Most mornings, Capay and I make our rounds through the olive orchard. She's on the lookout for adventure. I'm on the lookout for leaks.
People sometimes wonder what I do when we're not harvesting lavender or distilling essential oil. Surely there's a little downtime at the Farm? Well, not exactly!
One of my most important jobs during the hot months of August, September, and sometimes into October is irrigation management. When temperatures soar, the coyotes, hares, turkeys, and foxes that share our land get thirsty. And they've discovered that nibbling through our irrigation tubing is a pretty effective way to find water. I certainly don't blame them, but I do wish they'd find another source!
So, most mornings around 8 a.m., Capay and I climb into the Gator and head out through our 10 acres of olive trees. While she surveys the landscape, I'm searching for the telltale signs of damaged irrigation tubing: water flowing where it shouldn't be, a suspiciously wet patch of ground, or a little fountain where no fountain belongs.
Some repairs are quick and easy. Others, like yesterday's adventure, take 40 minutes and leave me wet, muddy, and thoroughly discouraged. In fact, I was still wearing my muddy pants when I sat down to write this message!
Fortunately, I have my trusty FarmHer toolbox riding along in the Gator. It's a grab-and-go collection of tubing cutters, connectors, emitter punches, emitters, and all the little pieces needed to repair our irrigation system. I quickly learned that having the right parts with me saves a lot of trips back to the barn.
Sometimes, when I climb out of the Gator with my toolbox in hand, I feel a bit like a country doctor making house calls. Only my patients are olive trees, and the doctor occasionally ends up needing a change of clothes!
There is something satisfying about finding a problem, figuring out how to fix it, and watching the water flow where it's supposed to go. Not every part of farming is glamorous, and certainly not every day is rewarding. But it's all part of caring for the land and the plants that give us so much.
And tomorrow morning, Capay and I will be making our rounds again.
