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  • From: "Karen Sutherland" <ksutherland AT hampshire.edu>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] water supply and storage
  • Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 08:42:46 -0400

Hoping to tap this wonderful list's experience and thinking and/or
resource/referral knowledge. My apologies in advance (and please tell me)
if this post is too long or amount of help asked too extravagant.

I need to figure how to get both noncertified organic farm and
to-be-constructed off grid house through a 2-3 month dry season under a
fierce tropical sun with frequent drying winds. Ample rainfall(or dew) most
of rest of year, although some storage capacity helpful for week-long dry
blips. Usual method in area is catchment, but some 12,000 gallon capacity
storage needed for house alone.

Obviously planning what we plant when and where is first step.

Creating shade via shade cloth (expensive), palm fronds, (free, but
short-lived, therefore labor expense), etc. a next.

But then...

STORAGE: Farm pond seems obvious answer for farm needs but am concerned
about the liner leaching plasticizers, etc. into irrigation water,
especially given tropical temperatures. Do plants uptake or does produce
"wear" various chemicals migrating from plastics that could get into food
chain? Is that an issue addressed by organic standards? Is natural rubber
a real option? Can a pond be "lined" by creating a clay liner (soil on site
not clayey) or other natural barrier? Anyone with experience here?

How much of a difference do pond covers make in conserving water supply?
Any suggestions for effective pond covers in non-plastic or other
oil-derived materials?


SITING POND: Any words of wisdom re do's and don't's re siting (farm is on
hillside): collection, irrigation ease, use of gravity rather than other
energy, etc.? Has anyone used permaculture keyline approach to siting
ponds? My assumption is that pond location should also be chosen to
minimize sun/heat and evaporation, but are there problems with that in terms
of quality of water?

SUPPLY: Well drilling services not available on island, but maybe could
travel to there. Does anyone have experience with dowsers and could
recommend a reliable dowser? With portable well drilling services?

Has anyone built or used either a ram or solar driven pump? (There
is a small, possibly occasionally dry during dry season, stream with good
"fall" around one border of property that could during usual rainy abundance
fill a pond.)

To utilize second-hand (sink, shower) water from house for farm
irrigation, what can be done economically to assure health/organic
standards?

CONSERVATION:

Any techniques for washing vegetables for market that use minimal
water without sacrificing final cleanliness of product or taking too much
time?

Irrigation technique: anything better than drip or ooze hoses?

OTHER: Has anyone tried using dew harvesting techniques?

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I BE THINKING ABOUT/AWARE OF?

MANY THANKS!!!

All best wishes,

Karen
Roots Farm
Organic Produce
Fruits, Roots, Vegetables & Herbs
Cockrane, Dominica







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