Looking Out for the Little Guy: Advances in Mechanisation for Smaller Growers

By: D. Munckhof - Owner of Munckhof Mfg.

Every summer, grape cultivators do battle against their vines, trying to contain their voracious growth within the confines of the trellis and keep a neat and tidy operation.

For the larger growers the task is fairly simple, aided by the help of hydraulically driven commercial machinery they are able to make short work of the foliage. The smaller guys however suffer, overlooked by the industry as not significant enough to target, they are left to fend off their vines with hand tools - knives or gas powered trimmers and hours of backbreaking work.

Designers and manufacturers of mechanisation equipment tend to overlook small farming operations and favour larger scale operations designed to cover hundreds or thousands of acres a year. This puts the little guy at a distinct disadvantage.

The labour shortage is also a problem that hits smaller growers harder than big producers. Often small farms can’t justify employing dedicated full time crews and are located away from where migrant labourers would travel to look for work.

Enter Munckhof Mfg – “Many of these small operators have approached us looking to purchase commercial grade equipment and we were unable to help them because their tractors were too small or there was no tractor at all” states Dennis Munckhof.

“It was obvious they had limited options and some even resorted to desperate and dangerous solutions; strapping gas powered trimmer tools to their quads or tractors, or having a worker stand on a platform, trying to handle sharp tools while another person drove them around the farm.” A solution was needed and so they decided to tackle the problem.

“We developed the world’s first fully electric sickle bar trimmer designed specifically for small vineyards. It’s compact, robust, light and simple, without any hydraulics or complications. The trimmer features its own integrated lifting cylinder, angle adjustment and multiple attachment points so that the operator only needs to securely attach a 1-½” cross bar and connect it to their battery.”

Going electric was an important consideration in being able to use the machine on smaller equipment. The safety and ease of use are also critical factors in the design.

Because smaller growers often use different growing styles and trellises, it was important to get as much versatility as possible to trim as many different shapes and styles of as possible. The team developed an innovative head that can be set at multiple combinations of angles and positions. This allows the trimmer to be conformable to match the shape of several different trellis styles.

The best part is that the operator is able to sit safely back from the cutting head and command from a simple control box, giving the little guy the same comfort and safety that the larger operations enjoy in an affordable and accessible package.

Mechanization is a farming advancement that should not be limited to large scale agriculture. Some of the finest wines are produced from fruit grown on small scale farms by people who are passionate about their craft, taking personal oversight over the entire process, they know and care about every plant they farm.

“This is a game changer in our being able to offer a safe and affordable option to family farms, hobbyists, micro-estates and small lot growers”