7 Best Homesteading Stores for Storage Equipment
Discover the 7 best homesteading stores for storage equipment that balance durability and price. From feed bins to food-grade containers, find practical solutions.
Homesteading stores have evolved beyond basic farm supplies to offer specialized storage that actually works for small-scale operations. The right storage equipment protects your harvest, keeps feed fresh, and organizes tools without the industrial overkill of commercial ag suppliers. Based on curation and deep research, these seven retailers stand out for homesteaders who need practical storage solutions that balance durability with reasonable pricing.
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1. Tractor Supply Company: One-Stop Shop for All Storage Needs
Tractor Supply sits at the intersection of accessibility and variety, you’ll find them in nearly every rural area, and their storage selection covers everything from feed bins to tool chests. The convenience factor matters when you’re managing a homestead between work shifts and family obligations.
Their inventory reflects what small-scale farmers actually need, not what massive operations require. You can walk in for chicken feed and leave with the exact storage container that’ll keep that feed dry through humid summers.
Wide Selection of Bins, Barrels, and Containers
The bin and barrel section at TSC tells you they understand seasonal homesteading rhythms. Their plastic drum selection ranges from 15-gallon containers perfect for storing dried herbs to 55-gallon food-grade barrels that’ll hold a winter’s worth of grain for a small flock.
You’ll find both economy and premium options side by side. The Rubbermaid commercial-grade totes cost more upfront but survive years of being dragged across barn floors, while their house-brand containers work fine for lighter-duty storage in protected spaces.
Move and store items easily with the durable Rubbermaid Brute Tote. Its secure lid keeps contents safe, while ergonomic handles reduce strain during transport.
Look for the food-grade designation if you’re storing anything edible. Not all plastic is created equal, and the wrong container can leach chemicals into feed or preserves.
Livestock Feed and Grain Storage Options
TSC’s metal feed bins solve the rodent problem that plagues every homesteader eventually. Their galvanized steel bins with tight-fitting lids keep mice out better than any plastic solution, though they’re heavier and pricier.
Get durable, rust-proof trash disposal with this 6-gallon steel can. It features a locking lid and is proudly made in the USA.
The vittle vaults, those screw-top plastic containers, hit a sweet spot for many hobby farmers. They’re rodent-resistant (not rodent-proof), stackable, and come in sizes that match how much feed you actually go through in a month.
Key consideration: A 25-pound bag of layer feed needs about 5 gallons of storage space. Calculate your flock’s monthly consumption before buying, or you’ll end up with containers that are either too small to be useful or so large they encourage you to overbuy perishable feed.
Availability and Pricing
TSC’s pricing falls in the middle range, not the cheapest option, but competitive enough that the convenience usually justifies any premium. Their sales cycle follows farming seasons, with the best deals on storage equipment showing up in late winter before spring planting season.
Their online inventory often exceeds what’s in-store, but shipping costs on bulky storage items can erase any savings. The store-to-store transfer option works well if you’ve got time to wait a few days.
Membership in their loyalty program actually pays off if you’re buying regularly. The fuel discounts alone cover the cost for most rural homesteaders.
2. Lehman’s: Old-Fashioned Quality for Modern Homesteaders
Lehman’s caters to a different philosophy, they stock items built to last decades, not just seasons. Their storage equipment reflects traditional homesteading wisdom before plastic became the default material for everything.
You’ll pay more at Lehman’s, but you’re buying items that your grandkids might inherit. That math only works if you’re committed to homesteading long-term and value durability over flexibility.
Durable Food Preservation Storage
Their canning and preservation storage goes beyond basic mason jars. Lehman’s carries the enameled canning pots, ceramic crocks, and glass storage that serious food preservers need for fermentation and long-term storage.
The fermentation crocks deserve special mention, these weighted, water-sealed ceramic vessels create the anaerobic environment that produces reliable sauerkraut and kimchi. Plastic fermenting kits work, but traditional crocks regulate temperature better and don’t absorb odors over time.
Glass storage jars in half-gallon and gallon sizes give you visibility into your pantry stores. You’ll know at a glance when you’re running low on dried beans or flour, which matters when you’re planning meals around what you’ve grown and preserved.
Root Cellar and Pantry Solutions
Lehman’s understands root cellars in a way most modern retailers don’t. Their ventilated wooden storage bins allow air circulation that prevents rot in stored potatoes, onions, and root vegetables, something sealed plastic containers can’t provide.
Their wire basket systems and wooden crates stack efficiently while maintaining airflow. In a properly maintained root cellar, these simple solutions outperform any high-tech storage system.
The bushel baskets and produce bins they carry match historical designs for good reason. Generations of homesteaders refined these shapes to maximize storage while minimizing spoilage.
3. Fleet Farm: Midwest Favorite for Farm Storage
Fleet Farm dominates the upper Midwest for a reason, they balance farm-tough durability with suburban-friendly pricing and presentation. Their storage department recognizes that modern homesteaders need gear that transitions between garden, garage, and home.
