Water in the Desert, Can We Sustain This?

[@pmstff700]

It would be wonderful if you had the time to attend the meetings and explain this to the developers. With the approved 300,000 homes that will be pulling from your same aquifer I hope you can continue without difficulty. Education is key and you explain things very well.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Yeah, all of us out here have our eyes on that new development and are concerned as well. I know the new governor has put a halt to much of that new growth until the developers can show the ability to sustain without ground water, so we'll see how that pans out.

[@coyotesden]

Mine was drilled to 600' we hit water about 400', They gave me the option on the pump, they said the well can do the 25GPM max limit, or put in a 14GPM pump and have cleaner water and also never worry about drawing down the head. I did the smart thing and did the 14GPM :)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Yeah, he gave us the same option. It's really not an issue as long as you plan out your irrigation to compensate. I figure it keeps us honest with the water usage as well.

[@Lolo_Pas]

I'm so glad I stayed to the end! I went from mild distain, to total amazement. I need to work on my tendency towards snap judgement. Good luck to you and all the things you're accomplishing. I can see that you're a visionary with a firm grasp on permaculture principles. I tend to think in terms of one man, human scaled projects using hand tools. So what you're trying to do initially seemed alian to me.

[@kevinefram277]

How much did it cost?

[@FourthWayRanch]

@@kevinefram277 80 grand

[@Mysfit_Oasis]

Hello neighbor! I just purchased 5 acres on the west end of wispering ranch. Im so excited to start my off grid homestead journey and have subscribed to your chanel. learning from someone doing what i want to do literally 20 miles or less from me is insperational

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Katie, congratulations on that land purchase! Once you guys get settled in you'll have to stop by for a visit. We're not more than about 15-20 minutes from you.

[@Mysfit_Oasis]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm oh I would LIVE THAT!!!! you have trees I want to raise.... and so many other things. I'm going to build an Oasis in the desert!!! I'm actually in wittmann currently I can see the school from my goat pen.

[@danachoate5361]

I am so glad you decided to film your journey. So many of us are considering moving to a more desert like climate because the land is just cheaper. I love that I can come to your channel and have help figuring out what needs to be done to sustain our family in a climate that's considered by most to be unlivable. Hugs and many thanks to you and your beautiful wife.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Ahh, thank you Dana. It's comments like this that keep us going. While the challenges are a bit different, we find there are also some advantages to being in a desert climate. Yes, summers are hot, but the amazing amount of variety we can produce is amazing.

[@Realatmx]

I also love cheap land to live 🥺 god may bless me

[@lafricain]

Thank you so much for such a great content. I am planning on doing the same thing in the Saharan desert, in Niger 🇳🇪. You guys are such an amazing source of inspiration and knowledge.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Abdourahamane! Wow Niger... that's cool! Glad you enjoyed the video, look forward to seeing when you get started on your journey.

[@downbntout]

May you have excellent success for endless generations

[@charityeki8521]

very nice to read this. it was` exactly what i was thinking about as i was listening to him. we should do same in our deserts in Africa to farm there.

[@steffen1182]

I think your attitude towards farming is great. I don't live in a desert, but the sandy soil here hardly allows fruit trees to grow. I will try your watering rings here too. Greetings from Germany

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hello in Germany! I imagine your surroundings are a bit different from what we're facing here, but we all have challenges to overcome. My understanding from other viewers in areas that have sandy soil is the importance of compost and mulch to build soil in the areas you're growing in. What kind of fruit trees will you be growing?

[@Realatmx]

There are many ways to increase soil quality.. Try to add more organic carbon on your land.. Buy wood chips they are too cheap.. Find how you can get free garbage from hotels or any industry to make manure..

[@megetmorsomt]

Loved that little speech at the end: that was beautiful...

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Yeah, I get a little fired up sometimes and try to temper it somewhat for our videos. This one is a subject we all need to be passionate about, so figured it was appropriate.

[@jessebrown1497]

Nice video. Consider bringing volunteers into the fold to help do big projects. In my project management years I have coordinated many such non profit projects. Great learning experience for everyone involved. This kind of thing can help rejuvenate the down trodden spirits of the city folk like myself.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Jesse, that is a fantastic suggestion and we have had many folks reach out to us wanting to do just that. Once we get the major infrastructure in place we need to do it. Thank you for encouraging us to reach out and make a difference.

[@GioDudeTV]

I want to say thank you for these videos. Super informative and really helpful for all of us who are thinking about making this type of move. I’m 25 and living in an apartment with my wife and dog and I know we can get to this point. So we’re trying to learn and absorb as much info as possible. Keep up the great work :)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey guys! You know, Lori and I were in the EXACT same boat when we moved to Phoenix back in the late 90's. I (Duane) was 25 when we landed in AZ from CA. It sounds like you have similar goals to us, so focus on that and take it a step at a time. Always ask yourself "How can I (we)". It sounds like a bunch of nonsense, but it makes you keep working through each hurdle and moving onto the next. You guys can do this and if you have ANY questions, please reach out!

[@TheNotoriousNemo]

man dude your living the dream, i have an acre of land and I want to plant abunch of fruit trees, its summer now and i finally got the funds to do it.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

An acre of land is a SOLID piece of real estate. That's what we started with out here and were raising chickens and pigs along with over 100 fruit trees. That was all on about half of the property.

