Working Lands Equipment Rental Program

The Taos Land Trust believes that working, healthy landscapes support healthy, vibrant communities.

Many landowners and farmers in the Taos area do not have access to affordable agricultural equipment. This keeps many people who would like to grow food and restore their landscapes from doing so.

Thanks to support from several community-minded Taoseños, in 2020, we created the Working Lands Equipment Rental Program to provide specialized farming equipment to local growers at an affordable price. We offer equipment rental on a sliding scale fee.

Taos Land Trust manages our own Rio Fernando Park following healthy soils principles and regenerative agriculture. Our team of experts are available to advise local growers on soil health, regenerative agriculture, food security, invasive species mitigation, composting, and ecological restoration.

We recognize that our regions are dependent on one another through interconnected watersheds and relationships. By supporting our neighbors in adopting regenerative agricultural practice, we share in the broad vision of building a vibrant and self-sustaining community.

Email avery@taoslandtrust.org to make arrangements

 

SOP for Working Lands Program Equipment and Operator Rentals 2026

Written by Avery Blair, Parks and Working Lands Manager, Taos Land Trust, Nov. 2025.

 

Equipment rentals to community members and landowners are an integral part of the Working Lands Program at the Taos Land Trust. By purchasing large, expensive, farm equipment, and renting it out locally on a sliding scale, TLT increases accessibility and supports local agriculture. Instead of burdening farmers with purchasing equipment, we can rent it at a daily rate for much less. We are open to trades for equipment rentals including things like equipment maintenance, volunteer hour trade, materials, manure, compost, gravel, equipment operating for others etc.

 

Available Equipment and Rental Rates

No-Till Seeder: Truax FLXII 88 (No-Till Native Grass Drill)

$150/ day

Operators manual

No-till overview seeder downloadable PDF brochure

Why no-till?

Conservation tillage practices are becoming increasingly popular across the United States. Continuous no-till, in particular, is saving farmers time and money when compared to conventional till practices. In addition to the annual savings in fuel and labor investments, there are well-documented benefits for improving soil health. The benefits of no-till go beyond the savings on labor and fuel costs. They include:

 

• Decreases soil erosion
• Saves time and money
• Builds organic matter
• Conserves moisture
• Supports biological diversity and activity in the soil
• Produces economic gains for farmers over time

I&J Roller Crimper

$150/ day

 

The Cover Crop Roller’s purpose is to overcome the shortcomings of knocking down an existing cover crop and planting on no-till farms. Now, with a no-till planter attached to the back of the tractor and the Cover Crop Roller mounted to the front, a farmer can roll and plant all in the same pass! The blades’ rolling and crimping action will transform a vetch field, rye, or other cover crops into a thick, weed-suppressing mulch. Many conventional farmers recognize no-till farming benefits and move to organic farming with this step saving tool. 

• Cover crop management without herbicides or tillage
• Mulching effects and barrier attributes of the cover crop maximized
• Rolling and compressing improve the weed suppression of the cover crop
• Reduction of water evaporation from the soil

 

Boomless Sprayer: Kings 3 Point Hitch BoomlessSprayer 150 Gal PTO

Good for spraying neem oil or other organic sprays to help with pests. All liquids being sprayed need to be approved by TLT prior to rental.

Features: 

• 150-gallon premium grade polyethylene tank
• Hypro 7560C 8-roller pump is capable of 12gpm at 300psi

This three-point hitch model sprayer quickly and easily attaches to a three-point hitch on a tractor or some utility vehicles. This feature adds incredible versatility and portability to an otherwise heavy object. This sprayer is ideal for spraying small acreage. The lightweight and rugged frame is easily positioned onto the three-point hitch by a single person. A boomless nozzle allows the user to spray in tight areas where a spraying boom couldn’t go. It also allows the user to spray laterally as well as straight down. These boomless nozzles are electrically controlled and are entirely independent of each other, being able to spray at both different pressures and separately or simultaneously.

