Standard Process Inc.

Water Management (Part 1)

December 2005 News From The Farm SP News Article

Christine Mason,
Farm Manager

A key aspect in any farming endeavor is water management. We have an irrigation system at the SP Farm, but it is a luxury that we use only during extreme drought conditions or on days when we are transplanting and the little seedlings need a boost. Many places in the United States would not be able to produce a crop without relying heavily on an irrigation system. Our largest water issue here is actually the opposite. We need an extensive tiling system to get water away from the fields!

If you have ever had the opportunity to visit the SP Farm, you know that we are very fortunate to have the land we do. The land on our farm is flat and dark and rich with nutrients. In fact, if it were left to nature, much of this area of Wisconsin is so flat that it would be marsh. Flat, dark soil is the ideal environment for growing crops, but it does tend to have a few drainage issues.

To achieve ideal drainage, there is an extensive field tile system at the SP Farm. Field "tile" is named such because the original drainage systems that were installed in agricultural fields in the 1880s were made up of ceramic tile. Namy of the older, clay tiles have disintegrated over time and our tiling system is getting a face lift. We tiled about 1/3 of the farm last year, and the benefits were reaped immediately. We are currently in the process of tiling another large field. I will let you know a little bit more about our tiling process in the next newsletter article.