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| The first storm took three days to delivery three quarters of an inch. |
In one week, the lingering Capay fall was flooded by winter. The pitter-patter of rain drops on the roofs was a welcome sensation. The monitoring of the rain gauge in the equipment yard was an exciting event. The first little storm took three days to deliver three quarters of an inch – enough to only wet everything. There was one sunny day, then the next system moved in from the west, first stacking up over the coastal foothills and then flooding the farm with showers.
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| In two days we received two and one quarter inches of rain! |
This storm was much more exciting. In two days we received two and one quarter inches of rain. By this time, the ground was saturated. All of this water hit the trees and plants followed them down to the soil and then began the slow and methodical journey down, down, down, ending in the creek. The furrows in the fields were filled with water.
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| The sediment trap near the event site. Finally enough water to cause runoff! |
The sediment traps filled with water. Every low spot on the farm turned into a small pond. Below all of those points was a steady stream of rain water brown with sediment that was working its way towards the creek. This is the kind of event that adds water to our reservoirs. This is the moisture that will be used to water our crops next summer.
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| Every low spot on the farm turned into a small pond. |
The entire farm is enjoying the forced changes that rain brings. The office bustled with the chatter of people at work, who can’t work because of the rain.
The cover crops that had been sitting in the dry dirt waiting have sprung to life. They have popped up in the neat lines in which they were planted. Soon they will make the whole field green, and the soil will no longer be visible. The leaves of the fruit trees have been washed from their branches and lay on the ground ready to be incorporated into the soil again – their trees stand tall and bare.
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| Our tractor, rigged with our ripper and ring roller, grounded while we wait for the soil to soak up the rain. |
This last storm was a step in the right direction, but we will need many more this winter to adequately quench the thirst created over the last two years. Let’s us hope this is only the beginning of a wet few months.
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| Follow us on Instagram (farmfreshtoyou) and (farmerthaddeus)! |
You can follow us on Instagram (farmfreshtoyou) and (farmerthaddeus). We post pictures and captions of what is going on with our farm each week.
