Hedgerows

We are adding perennial hedgerows in our field.  These will help prevent erosion during rainy seasons, which will hopefully return next year.

The woody shrubs in the hedgerows will help attract ground bees, butterflies, birds, snakes, and other beneficial insects.

We did buy 10 shrubs from Yerba Buena Nursery in town.  They provide native plants.

However, rather than buy, we are getting most of our shrubs by going into the hills and digging up wild/native ones to transplant into the fields.  Here's a hedgerow expedition crew driving out to get some. 

Here's the newly collected shrubs.

Here they are being settled into their new homes.

Drip Taping

Last year we watered with overhead sprinklers, but this year we are installing drip tape in all our rows.

The drip tape will save a lot of water and it will cut down on the amount of weeds growing.

Note that our farm is blessed with more than enough water from springs, wells, and a year round running stream.  Most of the water runs out to the ocean 2 miles away.


Here is Sahadev, Biraj, and Gail installing the tape:

Here's Gail taking a chicken break!