The 3 Bells Ranch is set in a very arid, almost desert-like valley, meaning that irrigation is a very important part of farming here. There are many different ways to tackle the problem of getting water to crops- large or commercial farms use mechanized systems like Zimmatic center pivoting arrays (think those big round crop fields you see from airplanes), but one can also install drip irrigation, handlines, wheels... walking into this from the city/suburbs, these terms were all a foreign language.
So it all started when Tara gave Aurelie and Megan the job of getting irrigation to newly planted trees. Tara explained the process of setting up the hoses, sprinklers and connecting this all to a main line. Then Aurelie and Megan went to the local irrigation store to buy parts... without Tara. This trip showed them how much they didn’t know. Luckily the people working at the irrigation store were helpful and extremely patient. Many times the girls said, “We need a piece to connect a piece like this, that has little grooves on the inside of it.” “You mean you want one with threads?” the employee suggested helpfully (if not a little teasingly). In the end, and with much help, the trip to the store was a success... but still left Megan and Aurelie slightly confused.
The trees got their water, but then a month later Tara set Megan up with the project of irrigating two fairly large sections of a hill that was becoming a new garden. After taking half a day of figuring out all the parts and where the lines and sprinklers were going to be set, it was off to the irrigation store again. This time showed improvement, but at the store she still needed all the help she could get. After a week of refining and repairing the newly irrigated hill. Megan walked into the irrigation store knowing all the lingo, “I need eight 1/2” double threaded female slips!”
So it all started when Tara gave Aurelie and Megan the job of getting irrigation to newly planted trees. Tara explained the process of setting up the hoses, sprinklers and connecting this all to a main line. Then Aurelie and Megan went to the local irrigation store to buy parts... without Tara. This trip showed them how much they didn’t know. Luckily the people working at the irrigation store were helpful and extremely patient. Many times the girls said, “We need a piece to connect a piece like this, that has little grooves on the inside of it.” “You mean you want one with threads?” the employee suggested helpfully (if not a little teasingly). In the end, and with much help, the trip to the store was a success... but still left Megan and Aurelie slightly confused.
The trees got their water, but then a month later Tara set Megan up with the project of irrigating two fairly large sections of a hill that was becoming a new garden. After taking half a day of figuring out all the parts and where the lines and sprinklers were going to be set, it was off to the irrigation store again. This time showed improvement, but at the store she still needed all the help she could get. After a week of refining and repairing the newly irrigated hill. Megan walked into the irrigation store knowing all the lingo, “I need eight 1/2” double threaded female slips!”
One of the rainbird sprinklers- each sprinkler is at the top of a riser (tall piece of PVC pipe elevating the sprinkler head) and had to be tied to sections of rebar that were hammered into the ground to provide stability. And when that didn't work, rocks were strategically placed around and under the water pipes to help keep everything in line.
Other really helpful parts:
Valves- allow you to turn on select irrigation lines instead of running them all at once, which tends to create low water pressure problems.
Valves- allow you to turn on select irrigation lines instead of running them all at once, which tends to create low water pressure problems.
Splitters- two hoses, one faucet. Sounds pretty simple but definitely a headache trying to make due without one!
Danielle showed up on the farm just in time to observe Megan’s efforts on the hill, and even though she knew very little about the equipment and principals of irrigation she was ready to assist. With a lot of help and direction from Megan, she picked up the basics and learned that knowing what the parts are and how they fit together is just the tip of the iceberg when installing irrigation lines. The girls fought inadequate water pressure problems, came up with creative and slightly unorthodox solutions to patch cracked hoses (“I think we can wrap that in electrical tape!”), and played a game of musical sprinkler heads, trying to match up high and low output heads to spots of good and poor water pressure. After hundreds of trips up and down, up and down that hill, turning water on and off, taping, hammering, and more than occasionally cursing the irrigation system...it all came together. Not even taking a day to bask in the glory of their accomplishment, Megan hopped onto the next newly planted, desperately dry patch of ground and the whole process started over again.
Once we figured out what all of the irrigation parts were, we organized them on a shelf in the barn. Hopefully that will save the next WWOOFer some time!
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