The farm’s hardest-working cube.
Irrigation storage, liquid fertilizer, captured rainwater, livestock water, crop-protection chemicals — one caged 275 or 330 gallon tote does the work of dozens of drums, and holds up to sun, dust, and forklifts.
What California growers use totes for
From row crops and orchards to ranches and homesteads, totes solve the same problem: moving and storing liquid in bulk, cheaply, without a fleet of drums.
Irrigation storage
Buffer water for drip and micro-irrigation, gravity-feed lines, or stage water where the well won’t reach.
Liquid fertilizer
Store and batch UAN, fish emulsion, compost tea, and micronutrients in technical-grade totes with compatible valves.
Rainwater harvesting
Capture roof and barn runoff for irrigation and non-potable use — pair with our upcycled rain barrels below.
Livestock water
Portable stock tanks for cattle, goats, and horses; food/rinsed-grade totes keep water clean and palatable.
Ag chemicals
Herbicides, pesticides, and adjuvants in technical totes with correct UN markings for regulated transport.
Wash & frost protection
Equipment wash water, produce rinse supply, and reserve water for frost and dust control.
Give a retired tote a third life
When a bottle is past liquid-storage duty, it doesn’t have to hit the landfill. We turn sound retired totes into farm-ready goods.
Upcycled rain barrels & planters
Cut, fitted, and spigot-ready rain barrels for harvesting; raised planters and troughs for the garden and homestead. Same rugged HDPE, a whole new purpose — and zero new plastic.
See Upcycled GoodsRight grade for water & feed
Storing livestock water or anything that touches the food chain? Use a food-grade or clean rinsed tote, not one that carried chemicals. For fertilizers and crop protection, a technical-grade tote is correct and cheaper. When in doubt, read Grades Explained or just tell us the liquid.
Need inspected tanks now? Browse Used IBC Totes.
Why totes beat drums on the farm
Fewer containers to fill, move, and track; a valve you can plumb straight into a line; and a steel cage that shrugs off the tractor bucket. For full dimensions and weights, see the Size Chart & Specs.
Agriculture tote FAQ
Can I store drinking-quality livestock water in a used tote?
Are totes okay for liquid fertilizer and crop chemicals?
Do UV and California sun degrade the totes?
Can you deliver to rural properties?
Setting totes up so they actually work
A tote earns its keep when it’s plumbed, positioned, and protected right. Six things that separate a working reservoir from a leaking headache.
Plumb the outlet
Adapt the 2 inch valve to camlock, garden thread, or drip tubing so it feeds lines directly — no dipping, no siphoning.
Get pressure from height
Gravity feed gains roughly 0.43 psi per foot of elevation. Set totes on a stand or berm to push a drip line; add a pump for anything more.
Winterize before frost
Drain totes ahead of hard freezes. Water expanding as ice can split an HDPE bottle from the inside.
Control algae and sun
Shade, cover, or paint clear totes holding water. Sunlight feeds algae and slowly degrades HDPE over seasons.
Contain fertilizer and chemicals
Set chemical and fertilizer totes on a bund or spill pallet to catch leaks and stay on the right side of local rules.
Clean between products
Rinse and, where needed, neutralize before switching liquids so residues don’t react or contaminate the next batch.
Match the grade and fitting to the job
The same tote body serves many farm tasks — the grade, fitting, and precautions change with what’s inside.
| Application | Grade | Fitting tip | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drip irrigation supply | Food / rinsed | 2 in valve to drip tubing | Filter to protect emitters |
| Liquid fertilizer batching | Technical | EPDM gasket | Confirm concentrate compatibility |
| Rainwater harvesting | Rinsed / upcycled | First-flush diverter | Keep covered against mosquitoes |
| Livestock drinking water | Food / clean rinsed | Float-valve friendly | Shade to keep water palatable |
| Herbicide / pesticide | Technical, UN31 | Sealed cap, matched gasket | UN marking for road transport |
| Frost / dust reserve | Rinsed | Quick-connect valve | Drain before a hard freeze |
Not sure which grade a job calls for? Start with Grades Explained or just tell us the liquid.
Farm tote setup FAQ
Do I need to worry about totes freezing?
How much pressure will a gravity-fed tote give?
Can I reuse a fertilizer tote for a different input?
Should fertilizer totes have secondary containment?
How do I keep stored water clean for livestock?
Can totes handle Central Valley heat?
One tote, the work of a drum rack
“A caged 330 does the job of five-plus drums on a footprint a pallet jack can move — fill it once, plumb it once, and it’s still working three seasons later. On a farm, that’s not a container, it’s infrastructure.”
Related pages
Stock the farm with totes that pull their weight.
Whether you have ten idle totes in a yard or need three hundred delivered next week, we can help — and the planet gets a win either way.