachments, must complete the New Member Training.
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To become a member of the Urban Ag Tool Lending Program you must sign up to attend a New Member Training.
Once you complete the training and your registration with the Atlanta ToolBank, you will then be eligible to begin checking out the BCS equipment on your own.
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While this program subsidizes the cost of heavy duty professional-grade tools that growers often do not have affordable access to, we still believe that it is important for growers to have buy-in to the program. Therefore, we ask that growers make
An annual payment of $75 for unlimited access to the equipment for 1 year OR
A one-time payment of $35 if a grower would only like to borrow the equipment / attachments once. If a grower chooses to borrow the equipment again in the same year, they will be required to pay a balance of $40 and thus have unlimited access to the equipment for 1 year.
All grower payments are used to help cover the maintenance costs for the BCS tractors & attachments. Additionally, if you have paid the $75 annual payment for the Urban Ag Tool Lending Program, then you are also eligible to borrow non-BCS equipment from the Atlanta ToolBank's inventory.
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The ToolBank’s list of borrowers is constantly growing. Having an account that is listed as a FWA sub-user helps easily identify you as someone who has successfully completed the New Member Training, and will help speed up the borrowing process.
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Yes, because of the partnership formed between the Atlanta ToolBank and Food Well Alliance through this program, the Atlanta ToolBank is allowing growers who are members of the Urban Ag Tool Lending program to borrow other tools in their inventory. To borrow the other tools, you will have to have a regular Atlanta ToolBank membership. Email atlanta@toolbank.org for more information. You can view the ToolBank’s inventory here.
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Regardless of a grower's previous experience with a BCS tractor or if they currently own one and are looking to borrow the attachments, we require all members of the program to attend our New Member Training. This training ensures proper operation and safety for this particular model of BCS and the accompanying attachments. Additionally, the training is an opportunity to share tips and tricks with another experienced user.
Tools/Equipment
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The Urban Ag Tool Lending Program includes the following tools:
BCS 749 PS Walk-Behind Tractors
BCS Attachments - you can find a current list of available BCS attachments here: BCS Attachment Inventory
If there are additional BCS attachments that you would like to see added to the inventory, please email tools@foodwellalliance.org.
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To borrow the BCS tractor and implements, you’ll need a vehicle with towing capacity and a trailer hitch. The trailer requires a 2" ball mount and a 4-pin connector. If you don’t have one, you can borrow a ball mount and adapter.
If you don’t have your own trailer, you can borrow one from the Atlanta ToolBank, but you must still provide a vehicle with towing capability.
Just borrowing an attachment? You’ll need to bring your own vehicle and/or trailer to transport it.
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Please stop using the equipment immediately and notify the Atlanta ToolBank at atlanta@toolbank.org or (404) 480-7998. Ensure all pieces of the damaged item are kept and returned for repair. If availability allows, the grower may return damaged equipment and exchange for a functioning replacement.
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We understand that projects can take longer than expected or that weather can cause delays. Therefore, we offer the option to extend a borrowing session for an additional week. To receive an extension, you must contact the Atlanta ToolBank at (404) 480-7998 and they will allow extensions on a case by case basis.
If you are granted a 1 week extension, all tools must be returned to the Atlanta ToolBank after two weeks. This allows us to ensure that all equipment is functioning properly, doesn't delay any needed repairs or maintenance, and allows all members access to the equipment.
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You are able to arrange an attachment swap with the Atlanta ToolBank. Call the ToolBank at (404) 480-7998. Please note that swapping out an attachment does not extend the date on which you must return the equipment back to the Atlanta ToolBank.
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Growers who currently own a BCS tractor are now able to borrow just a BCS attachment. That said, we still require growers to be a member of the program which means going through a New Member Training. All members of the program must go through our training, regardless of their previous experience using a BCS tractor or if they currently own a BCS tractor.
