A Key Part Of Life On The Farm! The Importance Of Water On A Farm!

[@barrywhite8628]

Your dad mentioned that he grew up about 2&1/2 miles from his place. I would love to see a video of where he grew up and telling us about his family and growing up there.

[@robertbackhus9609]

George, I never tire of listening to you share your knowledge on so many topics. Well done!

[@frankwrogg2515]

I am sure 20 years from now, this video will be helpful for understanding what is in these wells and when they were done.

[@heatherkohlwey8379]

I remember the sound of the old windmill running the pump jack on a hot summer night years ago. Fond memories, for sure.

[@SusanEmilyRyanHancock]

This channel and it's exploratory teaching has been a major drive for me as I invest 50% of my weekly earning ($22,000) into fish farming,Today I have one of the biggest fish farms here in Arizona . God bless America 🇺🇸

[@GeorgeOleary1410]

That's really impressive

[@GeorgeOleary1410]

But how do you earn that much in such a short period of time? I'm genuinely curious

[@SusanEmilyRyanHancock]

Big thanks to Kathleen Mary Vella

[@SusanEmilyRyanHancock]

She's a licensed broker here in the states 🇺🇸

[@SusanEmilyRyanHancock]

Her top notch guidance and expertise on digital market changed the game for me

[@theburnhams2925]

Good video! Our water is at 165 ft. Casing is 265 feet to allow for future lowering of the pump as necessary in the future. Some wells are over 200 ft. to the water level in this area. (Fl. panhandle) Our water comes out of the Appalatians (the Upper Floridan aquifer). We don't object to minerals in our water; they add "taste" and provide Iron and calcium for nutritional needs. The "captive air" (bladder) tanks were a major improvement over the old "free air" tanks as they don't "waterlog." The air is absorbed into the water on the old style tanks causing rapid pump cycling which wears out pumps, pressure switches, etc. and also causes surging at the taps. Starting current on single-phase motors is about ten times the "running current" so you want to avoid frequent cycles. Those splices are called "heat-shrink" splices and are special-purpose fittings for submerged use. They have silicone in them which squeezes out when the jacket is shrunk providing a good seal. Our well failed once (25 years ago) and our wise old "pump man" pulled the pump up only about two "joints" , spotted the chafed wire insulation, remarked "there's your problem," spliced the wire and lowered away. Inexpensive service call if I remember correctly. We hang our pumps on galvanized pipe, not p.v.c. but our wells are much deeper. Our first "water" here was a hand-driven "sand point" in a weeping sandy spot at the bottom of the hill and gave us good potable water for several years until we could afford a "deep well." You're correct about water being easier to drive than to draw. Surface jet pumps can only draw up to 20 feet. The submerged "jet" you described lengthens that capability to about 45--50 feet but the constantly-submerged pump is far superior. Thanks for the video! Keep an emery-board "fingernail file" next to your pressure switch. Those contacts are silver and can be cleaned easily. But "go easy" on the filing---silver is soft! (use the "fine side" of the file) Always enjoy your videos!

[@anthonyhengst2908]

No doubt about it. We had a hand dug well in the barn 14 ft deep. It went dry February 1978. So during the week we had a new well drilled and the drilled hit water at 12 ft then again at 26 feet.... The minimum depth they charged is 40 feet so they went to 40 feet and pulled out the drill there was like a geyser in the yard for a couple of hours. Thanks for showing how this all works.

[@TMarie-eb8rt]

We woke up to NO WATER this summer...come to find out, the phone company had damaged our electrical line to the well last year, It took a year to go bad, but an electrician figured it out and saved the day. WATER is so important when you have livestock to care for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing.

[@greghamann2099]

Thanks that explains a lot about the water system and how it was before our farm was electrified. It all makes sense now.

[@joycehaack4327]

George, you are a great teacher; I enjoy listening to you explain how things work. And I agree with others who have commented that hearing the history of your farm and of your parents farm would make a great video series.

[@tammygurke7482]

Very educational George. Loved the video😊😊😊😊😊

[@marioescanuelas8167]

Interesting, dad sure knows stuff. Thanks.

[@hillfamilyfarms1962]

Excellent, Gentlemen! Thank you.

[@tarheelpatch3386]

The farm I grew up on in Eastern NC has Artesian wells three,, that run water 24/7 365 ,no pump needed, Water fills a tank naturally and a pump pushes it into the house.

[@bradjenkins932]

Water is life.

[@anthonyblalock1790]

In western North Carolina I remember a farm had a spring about 300 feet above the house they used gravity to feed the house and farm. Great video

[@dennislang4375]

George, did you ever have a "Pump Jack"? The farm I bought in '76 had a well in the milk room and water was delivered with a pump jack. And yes only a 4" casing. I replaced the pump and put in a submersible I think that same fall.

