Rain Day Farm Tour: Terraces, Swales & Water Systems

A rainy day tour of The Loop Farmstead, walking through the entire 0.8 acre hillside permaculture system. This is less than a year in: hand-dug terraces slowing water down the slope, swales capturing and infiltrating rainwater, staple crops (field corn, wheat, oats, emmer) growing without irrigation or fertilizer, and the beginning of a water management system that will eventually dam, store, and pipe water through micro-ponds to every growing area. Every plant you see is either food, medicine, biomass, or nitrogen-fixing. Nothing decorative. Nothing wasted. The goal: build soil that holds water so nothing needs irrigation, even in drought. Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction & Hilltop Overview 00:01:33 Terraces: Slowing Water on the Slope 00:02:54 The Swale: Capturing Nutrients & Water 00:06:00 Oil Crops (Sunflowers) & Erosion Strategy 00:09:00 Onions, Squash & Swale Continuation 00:09:47 Rock Dam: First Water Capture Test 00:11:50 Water Design Philosophy: Ponds, Pipes & Micro-Catchment