(If you're just tuning in, this is part four in a continuing series on greening our farm in Bosque Farms New Mexico. Our water journey started with opening our irrigation valves to welcome the Rio Grande River into our back property. Then we examined the aquifer beneath our property for its offer of precious water. Next, we searched for solutions to make the most of our rain, resulting in installing a big water tank that holds the promise of sustainability.)

During our recent monsoon season we were able to harvest abundant rainwater from numerous storms on our property, but you wouldn't have guessed that if you talked to some of our neighbors. The USDA has just designated our tiny Valencia County (1,068 square miles), New Mexico as a drought disaster area.

While talking with a neighboring farmer, I mentioned our abundant July rains and waited for that “high five” celebratory acknowledgment. Instead, he retorted, “Yes, I saw the storms over your area. We only received about an inch and a quarter in July." “Your area” is, in fact, part of “his” area too; his farm is also in the Village of Bosque Farms, and is a mere 1.5 miles away. But this short distance is enough to make a 2-3 inch difference between the rain he received and our welcomed surplus of precipitation.

When it comes to doling out rainwater to her thirsty children, Mother Nature can be oddly selective.

Just the other day, our Village sat in the path of an enormous storm of fury (over 50 mph winds) and hailstones (up to a half-inch in diameter). Seeing the storm develop on the Internet prompted me to pitch our emergency garden tent—which Valerie affectionately dubs “the Bedouin tent” (stay tuned for more on the tent in a future article) —to protect our experimental vegetables. As we followed the attack of this torrential storm online, our reality was but a mere trickle outside our windows. Later that evening, we spoke with friends on the north end of the Village (just a half-mile away) who experienced sheets of rain and dramatically flooded streets. While most locals would brush off this experience with indifference, we were flabbergasted. We might as well have a flood on our front area and a drought on the back forty.

Paying the Piper

Now that we've detailed the capricious way that summer rains are doled out here in the Village, I’ll explain how we plan to bring water to our thirsty land, and how much it will cost.

We researched large rain catchment tanks for sale in our area and came up with the following totals (without tax):

Tank Size (Gallons)	Cost with Installation
20,000	$12,500-$14,500
10,000	$10,000-$11,500
5,000	$6,500-$7,000
1,650	$1,900-$2,000
300	$450

If you recall, our first water plan was to irrigate our property using Rio Grande river water and the established acequia system as the foundation of our watering resources. We scrapped that idea after careful consideration of a dwindling resource, fluctuating water quality, and lack of control over allocation (see Plan #1). Unfortunately, using this irrigation plan could also be catastrophic to our sustainability plan as the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District might shut down our water supply or regulate use at any time in response to our practice of water storage. We have yet to receive definitive word on whether we can store acequia water for more controlled use. When we ask the locals, most responses to our guarded inquiries are in the “ask for forgiveness” arena. The problem with asking for forgiveness in this situation, if found in violation of MRGCD rules (policy 1N is of particular concern and why the holding pond located between the two big tanks is added to the diagram), is how to explain the two massive 20,000 gallon tanks required for our agricultural storage. I don’t think we could pass them off as indoor swimming pools.

As you can see in the acequia based design, the storage tanks consist of two 20,000-gallon tanks adjacent to the irrigation canal, two 5,000-gallon tanks to hold rain water near the main house/guesthouse and a combination of rain and well water near the garage, two 1,650-gallon tanks to capture rain water from the future greenhouse and the southwest section of the main house roof, and four 300-gallon tanks to capture water from the 550sq. ft. and roughly 600-sq. ft. roof tops from our home’s east and west porch overhangs, respectively. The estimated price range for these tanks: $43,600-$49,800. Gulp.

Our updated water plan (see Plan #2) has us very excited about the potential of a sustainable farm due to its flexibility. I must confess that we almost dropped the use of irrigation water altogether in a knee-jerk decision grounded in inexperience. Thanks to the wisdom of the “your area" farmer Jesse Daves of Amyo Farms, we reincorporated the irrigation water into our plan. The well/rain water tank design is basically the same as the acequia irrigation plan, but replaces the 20,000-gallon tanks with two 1,650-gallon tank storage capacities in the center north and south sides of the back field. The remaining differences between the designs are the irrigation focus of water supply to the various trees (fruit, nut, and shade trees that will also provide windbreak) and, of course, the cost. The estimated price range for Plan #2 tanks: $22,400-$24,800. This is half the cost of the more rigid irrigation-based system and fits our limited budget more comfortably. We have neither intention nor the funds to implement the plan all at once. We will take a phased approach over the next several months (or even years) to implement our systems. These numbers are goal-setting tools to help us reach our targets most affordably.