 

WoodMaxx WM 8H Wood Chipper

$150/ day – TLT operator required

Rather than disposing of wood piles at the dump, those wood piles can be chipped into woodchip shards that can be used as mulch or added to compost piles. Wood chips can be applied strategically as mulch in garden beds or landscaped areas to minimize weeds by suppressing them. Woodchips can be added to compost piles. They can improve soil quality by keeping the soil warm in winter which improves aerobic bacterial activity and helps the soil microbiome flourish. A healthy soil microbiome quickly breaks down organic material, and improves plant and crop yields. Woodchips are also a good option for trail building, or covering muddy spots in your yard/ walkway. Wood chipping large wood piles reduces fire risk as well.

 

Brush hog / Mower – John Deere 6ft RC2072 Rotary Cutter

$150/ day

A brush hog can mow a larger area in less time than a push mower. When strategically timed, mowing weeds can cut them back and mitigate them, with less manpower and back ache than pulling them by hand. Here at Rio Fernando Park, we are always trying different methods for invasive plant removal. Since we don’t use chemical herbicides, many of the methods are labor intensive. Brush hogging an area, and hitting it a couple of growing seasons in a row, can massively diminish weed counts. Brush hogging can also be a tool for fire mitigation, improve land accessibility, and the chopped material is nutrient rich mulch which improves soil health. 

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Goat Rentals

In the summer of 2026, we will be rolling out our goat rental program! We will have a small herd of goats living year round at Rio Fernando Park, who will be able to travel in a livestock trailer to your property. Goats are fantastic for eating many undesirable plants such as siberian elms, thistles, poison ivy, and russian olives. They are a great tool for invasive plant removal, and as they eat, their waste and movement around the area turns the soil and adds organic material to it. This combination results in greater crop yields, and less expense mitigating weeds and amending soil. TLT staff must have access to your property to check on the goats and in case of goat emergencies. 

• We want to support our fellow goat mitigation friends in Taos. We highly recommend Chamisa Goatworks (575-779-0849), email chamisa.goatworks@gmail.com. We have used their services at Rio Fernando Park and loved working with them. We strongly recommend you to contact these companies first, and if their services are out of your price range, or are booked, we can work with you. 
• Pallet farms are another great option based out of San Cristobal, NM that offer regenerative sheep and donkey grazing. Alice can be reached at www.palletfarms.com, 915-222-0733, or alice.morillon1@sciencespo.fr. They are on instagram under @palletfarms. 

 

• Goats will be brought to you. They will reside in an area with their trailer, surrounded by an electric fence. 
  • The fence keeps the goats from straying, and also keeps predators out. 
• To ensure they have enough time to complete their work, the goats may stay up to a month at your property, depending on the amount of vegetation, acreage, and landowners desire. 
• TLT staff may come and rotate the fence and goats around the property, so they can eat other weed patches. 
• Only properties where dogs are separately fenced off will be allowed to rent the herd. Dogs must have a secure, enclosed area away from the goats for safety. Predator-prey instincts can lead to goats jumping the fence, dogs chasing goats, and possibly injured or dead livestock. 
• Hosts should also be aware of keeping children away from the electric fence. 
• Hosts are responsible for day to day care of animals. This includes refilling water, daily supplemental feed (seasonal), and daily welfare checks. Fence moving will be the responsibility of the host, although TLT staff will train hosts on protocols. 
• The cost for this service is a sliding scale and will be negotiated individually. It also will change seasonally. We are prioritizing low income households for this service, and are willing to work with you. 

 

FAQ SECTION

How much does an operator cost?

If you choose to have a Taos Land Trust (TLT) operator…

Operator fee for day (includes tractor and equipment rental) – 

Labor $400

Chosen Equipment Rental $150

Tractor Rental $150

Fuel $75

Total- $775/Day

 

Why should I hire an operator?

