Our Gear
Gear to Get Dirty In
These are the exact tools, boots, bags, and supplies we use at JunXion Farm every season. We only recommend what we've actually beaten up in the field. Some links are affiliate links — they support the farm at no extra cost to you.
As featured in Stylephiles Magazine
🔪 Harvest Tools
Opinel No. 8 Folding Knife
Our go-to harvest knife for 5 seasons. Sharp enough to cut cleanly, small enough to pocket. We've lost three in the forest and bought three more. That's the review.
View on Amazon →Fiskar's Garden Spade
Lifetime guarantee. We use it to loosen root plates and transplant bulbs. If it breaks, they replace it — and after 5 years of rocky Pennsylvania soil, ours is still going.
View on Amazon →Wicker Harvest Basket
Any sturdy basket with a handle works. Wicker breathes so your ramps don't sweat. Looks great in photos too — which matters more than we'd like to admit.
View on Amazon →👢 What to Wear
Muck Boots Chore Series
Waterproof, warm, and they survive spring mud season without complaint. We wear high boots year-round because of snakes. Not negotiable in Pennsylvania.
View on Amazon →Carhartt Hoodie
Holds up well, keeps you warm at 6 AM in April when the ground is still cold. Ours has ramp stains that won't come out. We consider that a feature.
View on Amazon →North Face Relaxed Fit Pants
Flexible enough to kneel in wet soil, tough enough for thorns. When it gets hot and we're hunting morels, we switch to carpenter pants so thorns don't bust through.
View on Amazon →🎒 Pack & Carry
Teton Sports 40L Backpack
Pockets for everything — snacks, water, gloves, field guide, specimen bags, poncho, rope. We also pack Advil, extra socks, and matches. Your feet are your most important tool.
View on Amazon →Fisherman's Vest
Pockets for keys, phone, knife, and keeps your hands warm. Get one you can maneuver in — you don't want to be restricted when you're crouching over a ramp patch.
View on Amazon →Machete
For clearing paths and brush. Also for self-defense in case a honey badger or fisher or bear comes at you. We're only half kidding about that last part.
View on Amazon →🧑🍳 The Ramp Kitchen
Excalibur Food Dehydrator
This is how we make ramp salt and dehydrated bulbs. Expandable trays, adjustable temp, runs for 12+ hours without complaint. Pays for itself in one batch of ramp flakes.
View on Amazon →Ball Mason Jars (4 oz)
We use these for ramp salt, ramp butter, and pickled ramps. The 4 oz size is perfect for retail — small enough to gift, big enough to last. Buy the wide-mouth version.
View on Amazon →Mortar & Pestle
For grinding ramp salt to your preferred texture. A food processor works too, but the mortar gives you more control and makes you feel like a proper herbalist.
View on Amazon →Final tip from the field: Always let someone know when you'll be out foraging — both the location and the time you expect to be back. That way, if something happens to you, you have a better chance of being found. We mean it.