Hergonomic- Ergonomics for the Woman Gardener

In Goldilocks and the Three Bears there were three chairs "just right" for each chair's owner. For a woman, finding a shovel  "just right" for how we are created wasn't always easy.


Illustration by Arthur Rackham



It took a group of women who pitched in to help Ann's  Adam's son, Michael, when he was Adams the chef at The Farmhouse in in Emmaus PA. By supplying the artisian and heirloom varieties of produce, restaurant evolved into their region’s first farm-to-table establishment. In that first venture they learned professional-grade tools for ladies to be lacking.

Green Heron by Peter Wallwack

Having solved the food-supply need, they went about solving the need for tools just right for women.  They named their endeavors in honor of the entrepreneurial birds that visit their fields, the Green Herons. These beautiful birds are resourceful in enticing fish to be where they are needed. Like fly fisherman, they gather what is at hand, turning odd bits of feathers and fluff into bait. 

From Green Heron Tools – comes the the world’s first HERgonomic shovel, "just right" for maximum comfort, efficiency, safety and ease of use in the hands of a woman at garden.


Every feature of the  HERS™, a spade/shove hybrid, is engineered to  optimize how a woman's body moves differently than a man's. It starts with a man's strength gravitating from his upper body, while us gals pull our power from our lower center of gravity.


Blue Heron crafted the shape and diameter of the handle, contouring the green grip and texturing it to enhance performance in the most manicured hand. They didn't just give us the standard shaft pressed between the handle and blade. Instead, lengths of All-American Appalachian hardwood  ash are turned in three lengths, creating the best angle for effortless torque for women,  petite through tall.


Attached like with the integral strength of a fully tanged knife, the blade's extension is riveted through the handle. The 16 gauge recycled steel is light. Responsive. Durable. Dig your heels when you step onto the broad shoulder of the tempered steel blade. It was designed with footwear in mind.  

Put a HERS shovel in your garden arsenal. Feel the power as you dominate the landscape with proper tools in your hands, one shovelful at a time.

Learn more about the company developed by and for women gardeners and farmers here

Michael Adams still promotes local ingredients with a catering business he runs in Bethlehem, PA.