[@Realatmx]

Hey bro you can put green net fabric on your tank it will reduce sunlight .. To make it lifelong strong

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hmm, I hadn't though about that. I suppose it would be worth trying, but we haven't found a material that lasts much longer than a year or two in our sunlight.

[@Realatmx]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm in India mostly green net can last for 3/5 years

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@Realatmx it sounds like it's very similar for you there. If we can find very thick material it might last that long.

[@desertdanblacksmith1394]

Well said....Water in the desert is life! Thx for the info! We got 1/2 in. rain the other night! My swales worked!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Dan! Glad you saw some rain out of these storms coming through. We haven't seen much here beyond wind and dust, but we're keeping our fingers (toes, legs, knees, etc) crossed!!

[@robertharcourt7650]

Great video. Thanks for sharing all that great information.Hoping you and yur family thrive in the desert ;)

[@KellenChase]

Awesome important and useful video. Thanks for sharing this setup

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one Kellen!

[@petersterling5334]

Its Really Great what you are doing! Not only with your Farming and regeneration techniques but the Videos are So Important helping others who want to do the same thing while Educating Everyone to the Value of these Techniques for our Planet! Thank you

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one Peter and we agree. If we can get this right here in the desert it will be beneficial for us all!

[@rickycornejo3383]

How do you keep your property from growing weeds

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Ricky. We don't keep it from growing weeds, but depending on the time of year we don't have much in the way of weed growth (summers here have a way of killing most vegetation that does not have irrigation run to it). With all the rain we've had this past Winter we have weeds EVERYWHERE! It's why we own 2 hand held string trimmers, a gas powered push string trimmer, a ride on lawn mower and a push mower. Not to mention all of the shovels and hula hoes all of which have been in full use the last several weeks!

[@josephsaid6922]

Just found this site and love it keep up the good work you are doing for this earth

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thanks Joseph. Glad you found us and are enjoying the content!

[@kevtom1686]

The aquifer we/you are on is the 2nd best in the state. You guys helped motivate us to begin the same process on a smaller level (30 trees) as you espoused this is a good use of the resources we have and it keeps us as busy as we want to be. Thank you for all your great information.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey guys. We are definitely blessed to be on this land. We don't take it for granted. 30 trees is no small project and the detailed attention you can give them will really pay off!

[@KellenChase]

Beautiful and well articulated talk on the water and sustainability/ regeneration as well.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

It's so critical we figure this one out. Without water we simply cannot exist!

[@mohammedmukhtarali2778]

First of all congratulations for having so nice/full fledged water system for domestic and irrigation system. Thanks for providing every detail of the system. It is nice to see such a system.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thank you Mohammed. For us it's important as it gives us more time to do other chores and also ensures the trees have what they need.

[@jamestnguyen2165]

great channel..youtube finally made one good suggestion :). Love your videos. Wondering if you will ever try to grow avocado? that's will be a great challenge in your area.

[@mesutozsen903]

eline emeğine sağlık bu güzel vlog için kolay gelsin hayırlı işler....👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Teşekkürler! Yorumlarınızı dünyanın diğer ucundan görmeyi çok seviyoruz!

[@mesutozsen903]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm ben teşekkür ederim 👍👍👍👍

[@AbidAli-bv2gl]

Excellent video with irrigation design , Great teacher

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Abid! Thank you so much for your support :)

[@1bakerblue]

Good points well made about the water...

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Rudy. Glad you enjoyed this one. It an be a touchy subject for some folks, so we're trying to dispel a few preconceived notions people have about pulling water from the ground.

[@rnbhomestead9516]

Thank you for the information. It helps me move forward to keep looking for land in AZ

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

You'll find your space, so definitely keep looking. Things are little crazy right now, but as things start to slow down I think you'll find more land open up as folks settle down.

[@sean72292]

love it keep it coming

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you're enjoying these Sean!

[@cleverja]

Your grandfather's story is very touching, thanks for sharing. It inspires me to retire early

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Mike. Yeah, he is still an inspiration for me, so in a way he's still inspiring folks to do just that!

[@felipeiglesias]

Your channel is such an inspiration, I’ve learned a lot about farming with you and applied that knowledge to cure my 40 trees and plants. One day when the time will come, I’ll apply that knowledge to create my own farm. Best of luck and keep going with the good work!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Felipe! I'm glad to hear we're an encouragement to you and you're finding the content useful. We say it all the time, but if we can do this anybody can. The key is having it as a goal and taking the time to achieve it. Eventually, it will come!

[@GHumpty1965]

Great information, I have not seen a Video this well presented before on well Water systems. I have been wondering about how your getting water, and managing it.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one Kelly. We're trying to come back around to give some background as the farm starts to come together and this was the most obvious place to start.

[@paty11648]

Great content as always

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one.

[@kariiremiriam2266]

So educative

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you found this one useful Kariire!

[@thebibleboyz]

Amen!!! Amen!!! (15:00 to the end)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Joseph. Glad you enjoyed this one and the rant at the end. A lot of our viewers are from the city and just don't realize that pulling water from the ground to sustain life is common. Many times suburbs have been and still are actually built with ground water as the primary source of clean water as well.

