Future Roots Locally Grown Guide - Catalog - Page 90
WATER-WISE FARMING
and produce food. “As their root systems get established
over the next few years, we’re looking forward to being able
to dramatically reduce the need for supplemental irrigation,
further protecting our valuable aquifer.”
While these perennial crops mature, the farm has also
launched a half-acre market garden. “We’re minimizing
plastic use, using drip irrigation, cover cropping after each
season, and keeping a diverse mix of grasses, clovers, and
even weeds between our rows,” Brooke says. Their produce
is available at the Wood River Farmers Market and their farmstand on Lower Broadford Road.
TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION
Local farmer and landscape architect Kathy Noble is tackling water conservation from multiple angles. On her farm
south of Bellevue, she’s using an advanced irrigation system
that reads soil moisture at different depths and locations,
then adjusts watering automatically.
“Most people overwater,” says Kathy. “With our sandy
soil, that extra water just drains below the plant’s roots.” In
one test on a neighboring farm, this technology helped maintain the same crop yield while
using 20% less water.
Beyond farming, Kathy is passionate about native landscaping. She grows native and
drought-tolerant plants on her property and collaborates with the Environmental Resource
Center to teach workshops on selecting and caring for these species. She’s also helping the
Wood River Land Trust revamp its Trout Friendly Lawn program. “Since we need water to grow
food, we have to do whatever we can to reduce household and residential water use. The best
way to accomplish that is by designing residential landscapes that are drought-tolerant and
use far less water,” Kathy states.
Kathy believes municipalities should take action, too. She’s advocating for irrigation training and policies to reduce public water use and hopes each town will create a high-visibility
demonstration garden with native plants. “These gardens will be a hands-on way for communities to learn about plant selection, irrigation, and maintenance,” she says.
CONCLUSION
As Kathy Noble says, “Climate change will have a stronger and stronger impact on our
snowpack and the resulting available water.” Addressing this reality requires a wide range of
solutions from residential lawns to agricultural fields. The farmers and advocates highlighted
in this article are taking different approaches to the same end goal, producing nutritious food
while minimizing the impact on the Valley’s water resources.
You can help too. Choose locally grown food and take the opportunity to ask your farmer
about their water usage. Check with ERC about Kathy’s upcoming workshops and start planning
a transition to drought-tolerant landscaping.
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