A New Farm Implement

We are odd farmers in that we don't have a tractor.  Our garden is pretty big, but we normally either borrow a tiller from our neighbor to work up the garden or we turn it over by hand with a shovel and work it into rows with a hoe.  Hard work, indeed. 

Tricia recently went to the SSAWG (Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group) Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas about practical tools and solutions for sustaining family farms.  At the trade show, she bought me a new farm implement - not a tractor.  A hoe, but not just any hoe.  This bad boy is a SHW Friedrichstal Ulmer hoe.


My new hoe - behave, ya'll.

This tool is made in Germany with an oval shaped handle made of Ash.  You can Google the name and it will bring up their catalog where you can check out all of their neat tools.


Moving some dirt

It has a one piece forged steel blade.  Look how the handle is wedged.  This is a tool of quality and was made to last.

Quality

You can see the old hoe on the left.  It was made in China and cost $5 at Kmart.  It feels cheap and flimsy in my hand compared to Big Bertha on the right.  I 'test drove' the new hoe and then the old one.  Let's just say I'm gonna put the blue one away.  The Ulmer hoe pulls more dirts and it seems like you're exerting less energy to do so.

No comparison

I will be planting potatoes tomorrow and Sunday, so it was time to work up some ground and test out the new hoe.  As Russ picked peas, I started turning over dirt and pulling up rows.  In no time I had two rows pulled up.  I am very pleased with my new hoe.  It felt good to do some physical labor after sitting in an office behind a computer all day.

I had pulled up two rows in no time

Tomorrow I'll work up more land, pull up more rows and begin planting potatoes.  I know I'm late.  The rains in January and February really messed me up.