[@comingtofull-ageinchrist6736]

very smart system!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

It's definitely working out well so far...no pun intended!!

[@richardryan4765]

Excellent Episode.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Richard! Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@SG-vu4qy]

great story. thank you for sharing on this crucial subject. i am north of you and so want to grow food.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one! It is amazing what we can grow out here, but of course everything needs water! How far north are you?

[@SG-vu4qy]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm about 20 miles north of Prescott. i am wanting or hoping to grow fruit and nuts. just hoping to find the types that can grow here. i think it's zone 8? wind here! i am putting pallet fencing around a few existing trees to heal them from sun scald.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@SG-vu4qy beautiful area up there. The varieties will be a bit different, but most of what we grow here you'll be successful with. Plus, you can grow more traditional fruits like sweet cherries. Fall ripening apples will also be a good option up there. Both of these we really struggle with down here.

[@SG-vu4qy]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thank you. i appreciate your advice and your dedicated work.

[@praveenJacksport]

Just curious if you would like to create some swales or water harvesting ponds to support your irrigation and water for livestock.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Oh yes, that is definitely on the plans for the back of the property where we will be using some rotational grazing with goats and sheep. The ponds will be very seasonal, but we do plan on incorporating them into the design.

[@Keep-on-ok]

We have a well and the water is very hard. We just had some professionals install a whole House R/O system. We have lived here since 2009.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Ah yes, we know just how you feel. We have owned 3 different homes here in Arizona over the last 25 years and have always done the same. It makes all the difference!

[@Melicoy]

Awesome shade with .... fastigiate lombardy poplar

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We've had a few folks suggest poplar, but I'm not sure how it would fare in our extremely dry, hot desert environment. Moringa on the other hand will be in the ground shortly.

[@threeriversforge1997]

Love it! Keep fighting the good fight!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one!

[@DereksWorkshopAndProjects]

Flood Irrigation farming in our southern desert (I live in the north east part of the state) seems like the most irresponsible way to manage the water. I think like 70% of it is lost to evaporation or something like that? Especially if they are destroying their soil with tillage every year. If they had a real Organic soil base the water would have a better chance of sticking around and they’d have to use less of it. Thanks for the video!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Derek. Couldn't agree with you more. We (collectively in AZ) waste SO much water it's insane. If we could change just a few folks' mind and have them follow some of these principles, just imagine the impact on the land surrounding us!

[@alliedsandblasting9211]

My property is old Alfalfa fields , you can still see remnants all around of the flood system

[@McRod-1]

Major Urban areas like Tucson bought out many farm lands in the early 90s as aquifer compaction and land subsidence was becoming a noticeable problem. Since then the city has been using the CAP to assist with recharging the aquifer and the water table has risen substantially.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@McRod-1 Ah, now that is pretty cool to have the city come through like that. Usually government seems to get in the way in my experience!

[@McRod-1]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm it's a balance. We need food and textiles (i.e. cotton) too. I appreciate all American farmers. Very difficult profession.

[@Keep-on-ok]

We live about a block from the Gila River.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Do you guys live in town?

[@gurdarshansinghsodhi5570]

Very good, try to fix one water collection net. I think you can accumulate clean drinking water from the air also.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Are you referring to something like a fog net? With single digit humidity most of the year we actually don't have the ability utilize that technology.

[@ericbowers1620]

Great video showing folks all that goes into starting out on your own piece of heaven :)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Eric! It definitely is a piece of heaven. Can't wait to see what it will look like in 1 year, 5 years...

[@ericbowers1620]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm i agree. The trees are already gettin big in some cases. Itll look amazing all filled in.

[@plentifulharvesthomestead7657]

Thanks for the very informative explanation of each step of the water management process. I love how you're so consistently conscientious about the water, the land, and the value of providing food/life for yourselves and others. As you mentioned "like the middle east" the idea came that your successes and challenges will be (and already are) a great resource for those in yoru region, but also potentially for small farmers in similar climates across the world. So I'll pray that your knowledge and experiences get put to best use for the widest array of people :) And very cool story about your grandpa - it will be great to see your 50+ years of farming to come as well :)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thanks for the encouraging words. We're all being stewards (good or bad) whether we realize it or not. I think it's a matter of understanding there is a natural way of working with creation to sustain life and that more abundantly. The problem we have is how far removed so many of us are as we've gone away from being part of the process of creation through growing our own food. If more folks were connected that way it wouldn't be as much of a stretch to becoming a good steward. BTW, is this Danny?

[@plentifulharvesthomestead7657]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm This is Danny's wife, Katherine. I do most of the video-watching and all of the video-commenting but we both love your channels and are both keeping you in our prayers -- and we both hope to meet up with you in the forseeable future :)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@plentifulharvesthomestead7657 Hey Katherine! Thank you for your prayers, that means so much to Lori and me. Hopefully we'll get a chance to meet you guys face to face someday soon.

[@User5260jo]

Inspiring and fascinating! Your dad did the right thing, retiring early and getting out of the city. His passion was passed on to you. It is amazing to know how much worked had been done to have a well in the middle of the desert and to see plants and trees thriving. I can see you and your wife are enjoying what you have out there in Arizona. What a blessing to see that things that seems impossible can be done. Thank you for all the info.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thank you for this comment. I (Duane) don't take for granted the legacy my dad and grandad have given me in the example they have given for a sustainable life. It's something we're missing in today's culture and, in my opinion, to our detriment.

