It is not a “miracle”

The Miracle Water Village.  An amazing story on many levels about an Indian village which became self-sufficient in water after facing acute water shortages. This story resonated with me in particular because of one of the management strategies they employ; slowing water down.  The idea is that the longer the water stays on your farm, the more time it has to percolate into the soil and into the aquifer.

This is an all important tenet of dry-farming!  Keeping the water  around for as long a possible for the plants to enjoy throughout the dry growing season.  However it is my observation that most farmers speed water up, preferring to get the water off the land as soon as possible.  Dry soil is necessary for tractor work, and what does it matter if one has “unlimited” access to irrigation anyway…