By offering equipment operating services, we are about to increase accessibility to renters. An operator is ideal for someone without a tractor, without the knowledge on how to drive a tractor or operate the chosen equipment, or who doesn’t meet the insurance requirements. You are paying for a trained, insured individual to come out and do the work for you on your land. 

 

What are the requirements to rent equipment?

Current Equipment Renter Requirements- 

Operator must have an unexpired drivers license and a “$1 million liability insurance policy listing”. There is more info on the insurance policy below in the “Equipment Use Agreement form”. We recognize that insurance is a barrier to some individuals, so we do offer an optional TLT operator service.

What is the process for renting the woodchipper?

Woodchipper Rental Process- 

Woodchipper rentals require a TLT operator. This is because of safety concerns and previous equipment damage. Woodchipping is currently being offered on Mondays between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Email avery@taoslandtrust.org to set up a woodchipping time. The woodchipper will be brought out to your property on a trailer or connected to the John Deere tractor. The woodchipper requires a tractor to run it, so you will be responsible for the rental fees for both the tractor and chipper. You will also be responsible for the operator’s rate (see above for price breakdown). 

• This chipper has a tree diameter limit of 4 inches. 
  • Rotten wood is not chippable because it clogs the machine. 
  • Fresh, green, clean limbs are ideal. But dry material can be chipped.
• Wood should not have nails or screws in it. This will break the blades. Material should be reasonably free from dirt and rocks as this shortens the blade’s life and minimizes effectiveness. 
• Wood should be piled up in one location, and organized with stems pointing one direction before arrival. The operator is there to run the equipment and tractor, but at least one other person is needed to feed the material into the chipper. The 2nd person is not provided. Material is fed into the chipper stem first. 
  • The operator will give brief safety talk and instructions to participants. Young children and animals should be kept at a safe distance. Participants should wear safety glasses, ear protection, gloves, boots, long pants, and no loose clothing, jewelry or hair.

 

I’m interested, what’s next?

Process of Renting Equipment- 

• Contact Avery, the Parks and Working Lands Manager directly via email at avery@taoslandtrust.org. 
  • You can also call the office at 575-751-3138 but email is preferred as she is often in the field. 
• Let her know the equipment you are looking to rent, your project, your location, how many acres you will be working on, the desired rental days and any financial concerns. 
• Do you have a tractor that can operate this equipment? For the seeder it must be 40+ hp and have modern standard hydraulic connections. The woodchipper requires a minimum power required of 20HP, and the PTO speed is 540 RPM. It has an 8 Inch wood chipping capacity. Do you have a trained operator and know how to operate the equipment? If not, Avery can give you a rundown. 
• Schedule a time to pick up the rental with Avery. You will need to sign the “Equipment Use Agreement form” at pickup. We have hard copies in the office. The form is also located at the end of this document. 
• The office is typically open 9AM-5PM Monday through Thursday. We are closed Friday-Sunday. The office (where you will pick up the rental) is located at 410 La Posta Rd. Taos, NM 87571. You will be charged for each day you have the rental in your possession. 
  • If you are unable to return the rental because of our limited office hours, and you are NOT using the rental during those day(s)- we will not charge you for that time. This is an act of good faith from the Land Trust and on the honor system but may be changed if we have issues. 
• When dropping off the rental, if Avery or another staff member is present in the office, please check in with us and let us know you are dropping off. 
• Payment can be made at the start or end of the rental. We accept cash, checks made out to “Taos Land Trust”, or credit cards. 
  • Cash and checks can be dropped off in person at the office, or checks can be mailed to Taos Land Trust, PO Box 376, Taos, NM 87571. 
  • If paying by credit card, you will be provided a direct link for payment processing. 
  • Because we are a 5103c nonprofit, we do not charge tax. 

 

Thank you for considering renting from the Taos Land Trust! If you have any questions please email avery@taoslandtrust.org, or set up a time to come by the office and chat with Avery in person.