[@User5260jo]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Wow! Absolutely true, Duane! I grew up in the farm in the Philippines and was helping my parents since I was a small child. My grandparents were farmers. We've planted all kinds of crops and grew our own food. Today those farm lands have been converted to subdivisions without proper underground drainage. Caused a deadly flooding the first time the heavy storm came. It's good they built proper irrigation later at the outskirts later. My daughter who got married last October moved to Phoenix from where we are right now, about 45 miles East of Los Angeles were we used to live (the first time we came). We talked about going off grid. We were in Arizona last weekend for a relative's wedding at Mesa. It was a joy to see greenery coming closer to Phoenix. It is also wonderful to know that you and Lori are enjoying raising your own organic poultry as well. May your hard work be rewarded with an abundant harvest always.🌱🙏

[@Mansahx]

Nature is life and gives life. 🙏🏾🙏🏾good video….

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Amen to that, so true! We don't take that for granted working this farm.

[@cs7717]

I have had several wells in my life. I see one thing missing on your setup that I would never be without. I have always had a bypass lever valve that would completely bypass the filter and pressure tank. The filter bypass setup can be used or not used when selecting the main bypass. Why would I never be without that setup? Pumps and filters break down. Being without water for even a day is a pain. When something broke (and things did on the ranch all the time), all we ever had to do was switch to bypass mode and let gravity feed from our 5000 gallon tank while we waited for parts. Sometimes it would take a week or more for pumps and parts. Gravity feed bypass saved our arse and plants several times. You should seriously consider retrofitting a bypass system. The first time you use it, you will be ever, ever so happy that you did it.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

That is a FANTASTIC suggestion C S. We need to get that installed, because it's just a matter of time before that pump will be on the fritz.

[@irisleite5391]

God bless you and your family, for sharing your fantastic ideas, for a better future for our planet, thank you.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thank you Iris. We are blessed far more than we deserve!

[@irisleite5391]

Please pray tell, do you sell seeds to the UK, and what seeds do you have available for sale.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@irisleite5391 we don't sell any seeds as of yet. I'm not sure we would attempt to do that internationally.

[@OnlyNaturally]

Great info, and I LOVE the end, lol

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Frances! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@tbjtbj4786]

Man thats deep. We used a 38 foot hand dug well. That my grandfather dug. For the house and everything until we went to coop water in the 90's.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Wow, that really shows the incredible difference in water table heights in wet vs dry regions. How was the water quality?

[@tbjtbj4786]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm it was good. But then a bunch of tomato farms popped up in the 80's and 90's. With there run off. All shallow water become suspect. To the point I will not eat fish out of the ponds they used irrigation or any in there water shed. When you see green slime that's not alge and chemical oil slicks on ponds. I figure everything in the water iffy.

[@tbjtbj4786]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm forgot it was all lime rock water. It was a bit hard but sweet sorta in taste. There are caves for lack of anything else to call them that connect through a few of the wells. Dad usto say it was a under ground river that ran under the place.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@tbjtbj4786 an underground river is a very good description actually!

[@danielfisch655]

Very informative, love the well setup and thank you for sharing.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Daniel! Glad you enjoyed this one.

[@peter-alanalchin1025]

I love this but my water is brackish is there any advice out there to help.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Oh boy, that's way above our pay grade as we've never had to deal with that. Hopefully someone has some advice for you here. I assume this is well water you're dealing with?

[@mechanics4all405]

gutters off roof into storage,capture desert floods in big groundwork pond,start covering all soil areas with mulch etc

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great suggestions and we've implemented a few of those and have plans for more. The roof catchment is in place, but we chose passive catchment into the vineyard and berry gardens vs storage. The focus these first 2 years was getting production in place to start cash flowing the farm business. Trees and vines take 2-3 years before they start producing, so that was the primary focus along with livestock systems to start building soil long term.

[@theorangetreehomestead6660]

I was always wondering how deep your well goes and how big the aquifer is. Wish I had a well I am spending a lot on water!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Sean! We definitely would not be able to do what we are doing if we were not on a well. I could only imagine what our water bill would be!

[@az.alkadi]

I live in dammam Saudi Arabia it’s coastal humid desert climate i started collecting water from humid air

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Oh wow, Abdulaziz that's great to hear. Any time you can capture moisture and put it in the ground it's beneficial!

[@michelranger2285]

I was wondering if you plant ur fruit trees closer together so the the soil is shaded , if it would save on watering ??

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question Michel. Our primary way of avoiding evaporation and maximizing the growth of the tree (and subsequent water retention due to larger root mass) is using wood chip mulch heavily in all of our orchards (anywhere from 8-12 inches deep throughout). With many of our trees now 3 years old we've already been able to reduce our irrigation needs on most areas of the farm as the trees roots continue to expand both down and out under that mulch.

[@Melicoy]

Up here in Canada my insurance co will not insure if the drinking water goes through galvanized pipe.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Now that's interesting. All of the above ground pump equipment for wells out here use galvanized pipe. It doesn't extend any further than the pressure tanks (It's always PVC from there).

