6 Best Plastic Milk Crates For Market Gardens That Old Farmers Swear By

You can tell how long someone has been market gardening by looking at their milk crates. Newcomers often use a mismatched collection of flimsy totes and cardboard boxes that collapse when wet. The old-timers, however, have stacks of uniform, sun-faded, heavy-duty plastic crates that have seen more harvests than most of us have had hot dinners. Those crates aren’t just for carrying things; they are the backbone of an efficient small farm’s workflow, from field to market stand.

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Why Milk Crates Are a Market Garden Essential

A good milk crate is more than just a box. It’s a harvest basket, a washing station, a storage container, a display unit, and even a makeshift seat when you need a break from weeding. Their open-grid design allows water to drain and air to circulate, which is critical for washing greens or curing onions and garlic right in the crate.

Unlike consumer-grade storage bins that crack under UV exposure or become brittle in the cold, true milk crates are built for abuse. They’re designed to be dropped, dragged, and power-washed day after day. This durability means you buy them once and they last for decades, making them a far better investment than cheaper alternatives you’ll replace every other season.

The real magic happens when you standardize your crates. Having a single, stackable size creates a modular system for your entire operation. You know exactly how many will fit in your truck bed, how high you can stack them in the walk-in cooler, and how to arrange them on your market table for a professional look. It brings order to the chaos of a busy harvest day.

FarmPlast Heavy-Duty: The Go-To Workhorse Crate

When you picture a classic milk crate, you’re probably thinking of something like the FarmPlast Heavy-Duty. This is the quintessential square, 16-quart crate that has become the industry standard for a reason. It’s built from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a type of plastic that remains flexible and impact-resistant even in cold weather, so it won’t shatter if you drop it on a chilly autumn morning.

The reinforced handles and corners are designed for constant, heavy use. You can load these up with dense crops like potatoes or wet carrots without worrying about the bottom bowing or the handles snapping. They are the definition of a tool you can rely on, season after season.

The trade-off for this ruggedness is a wide grid pattern. While excellent for airflow and washing large items like heads of lettuce or bunches of kale, it’s not ideal for smaller, loose items. Baby carrots, radishes, or cherry tomatoes can easily fall through the openings, so you may need to use a liner or choose a different crate for those specific crops.

InterCrate 16-Quart: Superior Stacking Design

Not all stacking is created equal. The InterCrate’s main advantage is its deeply recessed, interlocking design. This allows crates to nest securely on top of one another, creating a stable column that is far less likely to topple over during transport. If you’ve ever had a stack of crates slide and spill in the back of your truck on the way to market, you understand how valuable this feature is.

This stability is a game-changer in tight spaces. You can stack them higher and more securely in your cooler or storage shed, maximizing vertical space. For a small farm where every square foot counts, an efficient storage system is essential for maintaining sanity and organization.

The 16-quart size hits a sweet spot between capacity and ergonomics. It’s large enough to hold a meaningful amount of produce but not so large that it becomes dangerously heavy when filled with wet, dense crops. This makes it a versatile choice for everything from bunched greens to root vegetables, reducing strain on your back over a long harvest day.

Sterilite Storage Crate: Widely Available Option

You can find the Sterilite crate in almost any big-box store, which is its biggest selling point. When you’re just starting out or need a few extra containers in a pinch, their accessibility is a major plus. They are perfectly adequate for lighter-duty tasks and can be a good entry point before you invest in commercial-grade equipment.

However, it’s crucial to understand the compromise. These are typically made from polypropylene (PP), a more rigid and brittle plastic than the HDPE used in commercial crates. They don’t handle UV exposure or cold temperatures as well, and the thinner walls are more prone to cracking under a heavy load. This is not the crate for hauling a full load of winter squash.

The best use for a Sterilite crate is for lightweight, high-volume crops like salad mix, herbs, or peppers. They also work well for organizing supplies in the greenhouse, holding empty pots, or storing row cover. Think of them as a supplemental tool, not the primary workhorse for your heaviest harvests.

