Big project with David Spicer right before berry season… Our blueberries are coming on strong and we are anxiously awaiting picking season (we may start a little early this year)… but
What else have we been up to?
If you have visited our farm, you may already know our blueberry and blackberry terraces are designed with water conservation in mind. They make picking easier, but their real purpose is to help with irrigation. Managing water wisely is a core lesson when studying permaculture and regenerative farming techniques. Over the years, we have implemented other smaller design elements and have tried to stack functions in everyday farm life. The berry terraces were a huge project back in 2011, which totally work, but what about the rest of our farm?
Where to begin?
Well, we started with a swale plan, but just could not make it happen. Along with being a daunting task, being too close to a project can make it difficult to see the overall characteristics that are influencing it. Its like seeing a forest from an airplane vs. seeing a forest while you are standing in it. Every change you make in a landscape has an impact and is also impacted by other changes. Carefully studying the big picture and deciding on a plan that fits both the land and your needs has to come first. So, implementing larger permaculture elements into the rest of our farm landscape has been a long time coming.
Doc Spice
We contacted David Spicer, who is touted as one of the best earthworks designers on the globe. His work functions beautifully and is beautifully functional. David’s specialty is water management and creating ways to optimize and use this resource. This is his first trip to the United States and with fresh eyes, he quickly calculated a workable plan that is now being carried out – at this very minute.
There are several projects going on at once during his short stay here in America (from Australia). Here are a few photos of the process of creating long terraces the right way. These terraces function similarly to swales, but give us better access and are easier to maintain in our situation.
The thing on the tripod is a laser level that tells the heavy equipment when the ground is level. Rather than the usual concept of moving water away quickly, the idea here is to let water collect slowly along a level plane, holding it, and allowing it to soak in. The photo at the picnic table is of David making some calculations.
Below are more photos from the day.
These are some hard workin’ folks. All day in the sun for several days in a row. Its amazing what you can get done with a bit of good help. Thank you to Jeremy Darda (in blue), Kyle Roberts (sun glasses), Kelly Darda and his excavator.
We all need to respect water a little more than we do. Careful planning in the landscape can control flooding, control drought, improve soil structure and lessen erosion. Now, I can’t wait for it to rain.
Ending the season on a fun note
Swales are a key concept in the workings of Permaculture. They have been proven to rebuild soil that was considered barren with rather miraculous results. Most of our soil problems, are the result of man’s influence. But man can reverse big problems such as erosion and even desertification using this practice. Developers, city planners, land owners, farmers, and others all need this knowledge. Swales are used around the globe, but we will teach you how to layout and build swales for your own land’s benefit in Georgia’s red clay soil.