[@محمدالشيباني-ن3خ]

How many days to watering four years old trees on the same system that you use

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Our 4 and 5 year old trees get 60 gallons of water 2x/week in the middle of Summer. 60 once/week in Fall and Spring and almost none in the Winter (no more than about once or twice a month).

[@pattidavis8043]

Awesome video

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Patti! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@Homested_Happenings]

New subscriber here. I was so hoping you were managing a massive rain collection system.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Welcome to the channel! We decided on the well route for a few different reasons, but the primary one was our farming business. Turning a profit takes a lot of up front infrastructure (we are doing this debt free after nearly 20 years of debt free living/saving) and the need for consistent water to ensure we can manage the crops and livestock we have on the farm. The amount of catchment we would need up front would be enormous. We do use passive catchment from the buildings that drain into mulched swales and we also have plans for additional earthworks to capture and recharge our aquifer. I don't know that we'll go back and attempt heavy catchment, but we do expect our water usage will reduce over time rather than increase. If you have suggestions as you get acquainted, please shoot them over. We've learned a lot from everyone out there!

[@Homested_Happenings]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thank for your prompt reply. The first few videos I watched made me think you were homesteading. I'm kinda like you grandfather, getting ready to retire. However the difference being I'm leaving Oregon and moving to Arizona to follow some dreams and goals of a homested. Running a business, as you do, I understand your water choices. I read today that an inch of rain falling on a acre is around 27,000 gallons. I was surprised at the amount of water. Cheers, Bill

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@Homested_Happenings ah, ok. It's always good to understand background and you're on the right track looking at water first. I'm not sure if you've seen it yet, but we did a video on choosing land in AZ that might be worth a watch. I'll link that for you here; kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXmshWprptR1h5o Our newest neighbors West of us are from Oregon as well. Same situation, looking for a place to at least call home for the winter season. We're here for any questions. Our email is on the about tab here on YT if you want to chat that way as well.

[@HD-jr4qu]

Great video, thanks for making this

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Sure thing Jeff. This one was actually based on your request. :)

[@HD-jr4qu]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm haha I was wondering

[@MaffeiKris]

I don’t understand why people would question your water usage. You Artie purifying the air and adding Oxygen to the air through those trees. You are also using the water to feed..plants & animals..and use the product it provides along with the bi product through composting. It’s the best circle of life one could imagine and life takes water. Eventually, those trees will get their water straight from the aquifer themselves. Otherwise, beautiful and nicely organized watering system!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Kris. Yeah, it's always a bit frustrating for us as well. I think the majority of the time it's just ignorance. Generally speaking folks are very disconnected from food and food production. When you combine that with decades of very poor management practices on high production farms it's not too surprising that folks assume using ground water is a bad thing. Hopefully this will open a few minds to the reality that we can drastically change the environment in a positive way if we start managing the resources we have available to us. It truly is a cycle of life that we watch unfold before our very eyes. It's incredible to see.

[@gezahagnnegash9740]

Why you painted the trunk with white color? what is the chemical composition of the paint? I don't see the double ring here, is only used during irrigation? Thanks

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great questions. I'll link to a video we did on the trunk paint we use here for you and you can check the ingredients on the manufacturer's website; kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYfLkHynfceLqZI We use the double ring design on all of our regular/full size fruit trees. For vines and bushes we use drip irrigation. For desert adapted trees we hand water in rings as well, but not always in a double ring design.

[@gezahagnnegash9740]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thanks for your fast response. Did you do few videos on disease management strategies on fruit trees? Thanks

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@gezahagnnegash9740 no we don't have any videos on disease management, because it's not a common issue for us here in the dry desert of Arizona. One thing that helps keep that in check is deep, infrequent watering underneath mulch. This further mitigates any possible disease issues by keeping moisture away from the tree itself.

[@gezahagnnegash9740]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thanks a lot FYI!

[@KhalidAl-Shammari]

Nice home .i have same wether here maybe a little hotter. I discover that i can grow orange, lime, mango, berries and figs. Now i have wonderful garden. Rain Bird and hunter systems are recommended 👌🏻

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

That is a really good mix of fruit trees that you have growing and we agree completely with your recommendation of Rain Bird and Hunter systems. We use both and rarely stray from that. Where are you farming?

[@sudiptabiswas5078]

Please don't mind me asking how much cost bracket does your irrigation system falls. Great work & management guys

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We had a professional help us with the install, so it was a bit more expensive with his help. I believe the total cost was somewhere around $15k. That includes his fees.

[@sudiptabiswas5078]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm this investment will soon be a success guys the noble vision you share to save each drop of water and the concern for the locality will be a game changer for your journey. All the best.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@sudiptabiswas5078 we hope so, and thank you for the encouragement.

[@breakingburque2200]

That’s why I haven’t started on my land yet. Our water table is about 400 feet down. I haven’t found a driller who is willing to even give a bid on the area.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Breaking Burque! Where do have your land?

[@breakingburque2200]

McIntosh and Moriarty New Mexico.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@breakingburque2200 ok, so not too different from what we're dealing with here I imagine. At least the dry aspect of it. Do you think the issue with finding somebody to drill is at least partially because of demand? I know the drillers around here right now are booked solid for months.

