Lending Library | F3 Local - Farm, Food & Innovation

The Lending Library offers short-term access to specialized farm tools and equipment, helping small-scale farmers in California's Central Valley reduce upfront costs and experiment with new technologies before committing to purchase. Housed at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center (KARE) in Parlier, the Lending Library is designed to support the adoption of climate-smart, labor-saving, and scale-appropriate innovations that can increase productivity and sustainability on smaller farms.

Who Can Borrow

The program is intended for small-scale farmers with farming operations under 80 acres in the F3 Initiative service area: Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Madera, and Merced counties. Acreage is based on your total farm acreage under ownership, lease, management, or operation, not only the acreage where the equipment will be used.

Training Requirements

Farmers must complete two trainings before borrowing equipment. Growers may not attend training on behalf of someone else.

1. Classroom Training

Covers lending library policies and procedures, as well as general program safety information. Offered once a month, with language support available in Spanish, Hmong, and Punjabi. Required once per year.

2. Hands-On Training

Equipment-specific training. Complete the classroom training before attending a hands-on session. Offered once a month, with equipment selected based on seasonal demand. Required for each piece of equipment you want to borrow.

How to Reserve Equipment

All reservation requests are made by phone or email. Reservations operate on a first come, first served basis, with priority given to first-time borrowers. If your requested date is unavailable, staff will offer alternate dates or add you to a waiting list.

Phone: (559) 614-4876 (call or text)
Email: abutland@ucanr.edu

Para asistencia en español: (559) 779-9335

Grower Responsibilities

Before borrowing

Attend the classroom training session (once per year).
Review the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the equipment you want to borrow.
Attend the hands-on training session for each piece of equipment.
Call or email lending library staff to reserve the equipment.

At delivery

Complete the required assessment upon delivery, demonstrating you can operate the equipment safely.
Return the signed SOP acknowledgement form to Lending Library staff.
Review the equipment condition checklist with staff and sign off on the condition before equipment is left at the farm.
Sign the fee structure agreement, the equipment loan agreement and waiver, and the lending library policy.
Pay the required fee.

During use and before return

Complete the pre-use inspection checklist before each day of use.
Report any issues, damage, defects, or unsafe conditions to lending library staff.
Clean the equipment before returning it.
Return the fuel canister full if borrowing a tractor.

In an emergency: move away from the equipment if possible, seek medical attention or call 911, and have someone notify lending library staff when it is safe to do so.

Good to Know

Loan length – Loans run 1 to 4 days, with a one-day grace period arranged in advance.
Insurance – All borrowers carry their own liability insurance and submit a policy declaration statement on request.
Waivers – All borrowers sign a waiver before using equipment.
Transportation – F3 Local staff handle all delivery and pickup. Growers do not transport equipment.
Cancellations – Cancel at least 24 hours in advance. Later cancellations incur lending fees, and repeated cancellations or no-shows may result in temporary suspension.
Damage – Growers cover repair costs for damage caused by negligence or improper use, not routine maintenance.

Fees

Rates are subsidized to keep equipment accessible for small-scale growers.

Category	Rate	Includes
Small tools and specialty equipment	$10/day or $40/week	Specialty tools such as the Wizard Seeder, Tilmor Finger Weeders, and Einbock Tine Weeder
BCS bundle	$20/day or $70/week	BCS tractor plus BCS attachments
Compact tractors and large implements	$40/day or $100/week	Compact tractors and larger tractor-mounted implements

A cleaning fee of $50 to $100 may apply if equipment is returned uncleaned.