The sickle can help the grower harvest like three crops depending on their level to make the grower harvest more than one with just one slash of the sickle at once. The sickle must be researched first in order to use it. To balance it out the grower must drop their weapon to use the sickle. Crops must be in the growers radius in order to harvest it all at once which means you have to be near them. If you have two growers, one can harvest with the sickle and the other plants the seeds after harvest
-The sickle can be used as a weapon
By any chance have you played Rune Factory Frontier or any of the Harvest Moon games? :P
I like the idea of equipment helping with skills. Like a knife helping with butchering, especially a well-made knife. Or a chef's hat helping with cooking.
sicle is a fine weapon too ;)