[@breakingburque2200]

Not demand, they hear it’s on the other side of the mountain from Albuquerque and don’t think it’s worth going. Once I pay off another piece of land it will be worth paying extra to have someone travel to get it done.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@breakingburque2200 Ah gotcha. I (Duane) used to travel to ABQ for work many years ago, so I'm a little familiar with the area you're in.

[@jurgenwauters2237]

The use of swales to capter the water from rain, and thus let it seep into the ground verly slowly.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Exactly! We have them around our trees and also using them to capture the rain water from the rooves of our buildings. The plan is to add them to the open areas of the farm as well to continue to push water into the soil.

[@jurgenwauters2237]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm great

[@alliedsandblasting9211]

I just got my 5000 gallon tank in Lucerne Valley , I have water trucked in because the ground water where I’m at is brackish , hoping to plant a few trees soon

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

The larger tank is so essential. I remember driving through Lucerne Valley moving my sister out here from Victorville. Much like what we're surrounded by here in the Phoenix area. How deep is your water table?

[@alliedsandblasting9211]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I believe you get water at 350 but no one in my area drinks it

[@dannybarrera7637]

Have you guys thought about big trees as windbreaks around the property? Maybe some mesquite mixed with eucalyptus? A few maybe dotted around the property as a canopy layer?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question/suggestion. Technically we're using the East and West orchards as our windbreak for the center of the farm where we have our in-ground plantings. The biggest challenge we have here is nothing will grow without irrigation (at least the first few years) and we needed to focus our limited water to trees and plants that would produce for us. That being said, we have a row of full size mulberry and pecan trees lining the South border of the property that are being used for that purpose. That's Zone 3-4 for us, so we have plans for more layering, livestock, using those as canopy, wind block, production and fodder. Goats are new to farm as of the last month or so and they will be a part of that process.

[@kennhurt5636]

How many acres do you have and irrigate?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We're on 6 acres here and we only put irrigation on our fruit trees and 6,000 sq. ft poultry pasture. Depending on where you live in AZ there are water restrictions that dictate how much land you can "irrigate" and by that they mean traditional irrigation where you flood the land to keep it "green". For us that limit is 2 acres.

[@markramirez9275]

Thanks for that great video, me I'm still trying to figure out on where and how can I get one in my area , and I know I wil thats what makes it a challenge to over come. Great information thank you.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Mark! How far down do you guys usually need to go to hit water? With that farm land that surrounds you I wouldn't think it would be too bad.

[@Dude29]

Fantastic video! I suppose you could also get solar panels for renewable electricty

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

You're onto something there Joao. We did have solar on the old farm and we didn't see enough of a savings to make it worth attempting here. At least not yet. Storage (battery) is critical for us and the technology is not quite there yet for it to be viable...at least not enough to keep Lori happy and comfortable at night during the Summer! That being said, we do have plans to incorporate it eventually and the outbuilding is situated so it would be ideal for solar/sun exposure.

[@ft7126]

Sounds like a permaculture. Amazing farming your doing.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

You hit the nail on the head F T. While we're not permaculture designers, we use many permaculture principles in the design of our farm.

[@charityeki8521]

lovely. i just subbed

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one and are joining us on this journey. Shoot over any questions or suggestions as we go along!

[@charityeki8521]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Will definitely do as I am considering starting a plantation in West Africa. And would like to be very involved in the process and all

[@travelingtimothy]

I am interested. What is next? Starting from scratch!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

That's a great question and we're working on several things. Some on the business side of the farm and others on the expansion of things. We have irrigation lines stubbed out for 48 additional fruit/nut trees and additional livestock are coming soon. You mentioned starting from scratch, are you moving onto new land?

[@Mohamedabdo-ib3ki]

awesome content thank you, i am thinking of doing the same; may I ask what kind of energy do you use for the farm and home ?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We use electricity from the power grid here in the Phoenix area for both the farm and home.

[@Mohamedabdo-ib3ki]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm i just didn't spot the grid from drone pictures

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@Mohamedabdo-ib3ki ah yes. All of the electrical lines out here are actually 6' underground!

[@Mohamedabdo-ib3ki]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thank you for the information

[@SEPU03]

Would you consider using solar power bird bath pumps Is with a 20 gallon or even a 50 sub tank for the wild life

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We're still trying to figure out how we're going to maintain a wildlife pond at the back of the property, but if we keep it filled year round we would need to have some type of pump system. The area we plan on installing it in does not have any electric, so it would need to be solar powered.

[@Anonymous-wf3oy]

Is the Galvanized pipe a health issue or concern on the water system?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

I'm not an expert on that, so I wouldn't be able to speak with confidence in regards to health issues related to galvanized water pipe. All of our underground pipe is PVC (with the exception of the first 20' going down into the well bore). All of the well components are to County code, so it's standard stuff for anyone on a well in and around the Phoenix area.