The store layout encourages browsing, which actually helps when you’re solving storage problems. Seeing heavy-duty totes next to shelving systems next to garden tool organizers often sparks solutions you hadn’t considered.
Heavy-Duty Totes and Shelving Systems
Fleet Farm’s house-brand Armor Totes compete directly with Rubbermaid commercial products at a lower price point. They’re not quite as indestructible as the premium brands, but they handle the freeze-thaw cycles and UV exposure that destroy cheaper storage boxes within a season.
Their shelving systems, both metal and heavy-duty plastic, are designed for real weight loads. The 72-inch tall metal shelving units they stock hold 300-400 pounds per shelf, which matters when you’re storing gallon jars of preserved food or bags of livestock feed.
Stacking compatibility becomes crucial as your storage needs grow. Fleet Farm’s consistent product lines mean you can add matching containers over several years without ending up with a chaotic jumble of incompatible sizes.
Seasonal Storage for Harvests and Supplies
Their seasonal sections anticipate what hobby farmers need as the calendar turns. Spring brings seed starting supplies and potting storage: fall features harvest bins and preservation equipment.
The ventilated harvest baskets and crates they carry during autumn solve the immediate “where do I put all these tomatoes” problem that hits every productive homesteader. These aren’t decorative baskets, they’re functional equipment that keeps produce off the ground while air-drying or ripening.
Garden tool storage gets messy fast without proper organization. Fleet Farm’s wall-mounted systems and outdoor storage sheds bridge the gap between professional landscaper equipment and household garage organization.
4. Northern Tool + Equipment: Industrial-Strength Storage
Northern Tool approaches homesteading from the equipment side, they stock storage built to withstand jobsite abuse, which translates perfectly to farm use. If you’re tired of storage solutions that crack, rust, or fail within a year, this is where you upgrade.
The price tags reflect commercial-grade construction. You’ll pay 30-50% more than farm store equivalents, but the longevity usually justifies the investment for high-use applications.
Tool and Equipment Storage Solutions
Their rolling tool chests and workbenches aren’t just for mechanics. Homesteaders who maintain their own equipment need organized, accessible tool storage, and Northern Tool’s selection outclasses everyone else.
The ball-bearing drawer slides and heavy-gauge steel construction mean drawers glide smoothly even when packed with wrenches and sockets. Cheap tool storage with friction slides becomes unusable within months once dirt and use take their toll.
Portable job boxes and truck bed storage solve the problem of moving tools and supplies around your property. A waterproof, lockable box mounted in your UTV or truck bed keeps frequently-needed items accessible without cluttering your work areas.
Weather-Resistant Outdoor Storage
Northern Tool’s outdoor storage sheds and deck boxes use UV-resistant resin and reinforced construction. Their products survive the harsh reality of direct sun, driving rain, and snow loads that collapse flimsier options.
The ventilated storage lockers they carry prevent the mildew and rust that plague sealed outdoor storage. Adequate airflow matters enormously when storing anything with moisture content, from garden tools to bags of lime.
Their horizontal storage sheds work particularly well for homesteads with limited vertical space. These low-profile units tuck against fences or buildings while providing surprising internal volume for long-handled tools and bulky equipment.
5. Azure Standard: Bulk Food Storage Specialist
Azure Standard operates differently than brick-and-mortar farm stores, they’re a buying cooperative focused on bulk organic food, and their storage equipment catalog reflects that specialty. If your homesteading centers on food production and preservation, their offerings deserve attention.
The ordering process requires more planning since Azure operates on a delivery route schedule. You can’t impulse-buy storage containers, but that discipline often results in better-considered purchases.
Food-Grade Buckets and Containers
Azure’s food-grade buckets and gamma seal lids have become standard equipment for serious food storage. The gamma lids convert ordinary 5-gallon buckets into resealable containers you can open dozens of times without tools, a massive improvement over prying off friction lids.
Their selection emphasizes sizes that match how homesteaders actually use stored food. One-gallon, 2-gallon, and 5-gallon containers let you portion bulk purchases into quantities you’ll consume within reasonable timeframes.
BPA-free certification matters for long-term food storage. Azure’s emphasis on food safety means their containers meet standards that general-purpose farm storage often skips.
Long-Term Storage for Grains and Legumes
The Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers Azure carries enable proper long-term grain storage. When you’re storing wheat berries, dried beans, or rice for months or years, proper packaging prevents rancidity and pest infiltration.
Their educational resources about long-term storage actually help you avoid common mistakes. Sealing moisture into mylar bags, for example, creates mold problems that ruin entire batches of stored food.
You’ll find fermentation weights, pickling crocks, and specialty preservation containers in their catalog. These items complement their bulk food offerings, if you’re buying 50-pound bags of cabbage for making sauerkraut, you need proper fermentation equipment to process it.