Buddeez Solid-Sided Crate: Protects Small Roots

The Buddeez crate solves a very specific problem: broken produce. Its solid sides and smaller ventilation holes prevent the delicate tips of carrots, beets, and parsnips from poking through and snapping off during transport. For anyone who has lost a portion of their prime root vegetable crop to breakage, this design is a revelation.

This crate also excels at containing soil. When you’re moving transplants in soil blocks or small pots, a solid-sided crate keeps your vehicle and wash station much cleaner. It’s a specialized tool that, for the right job, dramatically improves quality and reduces mess.

The downside is a lack of airflow and drainage. You can’t use these to hose down muddy greens, as they’ll just turn into a bucket of swampy water. They are also not suitable for curing crops like garlic or onions that require excellent ventilation. It’s best to have a few of these on hand specifically for root crops and transplants, while relying on open-grid crates for most other tasks.

Rosemead 24-Quart Crate: For Larger Harvests

Sometimes, size really does matter. The Rosemead 24-Quart Crate is a rectangular, larger-format container designed for bulk harvesting. This is the crate you grab when you’re clearing a bed of cabbage, hauling pumpkins from the field, or bringing in the main potato harvest. Its larger capacity means fewer trips, saving valuable time and energy.

The rectangular shape is also more efficient for packing certain items. Long crops like zucchini, cucumbers, or bunched kale fit neatly without the wasted space you’d find in a square crate. This shape often packs more securely in truck beds and vans, reducing shifting during transport.

Be mindful of the weight. A 24-quart crate filled with potatoes or wet sweet corn is a serious lift. While efficient, it’s not the most ergonomic choice for everyone and can lead to back strain if not handled properly. This is a crate for specific, high-volume jobs, not for everyday, general-purpose harvesting.

Englewood Vintage-Style Crate: Classic Durability

You can feel the difference in an Englewood crate the moment you pick one up. These are often made from older, classic molds and feature incredibly thick walls and heavily reinforced corners. They are heavier than modern crates but possess a rock-solid durability that is hard to find in newer designs.

These crates are an investment in farm infrastructure. While they may cost more upfront and be harder to find, they will likely outlast every other piece of plastic on your farm. They represent a "buy it for life" mentality that resonates with farmers who value tools that are simple, reliable, and built to last for generations.

Their construction from premium, UV-stabilized HDPE means they can be left out in the sun for years with minimal degradation. If you’re looking for the toughest, most resilient crate you can find and aren’t worried about saving a few ounces of weight, this is the one to seek out. It’s the kind of tool your grandkids might one day use on the farm.

Choosing a Crate: Resin Type and Handle Design

The type of plastic a crate is made from is its most important feature. Look for crates made from HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene). This material is tough, flexible, and resistant to cracking in the cold, making it the superior choice for farm use. Consumer-grade crates are often made from PP (Polypropylene), which is more rigid and can become brittle over time, especially with sun exposure.

Pay close attention to the handles. After carrying a dozen heavy crates from the field, you’ll appreciate the difference between a sharp, unfinished edge and a smooth, rolled handle. Good handle design reduces fatigue and makes the work more comfortable, which is a significant factor on long harvest days.

Ultimately, there is no single "best" crate for every task. The ideal approach is to build a system with a variety of tools. Your foundation should be a large set of durable, 16-quart HDPE workhorse crates for general use. Supplement those with a few solid-sided crates for root crops and a handful of larger-capacity crates for bulk harvests. Matching the right tool to the job is the key to an efficient and less frustrating workflow.

A humble milk crate might seem like a minor detail, but standardizing on the right ones brings a surprising level of efficiency and professionalism to a small farm. It’s a small investment that pays dividends every single time you harvest, wash, or transport your crops. Choose wisely, and they’ll become some of the most reliable and long-lasting tools you own.