Commenter MegWoody was the closest! The technical name of the "tool" in the photograph is a Water Wheel Transplanter and it is used to transplant seedlings into the soil. This is how it works:
The yellow container is filled with water (and, in our case, fish emulsion, which acts as a natural fertilizer). You load up trays of seedlings that are ready to be transplanted. I say seedlings because they are essentially baby plants that have grown from seeds in trays that are hardy enough to be planted. The trays are held on the racks in front of (and also above) the two chairs in the rear of the Water Wheel Transplanter. The Water Wheel Transplanter gets hitched to the tractor and Michael lines it up with the bed that is ready to be planted with the transplants. The water comes on and the wheel (that has dull, spike-like attachments spaced 12 inches a part) makes indentions in the soil, which then fills with water and the person sitting in the seat places the transplant into the water filled hole. Depending on the plant-type, the transplants are either placed in every indention in the soil (such as tomatoes) while others go in every other indention (i.e. brussels sprouts).
This is by far my personal favorite "tool" at the Farm, as I get to avoid the pain-staking, knee-killing act of planting seedlings by hand!
ooh, I guess I was kind of close, too! Not as far off as I thought!
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