If we farmed mud, we'd be Rich!?

Well, here we are again. Someone forgot to turn off a water faucet somewhere. While we move towards June like a freight train, carrying the load of spring and steady moving fast to Summer, you can always bet on one thing. Rain. Lots of Rain. It's a welcomed event to get rain here of course. Afterall, places around the earth would sell their prized possessions to have a little rain just once in a while. So we won't complain. If we farmed Mud though, we'd be billionaires by now. (Side note, if you're are looking for mud, you know... reach out?) It's May 27th, 2023, the rain is on a roll for the Memorial day weekend. Ruining plans for everyone across the area I'm sure.

Rain and Waste

The rains do a great job of washing weeks worth of birds, goats, pigs, and well you know. That many animals, comes that much waste. It's a real concern of ours, and a problem for many. We actually talk to experts in our network about this very topic. We've implemented quite a few systems to ensure we don't become the neighborhood stink hole. This includes building ditches, testing our pond water often, and really studying your land to understand how water moves. Early on, we used excavators and tractors to shape the land, and it was all planned well before we had a bulk amount of animals.

See, waste follows water. Ground water level should also be considered. If you have a well system. All things must be factored in. So what's our plan in a nutshell? It's pretty simple for us. We live near a branch, which connects to a river, which eventually connects to the ocean. Now, you can't just dump waster into ditches and streams, but you can create large ditches to drain a property properly and safely. Our waster goes into ground drains that disperse among the property and the pond does the same. If it overfills, it will spill into the ditch system and eventually into the branch.

Additionally, you must considered what animals, help other animals, and what do not. Ducks for example are problematic on any small ecosystem if not kept in check. They can destroy a space with their waste. Planting certain types of vegetation also helps.

Lastly, you must remember to bring new dirt in from time to time. It's not that expensive for a dump truck or two. For pigs, this is a must and will help keep your pigs from actually creating a pond in their pens. Especially if you are like us and have rooters.

Lastly, animal movement is important. Move them around to different areas, and give the land time to heal. This helps ALOT, and honestly is very effective. So remember not to hate the rain too much. Afterall its forcing me to stop and spend some quality time writing to you and tending to our business side of the farm. It's easy to feel crappy when it's raining outside, and would seem there's nothing to do. Not around here. Sometimes, you have to work in the rain even. We've put many fences together "in the rain" -- Generally you have to do what you have to do with the time you've got. If that means doing it in the rain, it can be fun. The after shower is usually the best part!

If you want more details about drainage on a large scale, here's some quick pointers in this video (not our video) but useful: