Terry and I spent the morning cleaning out the waste ditches yesterday. Then as I continued getting the rest of the ditches cleaned he came along with the 4240 and the blade making the ditch that carry the water from our field to the farm just below us.
All of our water comes from another farm(s) to us. After we use it then it goes on to the next farm then to the river and onto California.
I was asked how we siphon out of a pipe under ground. We don’t. The transmission pipe/ditch is just that….a huge ditch that brings the water onto our place. Our head gate is on our place but some peoples’ head gates are a mile or so above their place. The head gate is the beginning of the transmission pipe.
We are putting as much as we can under ground so the water stays weed free, seed free–safe from the sun. We still have sections of transmission ditches that are open (pipe is extremely expensive). We use siphon tubes out of smaller ditches, either made of dirt or cement. Then we use gated pipe for the rest of the place. Lots of ways to get water into the fields.
I also was asked if we practice crop rotation…YES we do! 🙂 We were green before green was cool!
Anyway, we always plant corn after pintos, sometimes alfalfa, but alfalfa is a five-year crop so once it is in the field it stays five years until it is old (showing signs of weeds). We plant pintos after corn or maybe alfalfa…always always working toward good soil maintenance. After all healthy soil is the most critical way of having healthy plants.
So moving on so you aren’t bored we heard the water was at Pea Green last night. That is 5 miles from us. Today we will finish the ditches, fix the gated pipe and then mark out the fields. We want to be ready for the water as soon as the head gate is unlocked!
Spring work is here!
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
I mentioned your amazing labors in my newspaper column this week. We tend to take water for granted here, but that is changing quickly. I for one, love your posts on irrigation and crops. And cows. And dogs. And plants. And birds…..hmm…I really like your blog a lot I guess. lol
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You make me laugh “we were green before green was in”….indeed you have been good land stewards and that is the best!
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I always get incensed when city types try to lecture farmers on conservation. Farmers have been conservationists for generations. Good soil and water is their life.
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yay it is close!
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Sounds like you all are all prepared —or at least getting there!!!! Yeah! Hope the water gets to you soon… Question: How do ‘they’ (the powers that be) know how much water each of you all use????? Who keeps track?
Have a great day.
Hugs,
Betsy
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I think it’s neat that you were green before green was cool. My Dad was the same way when we had a small farm. There’s a lot of common sense in the ‘old’ way of doing things.
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I have been out to Delta. It is lovely out there. We have some friends out in the area. Our friend Phillip lives there and we rode horses on Joe Cockers Ranch with Stretch. Love that place.
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Gotta’ say, Linda – the angle of that photo makes it look like the tractor was STUCK….So glad it was just an illusion!
I’m learning so much from your posts about the water. Back home in Oklahoma, irrigation meant these giant crawling sprinklers that shot water out. Here in the Northeast, crops depend on what falls from the sky only – few farmers (other than plant nurseries) are set-up to do supplimental watering. It’s so different, all over. Thanks again for the lessons!
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Water’s coming! Green before green was cool is great..a great line and just great period!!
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Spring is a time that brings me a lot of energy. I guess you guys need that energy! Such hard work – I bet you don’t have trouble sleeping at night!
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Sure is a lot of work! I admit to whining about toting around a little garden hose–I promise to stop.
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You are moving toward spring! Good for you! 🙂
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We used to have a pee green chair… 😉
Thank you for all you do for the American people!
Have a blessed weekend! ♥
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it seems that there’s a lot of good engineering in an irrigation system and then a lot of hard work. You have to really like looking after the water. I like hearing about what you do.
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Will you be there with your camera to record the arrival of the WATER.? It feels so exciting!!!
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