6. Rural King: Budget-Friendly Storage for Every Homestead
Rural King targets price-conscious rural customers without completely sacrificing quality. Their storage equipment won’t last forever, but it’ll serve you well for several years, long enough to figure out what you really need long-term.
The value proposition works especially well for beginning homesteaders still figuring out their systems. Committing to expensive storage before you know your actual needs often leads to costly mistakes.
Affordable Plastic and Metal Storage
Their house-brand containers and bins cost 20-40% less than name-brand equivalents. The construction quality shows, thinner plastic, simpler latching mechanisms, but for many applications, these differences don’t matter.
A feed bin that lives inside a protected barn doesn’t need the same UV resistance as one sitting in direct sunlight. Rural King’s lower-cost options work perfectly fine in protected environments.
Metal trash cans for feed storage represent old-school technology that still works. Rural King stocks galvanized steel cans with tight-fitting lids at prices that make sense for small flocks, you can buy three 20-gallon cans for less than one fancy feed storage system.
Livestock and Garden Equipment Storage
Their hay and bedding storage solutions tend toward simple tarps and covers rather than elaborate structures. This matches the reality of many small homesteads where a well-secured tarp over palletized hay bales provides adequate protection.
The garden hose reels, tool racks, and basic organization systems they stock solve everyday problems without overengineering solutions. A simple wall-mounted tool rack keeps shovels and rakes organized better than leaning them in a corner, regardless of brand.
Rural King’s seasonal clearances offer genuine value if you’ve got storage space and can wait for the right deal. Buying harvest bins in January or animal waterers in September saves significant money when you’re outfitting a homestead on a tight budget.
7. Uline: Professional-Grade Storage and Organization
Uline serves commercial operations, which means their storage equipment handles serious abuse and massive scale. For larger homesteads or those running farm-based businesses, Uline’s catalog offers solutions you won’t find in conventional farm stores.
The minimum order requirements and bulk packaging mean this isn’t where you buy a single container. But when you need a dozen identical bins or you’re setting up a serious processing area, Uline’s pricing becomes competitive.
Commercial-Quality Bins and Shelving
Uline’s plastic storage bins use heavier-gauge materials than consumer products. Their bins survive being dropped from shoulder height, stacked ten high, and dragged across rough surfaces, abuse that destroys conventional storage within weeks.
The standardized sizing across their product lines enables efficient space utilization. When every bin in your storage area uses the same footprint, shelving space gets used completely instead of wasted on odd gaps between mismatched containers.
Clear bins with snap-on lids give you visibility into your inventory while protecting contents from dust and pests. For a homestead processing operation dealing with seeds, dried herbs, or craft supplies, this visibility prevents the “out of sight, out of mind” problem.
Bulk Ordering Options for Large Homesteads
Uline’s case quantities make sense when you’re organizing multiple zones of a larger property. Buying a dozen identical 10-gallon bins costs less per unit than purchasing them individually, and the uniformity improves organization.
Their industrial shelving systems, both wire and solid steel, support weight loads that accommodate serious food storage or equipment organization. The heavy-duty powder-coated finishes resist rust in humid barn environments where lighter shelving fails.
Shipping logistics favor larger orders. The freight charges on a pallet of storage bins seem steep until you calculate the per-unit cost and compare it to making multiple trips to conventional stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best store for homesteading storage equipment?
Tractor Supply Company is the best one-stop shop, offering wide selection of bins, barrels, feed storage, and tool containers. Their rural accessibility, variety, and seasonal sales make them ideal for small-scale homesteaders needing practical storage solutions.
How do I choose food-grade storage containers for homesteading?
Look for BPA-free certification and explicit food-grade designation on containers. Azure Standard and Tractor Supply offer reliable food-grade buckets and bins that prevent chemical leaching into feed, grains, or preserved foods for safe long-term storage.
What type of storage keeps rodents out of livestock feed?
Galvanized steel bins with tight-fitting lids provide the best rodent protection. Tractor Supply’s metal feed bins and vittle vaults with screw-top lids are rodent-resistant options that outperform standard plastic containers for grain and feed storage.
Where can I find budget-friendly homesteading storage solutions?
Rural King offers affordable plastic and metal storage 20-40% cheaper than name brands. Their house-brand containers and galvanized trash cans work well for protected environments, making them ideal for beginning homesteaders on tight budgets.
What storage equipment do I need for root cellar organization?
Ventilated wooden bins, wire baskets, and bushel baskets allow crucial air circulation that prevents rot in potatoes, onions, and root vegetables. Lehman’s specializes in traditional root cellar solutions that maximize storage while minimizing spoilage through proper airflow.
Can I use regular plastic containers for long-term grain storage?
Not all plastic is suitable for long-term food storage. Use food-grade containers with BPA-free certification, and pair them with Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers for grains and legumes to prevent rancidity, pest infiltration, and chemical contamination.