As part of the flexibility with Plan #2, we feel confident using the well and rain water as an emergency or permanent supply for the trees if there is a reduction in irrigation water volume or frequency. Based on a general calculation of 20 gallons of water per day for mature trees and 8.5 gallons of water per plant per week (1.5” of water per week) for vegetables, we should be able to supply the entire back field by using the 1,650-gallon tanks as rotational entry and transfer points for the water.

The big problem with this system of smaller tanks is the labor involved in transferring water throughout the property. In our quest for sustainability, we will have to create systems to automate our processes or develop good relationships with neighbors, family, fellow farmers, farming interns, and others who are willing to help. And in this sacrifice for sustainability, we'll have to spend more time.

Pump Out the Volume

At this point we have only provided the chassis of our water system—we have yet to cover the working parts of this system. First and foremost, we need pumps to move the water from tank to tank and into the fields. We are considering a variety of energy sources for the pumps: traditional electricity from the grid, solar (we enjoy an average of 300 sunny days per year) and wind (the spring winds in the area have sufficient potential to light up Manhattan).

To get a better understanding of the different sources available to us, I visited Chris Karsa at Direct Power and Water Corporation to discuss our plans and get an estimate on solar pumps. For our pumping needs, a Grundfos submersible pump (SQF-2) powered by two 80-watt solar panels along with necessary parts became our baseline system. Chris quoted approximately $3,000 (depending stationary or moveable capabilities) for a hybrid system.

Our thought is to mobilize the pump and panels on some type of cart system in order to use one pump for all water transfer and application needs. If it isn’t possible to use one pump (which will average between 2,500-3,500 gallons of moved water per day depending on the model and weather) to fulfill our farm needs, then we will add a standing solar system for specific use on our well water source. With a static system, we would add a solar tracking device like a Wattsun Tracker to maximize the power output from the sun. All of this wishful thinking makes the cost estimate about as stable as nitroglycerin.

To narrow our supply side plan, we add five 100’ - 150’ sections of industrial hose to move water from the various water tanks as storage to feed the flora. My most surprising revelation while researching costs came after reviewing industrial hoses online. I have come to two conclusions about such hoses: 1) there are way too many of them, and 2) hose manufacturers/distributors guard their prices tighter than biotechnology companies guard their research. I think I was supposed to submit blood in order to get a quote, and have yet to receive a price on the industrial hoses.

The last part of the supply plan is to install 400 feet of rain catchment gutters with flexible spouts to fill the tanks. At roughly $3 - $5 per foot, these gutters add another $1,200 - $2,000 to our plan if we install them ourselves. We could inquire with companies like ABC Seamless in Albuquerque for professional installation, but would always look to save the money and gain experience. We believe we can complete this task, with any luck avoiding a Tower of Pisa schedule and outcome.

On the delivery side, we would like nothing better than to stop spending money and just turn the hoses on the field. But then, why would we go through all this trouble to strive for sustainability and then waste water to evaporation?

Enter drip irrigation. Luckily, farmer Jesse and an online tutorial have helped educate us enough to form a plan. We calculated a need for more than 4,000 feet of T-Tape water supply (our hard water will necessitate repurchasing T-Tape after a few seasons, depending on the water source and dilution), approximately 600 feet of main line, and the added pieces such as grip sleeve ends, Tap Loc barbs, and constant pressure regulators—oh, my! Estimated cost of this equipment: $500 - $1,000.

In total, the preliminary cost of our sustainable water system:

Item	Total Cost
5,000-gallon tank (x2)	$14,000
1,650-gallon tank (x4)	$8,000
300-gallon tank (x4)	$1,800
solar pump	$3,000
gutters (self-installed)	$2,000
drip emitters and parts	$1,000
TOTAL ESTIMATED UP-FRONT COSTS:	$29,800

There are a few important "wants" that I would like to add to the list: an on-site weather station for site specific accuracy with weather tracking a recording, a lightning strike alert or new Nokia telephone (both a detector and an attractant?) gadgets to protect us while we work in the field during the summer storms, and some soil moisture sensors and a hand-held device for instant read-outs and data storage to make sure we are diligent in our water use.

How do we feel after sorting through the various aspects of irrigation, the most critical component of building a sustainable farm? Overwhelmed is an understatement. Are we still excited and ready to get started? No doubt. The power of focus should never be underestimated, and we now have a detailed irrigation plan. While it may take some time, we will be thrilled to introduce our 1,650 gallon tank to its new relatives over time.

A new development since we researched and mapped out our plans above: we just experienced a tornado warning from a violent storm cell just five miles from our property. The storm tore through two cities just the south of us, but thankfully no one was hurt.

Until next time, keep your eye on the sky!

Related articles:
Hipsters Turn to Harvesting
Flooding the Farm
Reining in the Rain

Jonathan and Valerie would like to receive reader comments and suggestions. Feel free to email them to greenhornfarmer@yahoo.com.