Landforming, Ponds, and Rain Catchment
In August 2009, Whole Farm Services began building the ponds, swales, and chinampas that will become the future rain catchment and irrigation system for Crescent Moon Farm.
This innovative land forming system will make use of existing storm water run-off from the fields of the farm and Battle Row Rd. The swales will move the water into wetlands and ponds for retention and infiltration back into groundwater and as use for irrigation on row crops and nursery. The new water system is also good for biodiversity.
In early August 2009, the field was tilled to allow for easy digging of topsoil and retention of valuable organic matter and nutrients.
Crescent Moon Way - Aug. 8th, 2009. Tilled field edges will be removed of topsoil for proper road drainage and water catchment.
Day 2 - Digging the first half of the crescent moon shaped pond. Already filling with water at 5-8 gallons/minute in a drought.
The bottom of the pond is pure blue clay and will allow for the pond to be deep enough to raise trout and other cold water animals. The total depth of the pond is 22 feet. at the bottom.
Keith Morris in loader (left) and Chris Chaisson in excavator (right).
Separating the pure attapulgite(Blue clay) to keep it from mixing with contaminating soils. This magnesium aluminum silicate will be used in our agricultural and cosmetic grade products.
Jason Lerner finish grading a catchment swale. This swale will divert runoff from Crescent Moon Way and the field above it into a wetland and myco-filtration gabions and bunkers. The swale is approximately 12' wide and 500 feet long dropping 1' over 300 feet in the keyline-yeomans tradition.
Excavator and Loader working together in tandem allow for minimum impacts on the land, efficient in materials movement, and allows for the careful removal of different layers of soil for future use as amendments, building materials, and other uses. A small 1" pump allows for baling of in-flowing groundwater, but becomes useless as the pond grows and inflow increases.
Pond and swale system full after large late fall rain. Project to continue into summer 2010.
