Stuck Between Rock and Hard Place

[GodsGrace]

Technically, to be classified as a "real farm" requires that I operate a full-time farm and not just a part-time (hobby) farm. To be qualified as a full-time farm requires that more than 50% of my annual income comes from my farming operation and I'm nowhere near that.

Irrigation systems are very expensive. A single rotary system like what I think you're describing would cost over $40,000.00 to cover a 40 acre area. My ground is broken up into four 5-acre pieces, one 8-acre piece, one 27-acre piece, and one 3-acre piece. To irrigate those would require a separate system for each. Fortunately for me our average year is more likely too wet rather than too dry so irrigation is not required on my soil.

The opposite option would be to put in drain tile on some of the wetter pieces of ground to help the soil dry out in the spring. I would never use a drain tile to drain a wetland for farming or to pattern tile an entire field because I don't agree with doing those things but those places that I had to work around this year would be a good place for a few single drain tiles so that I could more consistently farm those pieces. But, installed drain tile too can be very expensive. I've heard as much as $2-$3 per foot of tile. All I would gain with that is that I'd not have to skip around those 4-5 acres in 2 out of 5 years when things are a little too wet. Again, it would take many years to pay for the tile.

Wow. Interesting information.
Why would you never use a drain tile?
And what is it!

 

[GodsGrace]

WIP
Remember when we used to post lots of images?

Here's one for you:

 

[WIP]

Wow. Interesting information.
Why would you never use a drain tile?
And what is it!

Farmers use drain tile quite a bit and it is a controversial topic. Drain tile is a perforated plastic pipe that is buried about 3' in the ground. When it rains, water will percolate through the ground following the path of least resistance and so over time it creates its own paths as it finds it way to the tiles. In this way, wet ground is able to dry out a little faster than natural means. From there it is carried to road ditches and subsequently to rivers and out to the oceans. This is water that normally should percolate through the soil to replenish the aquafer.

Drain tiles are often used around the footings of houses with basements to help drain water away from the foundation and keep the basements dry.

What some farmers are doing, particularly in our country's mid section, is what is called pattern tiling. What they do is install drain tiles in a grid every X feet apart under entire fields to control the amount of water in the soil. I disagree with this practice because by design, water is supposed to percolate its way through the soil to replenish the aquafer but the drain tiles interrupt this path and divert some or maybe a lot of the water to road ditches where it eventually ends up in rivers and in the case of the US mid section, eventually to the gulf coast by way of the Mississippi river. Along with that it carries many excess nutrients from the farmers' fields as well.

Then there's the double whammy. In addition to pattern tiling, they also install irrigation systems, which draw water from the aquafer. Now, they can drain the water when things are too wet and add water when things are too dry. For the farmer it's extremely beneficial to control the water content in the soil but this practice can lead to problems in the future.

Cities do some of the same kind of damage. Every building, road, parking area, etc. that is built takes ground away that would normally be absorbing water and replenishing the aquafer. Because of all these structures, we add drainage systems to handle the runoff and divert the water to rivers, lakes, etc. Of course we all need water and we get it from wells in the ground that are drawing from the aquafer. So, we do a double whammy on the aquafer.

Obviously, we need water for our own survival but we also need to think about whether or not we are using good conservation practices.

 

[GodsGrace]

Farmers use drain tile quite a bit and it is a controversial topic. Drain tile is a perforated plastic pipe that is buried about 3' in the ground. When it rains, water will percolate through the ground following the path of least resistance and so over time it creates its own paths as it finds it way to the tiles. In this way, wet ground is able to dry out a little faster than natural means. From there it is carried to road ditches and subsequently to rivers and out to the oceans. This is water that normally should percolate through the soil to replenish the aquafer.

Drain tiles are often used around the footings of houses with basements to help drain water away from the foundation and keep the basements dry.

What some farmers are doing, particularly in our country's mid section, is what is called pattern tiling. What they do is install drain tiles in a grid every X feet apart under entire fields to control the amount of water in the soil. I disagree with this practice because by design, water is supposed to percolate its way through the soil to replenish the aquafer but the drain tiles interrupt this path and divert some or maybe a lot of the water to road ditches where it eventually ends up in rivers and in the case of the US mid section, eventually to the gulf coast by way of the Mississippi river. Along with that it carries many excess nutrients from the farmers' fields as well.

Then there's the double whammy. In addition to pattern tiling, they also install irrigation systems, which draw water from the aquafer. Now, they can drain the water when things are too wet and add water when things are too dry. For the farmer it's extremely beneficial to control the water content in the soil but this practice can lead to problems in the future.

Cities do some of the same kind of damage. Every building, road, parking area, etc. that is built takes ground away that would normally be absorbing water and replenishing the aquafer. Because of all these structures, we add drainage systems to handle the runoff and divert the water to rivers, lakes, etc. Of course we all need water and we get it from wells in the ground that are drawing from the aquafer. So, we do a double whammy on the aquafer.

Obviously, we need water for our own survival but we also need to think about whether or not we are using good conservation practices.

Thanks WIP.
Very interesting.
And I think I agree with you.
Basically, I feel that tampering with nature has risks.
There's consequences to pay (without the tiles) but maybe the consequences WITH the tiles are even worse
and will affect the future. Water already is a very rare in some areas and may become even more so in the developed countries using that system.

 

[WalterandDebbie]

I'm okay if I only break even so I can be able to plant again next year. It's a hobby so if I make a few dollars, that's great, but it isn't life and death if I don't.

Hello WIP, praying that everything works out for you.

Love, Walter and Debbie