Ard (plough)

The ard is a tool that farmers use to dig up the soil before planting crops. Imagine you’re playing in the sand at the beach and you need to make a hole to bury your treasure. You use your hands to scoop out the sand, but sometimes it’s too hard to dig with your hands alone. That’s where the ard comes in – it’s like a big, strong version of your hands!

The ard is made up of a sturdy wooden frame with a long handle for the farmer to hold onto. At the bottom of the frame, there is a metal blade that sticks out. The farmer grabs onto the handle, pushes the blade into the soil, and then pulls it back towards themselves to create a furrow – like a long, narrow ditch in the soil. This makes the soil loose and soft, which makes it easier for the farmer to plant their crops.

Once the farmer has used the ard to create these furrows, they can go back over them with other tools to plant the seeds, fertilize the soil, and take care of the crops as they grow. It’s an important tool for farmers all over the world who want to grow healthy, delicious food for us to eat!