O'Neill: On keeping the water flowing (column) • The Mendocino Voice

Veggie tunnels at Happy Day Farms, with permission from their Instagram.

This is our farm column from farmer Casey O’Neill. O’Neill is the owner operator of HappyDay Farms north of Laytonville, and a long time advocate for the cannabis community in Mendocino Co; more of his writing can be found here. The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor feel free to write to [email protected].

This time of year water is paramount to our operations and I spend a great deal of time and energy making sure it arrives where it needs to be. We automate as many of our systems as possible, so that when everything is working the pumps push water up to the storage tanks and the timers run irrigation systems delivering life to plant roots. It’s when things aren’t working and I have to troubleshoot that anxiety and difficulty occur.

With the heavy winter we had there is plenty of water in the pond at the bottom of the property, but managing to pump enough to maintain all of the crops is tricky, and we have to be always on the lookout for leaks and other issues in the system. The complexity of irrigation on steep slopes leaves us with plenty of possibilities for problems, and it takes a keen eye and a consistent approach to manage everything.

This time of year we clean the filters that are at each timer once a week, keeping pond algae and sediment out of the drip lines. Between my place, Pops’ and brother Lito’s there are something in the neighborhood of 40 timers, many of which run a switch that shifts each time the timer comes on so that it covers two irrigation systems. The move to solar-powered timers means that we’re no longer reliant on batteries that might wear out during the season, but there is still the possibility of timer malfunction to watch out for.

Regular garden walks are crucial, watching for plants that are showing signs of water stress, but also looking for places that are too wet. Yesterday I realized that the okra in the propagation house were dry and starting to look sad, so I turned on the timer but was confounded to realize that the water wasn’t flowing. It took some back-tracking to realize that a puddle was forming because the ¾” mainline from the timer had popped off at one of the T’s that divided it into different directions for watering multiple beds. A quick and easy fix is always nice, and I had water flowing again to the okra, basil, cilantro and perennials that are all on that system.

The farm has expanded over the years and we’re planted to maximum capacity this summer which means that we’re straining the ability of our pump systems to keep up. It looks like we’re going to have to install another Grundfos solar pump to keep up with our needs. We start the season with 50,000 gallons in tank backup storage, but we’ve eaten through more than half of it already because the pumps from the pond can’t keep up with usage. We like direct-drive solar-powered pump systems that run as soon as the sun hits the solar panels in the morning without any fuel or management.

One of my roles on the farm is to serve as irrigation lead, managing the systems and making sure everything is operating correctly. Keeping crops cool is tricky with the heat, and we’re running overhead sprinklers in the veggie tunnels to provide cooling and even coverage for salad mixes and other crops that don’t like it so hot. This is the first year that I’m nailing my summer salad greens and I’m feeling good about the rotations. I try to sow 4-6 paperpot trays every 10 days with the drop seeder, and each week we clear and prep 1 or 2 old beds so I can replant and keep the production consistent.

It’s difficult to juggle everything and keep all the balls in the air. We’re careful with animals this time of year, making sure all waterers are full in the morning while the water is cool before the heat of the day, and then checking on everyone in the afternoon to make sure they have plenty to drink. Pigs get wallows filled so they can cool off and then lie in the shade, and sheep, turkeys and laying hens all have trees and shade structures to shield them from the fierce heat of the sun.

Water is life, and I’m reminded every day to be grateful for it. The complexity of hydrology keeps me on my toes, and though I’m often confounded by problems, there is always a solution waiting to be found. Each year I get better at understanding and troubleshooting, and I appreciate the tools and systems available to us. As always, much love and great success to you on your journey!