Each year we try our best to improve our farming systems here at Eatwell Farm. Last year we bought a new weeder from Switzerland. The fingers wind in between the plants in the row uprooting the newly germinated seedlings. This saves us a great deal of time that we once spent hand weeding and hoeing. As this is not the favorite job on the farm the farm crew are very happy.
The fava beans in the picture have not been cultivated with the finger weeder yet. Roberto makes the first pass with a cultivating sled that has blades mounted on it to cut the soil and weeds close to the rows of plants. Once the soil is loosened we then use the finger weeder.