[@merrymarthlamb3185]

Exactly why I moved to Wittmann last year. Got rid of the huge house, downsized the yard (I graduated high school in 1973,) so 1 acre is more than enough for me. Got a scraped bare yard and a big garage. And thank God I don't have a pool anymore. I think I can do what I want right here. The dirt is surprisingly good and only needs water to grow pioneer plants. So far, I have put in a fence to manage the free cows, they ate the 3 trees I planted. I have 3 laying hens and some raised beds to plant. I'm already behind for the year, but it isn't a race. I have a shared well. Yep, sipping from the Hassayampa aquifer also. Primary goal: keep the water that falls on the property, on the property. I'm going to add water catchments off of the roofs and mulch beds to catch what runs over the ground. I'm a water farmer.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Woohoo, howdy neighbor! It sounds like you're seeing the same benefits (and challenges) we are here. That water is really the focus and you're right, the soil really does have a lot going for it once you give it an occasional soak.

[@Blue1Sapphire]

Interesting .. . u have answered my question re your water supplies in another video. Out of interest have u been able to make the farm profitable, meaning u dont need an outside job to support it? One other question is the reliance on electricity. U need to to keep pressure in your pumps and it cost money to keep this going and who knows about the reliability & cost of it going forward. Have u considered a high tank for pressure and a solar pump to fill the tank. This way u will be off grid when it comes to your water security?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great questions. We have been profitable enough at this point for one of us to stay home (we replaced Lori's income last year). Revenue this year will be pushing 6 digits, but that will not be enough to replace my income. With our current setup we have the option to disconnect the home from the grid and run off of generators, but we have not taken the step of installing solar. We had that on our last home and it was a losing proposition at the costs in 2015. We may consider that in the future, but it's not on the plans (or in the budget) at this time. Pricing on solar well pumps is astronomically expensive for the depths we're at for water. It's well over 5 digits just for the pump that will only last 5-7 years on average. Another reason we're looking more towards the future possibility of solar and the option for generator backup.

[@toddphillips5949]

Hey Dwayne & Lori, It's Todd in New River. Another great video. Thanks! My well is down 350 feet and water level at 250 feet. I noticed you have 2 well pressure tanks. My system has only one.Curious why a 2nd tank? What does a 2nd tank do? Will it extend the life of your pump (my goal). Hoping you or another viewer can explain. Thanks

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Todd! Great question. My understanding is it can help to extend the life of the pressure pump by giving you double the amount of pressurized water available before having to refill.

[@patblack2291]

Twice the pressure tanks means half the number of cycles on the pressure pump. The starting of the pump is when a lot of wear on the pump happens. It also is redundancy so if one pressure tank fails, you can disconnect it from the system and still have pressurized water until a replacement is made. These tanks only last so long.

[@toddphillips5949]

@@patblack2291 Thanks Pat, You aren't kidding about the tanks lasting only so long. I'm on my 3rd tank in 20 years. Had to replace the pump last year. That was a lot of work. Think I'm going to add another tank.

[@patblack2291]

@@toddphillips5949 The Well-X-Trol pressure tanks have a 7-year warranty, so it seems you're right on schedule, ugh! Maybe stagger the two tanks by a few years. I got a chuckle at one of the comments on here, someone saying they wish they had a well because they spend so much on water. I was thinking, "Do you know how much people spend in time and money to have a well system?!"

[@toddphillips5949]

@@patblack2291 It's a necessary money pit........Mine came with the property. Can't imagine what they cost to drill. Plus there is always a worry that they may at anytime, without warning, go dry. Think the neighbor is paying $100 for 2000 gallons of water delivered.

[@kennhurt5636]

Would you mind sending me the information about your well and the installation of it and any information you can send to me about who installed your system along with your water storage tank. I appreciate your help. How much power does it take to run your farm? Do you have any solar.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We covered the well install and gave details in a couple of videos. I'll link our Desert to Farm playlist for you here and you'll find those in a couple of the first episodes in that playlist. If you have additional questions that are not answered let me know; kzbin.info/aero/PLnT_wyDSIC9iPoiQyyKG9ZA00YiJSw1_H

[@rhysf.505]

Where the heck are you guys that it's still dry? The rains for the east valley have been awesome this month!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Rhys F. We are about 30mins outside of Surprise, north of the White Tank Mountains. We are so jealous of the rain everywhere else is getting, we still have not gotten anything but a few sprinkles. We will see it in all directions and then goes right around us.

[@slamboy66]

Compared to you, I am running around with a bucket and turkey baster. lol

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Oh my goodness, that brings a very interesting scene to mind!!

[@OffGridandOffRoad]

We are very curious to know the cost of your well. We have property west of Seligman and want to drill a well. 600 ft is average in the area but we have heard nightmares about the cost. Is this true? We did one in the rocky mountains of Colorado at 425ft at it was only 15,000. Although it was 18 years ago. Please any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Keep in mind this was back in 2019, but ours was about $35k all in. Our neighbors had theirs done in 2022 and it had about doubled for them. Not sure what it would be today.

[@OffGridandOffRoad]

Thank you. We appreciate the information.

[@pamelamercado6902]

I just love seeing those beautiful green trees. It has been said no canal water will be coming to the casa grande area Tucson and on and on due to the drought there are farmers who have been here more than 60 years who just did their last harvest and they won't have another one till there is water and no they cannot dig a well and no more developments only those that already had aprovels unless you can provide a hundred million gallons of water and that has to come from somewhere else it's crazy mine comes from a well I don't believe in waisting water it's to precious. Great job explaining your water system

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Pamela. That is a tough spot to be in, that's for sure. I hope they can find alternate sources of income. That's one of the many reasons to have integrated systems to support food production. For us we don't have eggs to sell because of losing the chickens, but eggs are only a small portion of the farm income.

