With a changing climate, historical weather patterns can no longer be relied upon, and developing water resilience is a must for every farm. Hugh Williams of Threshold Farm will describe how to create a whole-farm Keyline plan, including off-contour farming, drought-proofing your farm, engineering of Keyline dams and reservoirs, Keyline scale of permanence, and how Threshold Farm is implementing these to manage the flow of water across their land. Don Tipping of Seven Seeds Farm will share water harvesting methods incorporated into his farm, including ponds, swales, soakaway pits, hedgerows and riparian areas with annual crops, and intensive animal grazing systems. Don Bustos of Santa Cruz farm will describe New Mexico’s Acequia System and how it has been used to collaboratively manage water in the desert for centuries. All of these methods can be employed to create vibrant whole farm landscapes that better utilize rain when it comes and continue to thrive even in times of drought.