[@billsauberlich7337]

Have you ever done a vidio on the history of your farm,pictures of when you moved on the farm up until now buildings that were torn down and new buildings and improvements over the years

[@lazeppelin1]

I’ve got an irrigation in central Minnesota, Belgrade area. We went down 190 ‘ After drilling the well, the fella tested for volume. He stopped at 2,000 gallons/minute, but the irrigation uses only 1,000 gallons. That area was once a river so under the black dirt we’ve got sand. I’ve got a couple neighbors that tapped into the same vain so they can’t run both of their irrigations at the same time. The one will run his for 3-4, then the other one does. So far I haven’t had any problems (I put it in 2008. Best investment I’ve ever made). We also have that sand point y’all were talking about. Mine is only 20’ down and at the time I had 8’ of static water ( depth of water at the bottom of the pipe). I’ve just got a cheap Menards pump and it puts out 40 lbs pressure consistently. Idk the gallons per minute. This past spring with all the rain, my static water level was about 15’, the water table was very high. Back in 2012 when it was really dry and all the irritations were running, we had a neighbor’s sand point well go dry. So the DNR kind of fined all land owners with irrigations pay for a deep well for the guy. Residents get priority over farm use for water. Hope that helps. Btw it’s ‘heat shrink tubes. ‘

[@joezimmerman9804]

Really enjoy the videos you post. I recently retired and discovered your channel. It takes me back to my youth when I worked on the farm. I find it very informative. Please know that what you do is valued and respected. I know it takes a lot of time and effort to generate and post. Know it makes a positive difference for many people! Best to you all!

[@trentonromig9765]

Great video guys I have worked on some wells on my farm they are interesting also helped pull a couple pumps with doing construction work

[@nathanalmond8280]

Thanks for sharing the video. I always learn something from George. Here in Virginia we have some wells that are 35-40' and then we have some that are 300-600' deep. Just depends where you are at. Thanks again.

[@dralord1307]

The plastic you put on wires that shrinks with heat is called "Shrink Tubing"

[@harveypenner2386]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@wonderwhyfarmhomestead793]

I love your goat on the rock wall 😊. Nice info in this one 👍🏻

[@leahmollytheblindcatnordee3586]

I enjoy this type of video and it was interesting. Thank you. I remember my dad talking about something to do with our air bladder whenever the pump turned out (should have said "on") too often. Water has always been something I worried about especially living out in the country where an electric outage would mean no water. Now in a city, it is less worrisome, but I still think about it at times. My parents lived on a hill and their well was over 200 feet long (mid-Michigan) and it was expensive for them if something went wrong.

[@zzzzzz1220]

Unser Hof liegt fast höher als der Hochbehälter so haben wir zu wenig Druck und haben eine alte Druckerhöhungs Pumpe aus den 60er. Heißt wenn der Strom ausfällt haben wir auch nur 500 Liter auf Vorrat

[@leahmollytheblindcatnordee3586]

@@zzzzzz1220 Did you have a farm? We didn't, so it was just the family. If it looked like we were going to lose power, they would sometimes fill the bathtub up and also large containers for drinking.

[@raymondurban3388]

I’m in North east Pa my well is over 300 ft.

[@toddcaskey9984]

What's the deal with the goat on the rock wall , looks real lol I was watching it to see if it was lol .

[@gregcatlett1458]

Thank you

[@sperfdairy2160]

Im a dairy farmer that started working for a well company so i know all about it! Lots of sunday and holiday calls. depends on were you go down hear in iowa shallow water is full of nitrates

[@johnbeam-d3v]

Really good video. Thanks for sharing!

[@clydequinn4395]

Where I live there are several farms. I live in a development of 41 homes each lot is between 2 and 3 acres. The land was developed and platted in the late 1990's. The local farmers complained about the land being developed so the county mandated that all wells me a minimum of 300 feet deep. When my well was drilled they hit water at 85 feet then 150 and again at 250. They said the water was still at 300 feet. Our well produces 17 gallons per minute. Our well was drilled in 2013. We had to replace the plastic pipe couplings to the pump 2 years ago

[@jpeel2066]

What a great video. Very interesting. Thanks for the video. All the best 🇬🇧.

[@vernonearl]

What we would do to open up the rock at the bottom of the well is dump dry ice down the well and cap it quickly. It would build up so much pressure, it would force out the sand that settled at the bottom. Down in New York city they don't have any pumps in the entire city water system. It's all gravity flow from the reservoirs in the Catskill Mountains. A shallow well is one that has water less than 26 feet below ground level, so if you have a 400 foot well, but has a 380 foot column of water it is still considered a shallow well.

