Sustainable Harvesting: Tools & Techniques to Minimise Waste

Harvest smarter, reduce losses, and keep crops fresher longer.

Harvesting is one of the most labour-intensive parts of market gardening. The right tools improve speed, quality, and shelf-life which means reducing waste on the farm and in the kitchen.

 

The Principles of Sustainable Harvesting

  1. Harvest at the right time of day such as early morning for crisp greens

  2. Use clean, sharp tools, this prevents bruising and disease

  3. Harvest only what you need which reduces waste

  4. Support regrowth especially for cut-and-come-again crops

Better harvesting equals more profitable harvests.

 

The Essential Cutting Tools

Harvest knives

  • Serrated for roots

  • Straight-edge for leafy greens

  • Curved blades for bunching crops

Quick-cut harvesters

The gold standard for salad growers. A single pass collects baby leaf crops in seconds.

Market scissors

Perfect for herbs, flowers, and delicate leaves.

 

Tools for Bulk Harvesting

These help prevent compression and bruising.

 

Crop-Specific Recommendations

Leafy Greens

  • Quick-cut harvester

  • Sharp straight knife

Roots

  • Serrated harvest knife

  • Brush for soil removal

Fruit Crops (courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes)

Herbs

  • Fine scissors

  • Breathable crates

 

Post-Harvest Handling Tools

  • Wash lines

  • Perforated crates

  • Drying racks

  • Drainage mats

  • Cold storage bins

This stage can extend shelf-life by 5-7 days.


From knives to harvesters to crates, the right tools make harvesting faster, cleaner and more profitable.