Ghost Star Farm

In my next life, I want to be an earthworm 🪱

Y'all, it is hot. It has been a dry, windy, hot season, and everyone is feeling it. I have been seeing and hearing so much frustration and disappointment around the difficulties of this year's weather, so I wanted to share how we're dealing.

In farming we often talk about our “limiting factor,” the elements of our gardens that are most difficult to acquire, manage, or work around. For many of us in Texas (and all of us in a hotter, drier world), a main limiting factor is water. Being part of a community means being conscious of the resources we all share. How can we better utilize water for success?

One of the best ways to manage water is to not need so much of it in the first place. That’s why we’re focusing on building our soil’s water holding capacity and infiltration ability. Increased organic matter; soil cover in the form of mulch and living (or mostly living) plants; and deep-rooted varieties all contribute to better soil structure and water-holding capacity.

We're working on a more robust irrigation system, one that ideally relies on rainwater catchment and not solely city water from the hose. Our big focus is soil health, which includes a vast array of microbiology. I'm not too interested in using large quantities of treated water in our soils...not least because of the cost and limited availability.

Finally, sometimes the best management technique is patience. This too shall pass; we’re waiting on cooler, wetter weather to renew the garden, and trusting in the wisdom of the roots and soil to carry our plants through until then.

Good luck out there :)

pictured: our current irrigation system, back when I first set it up in early spring. It's a 375 gal. IBC tote hooked up to drip irrigation hoses that are gravity fed by the pressure of a full tank. After filling the tank with a hose 2-3 times, I decided it wasn't sustainable to continue that way, and the beds have gone unwatered since then.

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