5 Tools That Take Moon Valley Farm From Seed to Harvest

Moon Valley Farm is a 70-acre certified organic farm in Woodsboro, MD, growing a vegetables and herbs for its year-round community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, partnerships with local school systems and “Food is Medicine” programs, and relationships with restaurants across the region.

As Moon Valley has grown, the farm has invested in equipment that allows its team to work more efficiently and increase production. Tools including a vacuum seeder, tine weeder, greens harvester, and triple-sink washing system help streamline the process from planting and fieldwork to harvesting and preparing produce for distribution.

Johnny’s Precision Vacuum Seeder

The vacuum seeder fills an entire tray at once rather than individual placement by hand. Seeds are spread across the seeder, where vacuum pressure pulls one seed into each opening. The seeder is then flipped over a prepared tray and releases all of the seeds into their cells at once. This helps the team seed trays more quickly and consistently.

RainFlo Transplanter

The transplanter helps the Moon Valley team move seedlings from the greenhouse into the field much more efficiently than planting by hand. Trays of seedlings are loaded onto racks on the transplanter, and team members ride behind the tractor as it moves down the beds. The transplanter punctures evenly spaced holes through the plastic mulch covering the beds and sprays water directly into each hole. The crew places seedlings into the freshly prepared holes as the transplanter moves down the row.

Tine Weeder

The tine weeder helps the Moon Valley team manage weeds efficiently without using herbicides, which is important for organic farming at scale. Pulled behind a tractor, its metal tines move through the top layer of soil, uprooting small weeds while leaving established crops in place. This saves the team significant time and labor compared to weeding entirely by hand.

Ortomec Greens Harvester

Pulled behind a tractor, the Ortomec greens harvester cuts leafy greens quickly and at a consistent height as it moves over the beds. A conveyor carries the freshly cut greens up from the bed, where they are collected in bins by the team. This saves significant time and labor compared to cutting and collecting the greens by hand.

TS Designs Triple Wash System

After harvest, leafy greens come in from the field and move through a three-sink washing system to remove soil and debris and get them ready for packing. The greens are then spun dry to remove excess water before being packed for school systems, restaurants, CSA boxes, and “Food is Medicine” programs. This system helps the team wash and process larger quantities of greens efficiently while maintaining quality and food safety.

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