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Review: the Meadow Creature “People’s Broadfork†makes off-grid gardening easier
Let’s say things have gone south, and you’ve pulled out the seed vault from the back of your pantry. Assuming your seeds are still viable, how would you go about digging a garden bed? Do you fire up a tractor or tiller? What if gas is no longer available?
The traditional method for preparing a garden bed by hand is called double digging, as taught by John Jeavons and Steve Solomon. It's a solid technique—if you have a good shovel, a sturdy fork, and a back that can handle heavy labor. But what if you're dealing with tough, rocky soil like I am in Middle Tennessee? That’s where the real challenge begins.
Here in Middle Tennessee, the soil is some of the hardest and rockiest you’ll ever encounter. You don’t just stick a shovel in the ground. Try it, and you'll hear a *clank* as the blade hits one of the billions of rocks just beneath the surface. A regular digging fork doesn't fare much better.
What about no-till or lasagna gardening, where you layer organic matter over the soil and plant directly into it? It's a great method, and its fans are incredibly passionate about it. However, it requires an enormous amount of material to get started. The same amount of organic matter could make enough compost to feed my entire garden, or it might only be enough for a single no-till bed.
So, I’m stuck with the reality of breaking the soil, and I've found only one hand tool that can do it effectively: the Meadow Creature People’s Broadfork. Keep reading, comrade—I’ll show you how to plant potatoes when the politburo provides no petrol.
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It’s not even Halloween yet. Why are you bugging me about gardening?
I know, I know. It’s October, and you’re probably ready to hibernate on the couch, watching football and Charlie Brown specials. Me too. Or maybe this year you're on the other end of the spectrum—cleaning your guns and digging trenches around your house in anticipation of the "boogaloo." Also me.
But now is the perfect time to start thinking about your spring survival garden, for several reasons:
- **It’s cool outside**, so the work is much easier than in the summer. If you haven’t gardened before, trust me—you don’t want to be doing hard labor when it’s over 80°F.
- **Hand-digging beds is slow and laborious**. The more lead time you give yourself, the easier it becomes. You don’t want to be rushing through planting in March and hurting yourself.
- **There are crops you can plant now**, like garlic and other cool-weather plants, depending on your zone. You can also plant cover crops to improve soil structure and add nutrients.
- **Soil labs aren’t as busy now** as they are in the spring. If you decide to test your soil, it’s a lot easier to get results quickly.
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So, what exactly is a broadfork?
It’s exactly what it sounds like—a wide, heavy-duty garden fork designed to break up compacted soil. There are variations, but all share these key features:
- Long, sharp tines that sink into the ground
- A bar to stand on
- Two long handles to pull back
Using a broadfork is a game-changer, especially in tough soil. You place it on the ground with the pointed end down, push it in with your feet, and rock it around to avoid obstacles. Once it's deep enough, you step on the bar and use your body weight to break up the soil. The more you weigh, the easier it gets.
You then move the fork back about a foot and repeat the process. If you're a no-till gardener, you can use the broadfork to gently loosen the top layer without disturbing the deeper soil.
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Why the Meadow Creature Broadfork?
If you're like me, you read reviews and only check the price at the end. Let me get that out of the way: it costs $214 directly from Meadow Creature, plus shipping, which brought the total to about $250 for me.
I know, that’s a lot of money. You could buy a tiller for that price—but I think the Meadow Creature Broadfork is worth every penny.
The construction is fully welded with thick, strong beads. Many broadforks have bolt-on handles made of wood or fiberglass, which are lighter but less durable. In my rocky soil, those tend to break. The Meadow Creature is built to last—buy once, cry once.
The tines are massive, like Wolverine claws. They bend slightly to avoid rocks but won’t bend out of shape. David the Good has used his to pry boulders from his garden without damaging the fork.
Sure, a tiller is cheaper, but it needs gas, oil, and constant maintenance. Plus, it only works the top six inches. The Meadow Creature goes a full foot deep. For most people, 12-inch tines are more than enough.
If you're handy, you could build your own broadfork with scrap metal and a welder. But unless you have the tools and skills, it’s not practical.
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Digging a Bed
Once you’ve broken the soil with the broadfork, how do you turn it into a finished bed ready for planting? I spent months struggling with a mix of tools until I discovered the power of the pointed hoe.
Here’s how I prepare my garden beds this fall:
1. **Measure and mark a bed**—I prefer 4x8 feet because it’s manageable and easy to reach from either side.
2. **Clear the area** using a scythe and string trimmer.
3. **Break up the soil** with the broadfork.
4. **Use a pointed hoe** to chop through the soil and roots, moving dirt from the edges to the center. This is also when I add compost for fertility.
5. **Rake the bed** with a hard-tined bow rake to smooth it out and remove large clods.
The combination of a broadfork and pointed hoe is essential for hand-digging. Using regular shovels or mattocks is frustrating and back-breaking.
The best part? The broadfork is versatile. You can use it for double-digging, loosening soil for no-till gardens, or even preparing compost piles. The possibilities are endless.