Ever wondered why permaculture-folks think swales are so swell? Join permaculture expert Jessica Robertson, of Wild Craft Permaculture, for this exploration of on-farm water management. Dig into the relationship between soil health and water retention. Learn rainwater harvesting principles and learn how to calculate the volume of water coming off a given site, as well as different techniques of passive water harvesting (roof structures and tanks, hügelkultur, swales on contour, keyline plough, ponds and dams). Get moving on a walk around the property for a first-hand look at how water moves across a site. Explore where it should and shouldn’t be, and how it can be used as many times as possible before leaving the property. Mark out the contour lines on the land for a future swale and learn how to build one.
Hands-on: Participants will walk some areas of the farm for practice in assessing water management opportunities, and also get some hands-on experience with marking out a swale.