[@jamesward6106]

In west Texas/ south plains our irrigation wells were 180 to 200 ft ,now new wells are 210 to 230 deep. This is on the Ogallala aquifer which underground water authority have been saying our aquifer is soon to dry up; been saying this since 1975 but some how we still irrigate with dairies and ethanol plants( which use a lot of under ground water) moving into farm areas

[@DickCleasby]

Thank you for the video

[@CuriousEarthMan]

Very interesting video! I learned a couple of things. I appreciate you guys sharing all that with us!

[@UnkleAL1962]

I remember my last well had torque arrestors on the line to help keep it from grinding around when it kicks on. I was always glad if my pump went in warm weather rather than cold!! Goulds pumps seem to be popular here - seems you almost got 30 years out of that Red Jacket so they must also be excellent

[@kevinschroeder3889]

We had a sand point well on our farm. It was great tasting water. We have a lot of iron in our wells here in southern MN by Mankato.

[@350mack]

Corn is "king" but water is "life" 😊❤

[@davepatti2296]

Back in the 80s I hauled some drilling and blasting equipment up to Gouverneur NY. Building developer was blasting some rock, and the blasting company when they drilled those blast holes must have gotten into a 'vein" of water there. They blasted and it popped the well covers off a few casings in the that area. Most of those wells never recovered, the water took another path or those veins dried up. Yeah nieghboring wells can be pumping from the same source.

[@clinthochrein888]

My aunt an uncle use to make well caps for many years A&B well caps.

[@glenschumannGlensWorkshop]

My Dad had to have his well drilled deeper when he went from Grade B cans to bulk tank Grade A. They drilled that well down to 400 feet. It was near the cow yard (about 100 feet). That was no doubt a factor. Dodge County, WI IN THE 1950s and 60s.

[@Robnite55]

Interesting video I remember as a kid this would be late 60 maybe 70 our neighbour farm but a pool in and my dad was concerned that if they filled it with a hose it would affect our water supply so they trucked the water in to fill it You just don’t know

[@wassabuck]

Great video! I have to ask is that sheep on the rock wall a decoy?, and if so for what predetors . That thing didn't move for the whole video if it's real .

[@dlzastera]

Good to know.

[@johnabbott1727]

the connection they make is called heat shrink

[@waggtech4883]

Biggest problem I’ve seen with people’s well system is they don’t know how to check and set their pressure tank. Nothings harder on the pressure switch than a pump banging away on the 30-50 setpoints. It’s really not helping the pump either. If you notice pressure spikes the pressure tank needs checked. Properly set you’ll hardly notice whether the pump is running or not.

[@drbill44]

This brought back a lot of memories of wells, from mom talking about having it good because they had a hand pump in the house on the farm near Jim Falls, to a hand crank grandpa had in Tennessee, to trying to keep the pump and pressure tank in the pump house from freezing here in Michigan. (Grandpa moved a lot) My brothers cottage has a sand point only 25’ deep, it’s a few hundred feet from Lake Huron.

[@johnmcclelland5265]

Have you ever come across a RAM pump? They’re an interesting and very reliable pump if the circumstances are right.

[@bradjenkins932]

We have 2 of them on our farm.

[@beast62ny31]

57’ nice! 25 plus years even better, sand will cleanse your insides, ha, keep up the great vids.

[@deancampfield4703]

Very good analogy with the pitl less and a water lesson

[@danw6014]

The first dairy farm I worked on originally had a hand dug well next to the house. The barn had a supply tank and I think somehow water was pumped across the road to the barn. Its very possible they used a hit and miss engine. The supply tank was higher than the milk cooler so they filled the milk cooler from the supply tank. The supply tank also supplies three cement water tanks in the barn that has a float shut off plus it filled a tank in the cow yard. That tank is shut off but the barn tanks are still in use and have worked fine for probably 80 or more years. We have problems with magnesium in our water. They told us that's why we get black sludge and odor from the water. And yes the water minerals can be good and bad. They are finding a correlation behind high iron levels in water and founder in horses.

[@jimskull168]

The tall screw on your pressure switch turn it clock wise to increase your pressure so for 40/60 40 cut in and 60 cut out you need 38 PSI in your tank I use to drill wells and put pumps in and if you have lots of water see where it draws down on open discharge and set your pump there then you have less hard water

[@LarryLeutink]

You want to hang the pump on 160lb plastic at your depth a torque jacket to keep the pump and fittings from hitting the casing when it kicks on.

[@wadepeterson9879]

The black staining on your hands is most likely manganese. Very common in WI. Great video!

