Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - [Market-farming] Re: potato diggers

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Paul Bucciaglia <pbucciaglia AT yahoo.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Re: potato diggers
  • Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 04:48:36 -0700 (PDT)


I have had great luck with ancient one row diggers, they have  a flat blade that lifts the hilled row and then a pto driven bed chain which lays the spuds on top of the soil.  I can dig all standards and most fingerlings with the one I have, which is particularly gentle for some reason.  I bought it for $250 from a guy at an auction in PA.  The bearings and pto drive shaft were frozen but a can of PB blaster, a MAPP torch (all available at hardware store), 2 new front bearings (Roeters Equipment, Grant MI) and 20 hours of elbow grease gave me a functional machine.  Make sure the bed chains aren't too worn as they are pricey (like $300 to rig up a new one) buy are still available (Young's Supply, NY state).
 
I hill, then mow dead tops, then dig, then put spuds in a bucket, load into truck.  I was never fond of the lister and middle buster plows as they hide as many spuds as they dig up, and August is a lousy time for an Easter egg hunt ;-)
 
Paul
 


Paul Bucciaglia
Fort Hill Farm
Organic Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers
18 Fort Hill Rd.
New Milford CT 06776
(860) 350-3158


Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Photos: High-quality 4x6 digital prints for 25ยข


Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page