[@randyleppke6650]

Very informational. the place i live had a windmill and pump jack with pressure tank in the well pit which was converted to elctric , also had an elevated tank to feed water to the house i took out the windmill wth a disk did not wreck pump jack , electric line or tractor and disk my parents dug a new well (a friends relative found location with a wire )new well that i am still using with original pump 180 ft down naturally soft water on 3rd pressure tank

[@walnutridgefarms3975]

Our well is similar to yours, except they put the pressure tank and pressure switch down in the bottom of the cistern. Which is very problematic.... It's a very damp environment and it's a yearly task to go down into the cistern and swap out the pressure switch when it rusts out. On top of that the cistern isn't tight, and after a rainy period it fills up with ground water and shorts out the pressure switch. Our well is about '300. I love the idea of having a second well...I'm going to think about doing that. The farm I grew up on had a working windmill on top of the hill which filled a cistern there and the water gravity flowed down to the house and barn.

[@philrogers8160]

People having enough water don't know the struggle. When dad bought our farm in the 40's til I finished milking cows in the mid 90's we struggled with having enough water. Dad have over a dozen veins witched but only drilled 5 wells that were all dry (Experts always told we didn't drill deep enough). By the time I was about 10 we had our own old truck with a 1000 gal tank to haul treated water from a nearby village during the warmer months. We changed trucks over the years (Last truck I used was a 66 Reo in the mid 90's which the 1000 gals cost $3). The first water on the farm was a hand dug well through stone which dad used a pail to drop on a rope to fill the water vat year round for the cows to drink. The ironic part was about 1/2 mile away was a 200 cow dairy with unlimited water.

[@dralord1307]

I grew up in the ozarks. All lime hills and lime to way down deep. My 1 uncle had to go 350ft to hit water with a decent flow rate. My other uncle "a farmer" ended up having a "what the conservation agents described as" a large lake under his land. They estimated it to be larger than his land which was 400 acres. And it was around 200 ft he had to drill

[@stevetople5023]

Shallow well handprints only suck water up 25 feet max

[@MrTonyharrell]

I’m gonna post this idea one more time but first I want you to go back in time about 125 years. Ok, now I want to pitch a federal highway system that will touch every community. You’d probably think I was crazy but here we are, highways and roads that touch every inch of the country. Ok, now I ask you are we gonna be farming more or less in the future? The obvious answer is more. We need to level the odds for farmers and provide water for irrigation to every potential farm in this country. We can get water from various places like the Colorado river, the Mississippi river, the great lakes etc… Pumps. We pump fuels across continents, why can’t we pump water for farmers? Is this a shovel ready job just waiting? The federal government should be involved of course but private industry could really shine and show the world what can be accomplished. Think about the highway system we didn’t know we would need 125 years ago. Think about a farmer if he wanted, could plug into the water system and water his crops taking drought out of his worries. Think about it.

[@randybennett5417]

Now down here in Deleware, we have large aquafures. Which are underground caves, so to speak, filled with water, drilled into for deep wells. Also they do wash wells, which are shallow wells 15ft + or - deep. Mine is a deep well, 192Ft. I think. Pump is at 170 ft down.

[@TSB12556]

My wife's home farm in Calumet Co, WI had a 680 ft well and sulfur water! Yuk! You don't appreciate good water until you don't have it.

[@arnoldschulter8951]

What is the white building behind your house on the other side of the fence used for? Just curious! Enjoy your videos.

[@ronhoffman632]

Great information as always with your videos. I'm interested in knowing about the white animal standing on the wall behind George. Could it be a goat. I think I've watched all your videos and I've never seen or heard about goats. Are they next in the milk barn?? LOL.

[@stevetople5023]

We just had trout wells in st cloud replace our 20 year old 20 gallon pressure tank 1200 dollars 600 just for pressure tank kind of over priced

[@LarryPinch]

How do you get power from a building to the well pump?

[@MorganOtt-ne1qj]

Outside of the hand dug wells that I never saw used, I have never dealt with a well less than 125' deep. Even with the black plastic pipe, it's a witch pulling a pump. I'm to cheap to call a plumber....😂

[@mikebrown1188]

I am curious why your well is only the depth it is. GEORGE nailed it on stray voltage. A 1:19 very good friend of mine had a nervous breakdown tracked it to the well.

[@druewilson1079]

In California, there’s lawsuits happening right now about farmers using enough all the water and long time homeowners Welles are drying up because the farmer using all the water irrigating

[@_Elijah_1979]

😀

[@crazyoldbat7600]

The genealogy of water on the farm.

[@jameslesliejr.5636]

⛲️💧⛲️💧⛲️💧⛲️💧👍

[@davidburchfield2720]

Warter ways 8lb to the gallon

[@markenge9348]

A pint a pound, the world around!😊

[@mikeburgan7675]

Thank you