[@gardenofthegeeks8277]

Wierd reflection huh!?! You said it Sorry had to. anyways thank you for this might have to have you and or your guy out to Willcox if we ever get there. I learned a lot from this video thank you !

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey guys! Yeah, I didn't realize until I was editing that I said that. Weird reflection indeed!! I'm confident you guys will find yourselves on that land!!

[@organiccleanfoodconnection]

Kansas is basically a desert with all the trees and grass dying from the chemical farming. But the amount of water you pump is nothing compared to corn Circle /Pivot. Most of them leave big pools of water and runoff. My family had cows die because the cornfield ran off into the natural spring and contaminated it. We had to bury the spring and drill a well to water the cows. Three generations the cows drink from that spring. 500 feet is a very deep well. I am about 170. I had to have it punch deeper because we’re running out of water on our aquifer. As they put in another feedlot mind blowing.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Oh my goodness, that is just a nightmare. Just scary to hear this considering that is the bread basket of America!

[@yaima0901]

I’m in West Texas and my well only pumps 2gpm it’s depressing!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Wow, that is very slow. That makes it tough to irrigate much unless you want that pump running 24/7.

[@yaima0901]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I’m going to have to have it run 24/7 I’m buying a 3000g storage tank I don’t have as many trees as you do but I have plenty and the grass… maybe digging another well is my solution

[@dannybarrera7637]

👍 Permaculture the heck to harvest every drop of that monsoon waters. You can have an oasis paradise there. Hope you can get all the woodchips in the world to get all the goodness started. God bless you. Ps. Start a solitary bee hotel, and maybe plant a palo verde. Palo verde bloom early and attract every bee on the planet.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Danny. You are right on track with where we're headed. The focus this first 2 years has been getting cash flow on the farm, hence the fruit tree plantings and livestock. We're working the zones and are still at Zone 2, so we want to get that down before moving out to Zone 3 and beyond. Wood chips aplenty for sure!!

[@skippytwonder]

Any chance you will harvest rainwater in the future?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We harvest rainwater now, but it's all passive. We don't have plans for rainwater storage to any large degree, but we do have plans to naturally slow/capture rainwater on other parts of the farm as we continue to expand.

[@skippytwonder]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I follow several homesteader's channels in AZ and I am amazed at how much water runs across their land during the summer monsoons. Seems like water catchment would be an obvious decision, especially with the regulatory limits that are put on your well.

[@comingtofull-ageinchrist6736]

I thought 60 psi was a typical water pressure, but it probably varies, depending on you geographical location, like anything else. I'm just wondering why you didn't set up a big catch tank for rain water to use on live stock and trees etc.? You're already about half way there with the way you have gutters set up. Have you considered the benefit of having a big catch tank for rain water? It seems like it would be beneficial. You could even catch more rain if you used a metal roof over the chickens instead of the tarps. Just curious as to what your reasoning is on it.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

You make some great points here and we may expand that as we bring more livestock onto the farm. The main issue we face is anything we want water to remain in for any period of time must be covered. With single digit humidity and only a handful of rain days a year, catchment will dry up without it being covered. Given that, there is expense there that we would have to cover. We may do so in the future, but it wasn't the primary goal for these first few years as we've been getting the farm up and running in order to fund the rest of the project.

[@mechanics4all405]

Great work, how do finance all this,with no product on farm atm. Also why dont you landscape and dig a water storage area, on true regenerative agriculture principals, it may take time but would no doubt be worthwhilw Keep up good work, any more updates?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We've been saving for this for nearly 10 years, so it's allowed us to pay cash for the up front costs. Dave Ramsey disciples since 2001, so technically we started saving for it over 20 years ago! We opted for a well primarily because of the intensive fruit tree production we wanted. The amount of infrastructure we would need to store countless thousands of gallons of water up front was just too much. The goal is to slowly taper the water needed for those trees over time as the trees establish roots and we continue to build soil.

[@Sagittarius-A-Star]

What a cool challenge to grow fruits in the desert and capture the rainwater to refill the aquifer. If I were American I probably would do the same (because I guess land in the desert is still affordable ....).

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

That's the ultimate goal and we're already seeing the change in water penetration in the areas we've started working with. And yes, land is still a bit cheaper in desert areas than most others! Where do you call home?

[@Sagittarius-A-Star]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Wow - that was a fast reply! I'm in Austria where land is unaffordable ... But since my Aunt - who is Austrian as well - is in the States for decades already, maybe I also should give it a try.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@Sagittarius-A-Star oh yes, I imagine it looks quite different where you are as compared to here!

[@Sagittarius-A-Star]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Definitely - we don't have deserts, it's relatively humid (very humid actually compared to your place). But it is not like this: Calling in to Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said, “You look at countries, Austria, you look at so many countries. They live in the forest, they’re considered forest cities. So many of them. And they don’t have fires like this. And they have more explosive trees.” 😂

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@Sagittarius-A-Star oh my goodness, that is hilarious!

[@Realatmx]

Do you tried solar energy system to save bills?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We had solar panels on the old farm and we didn't see a big enough savings to consider them here, at least not yet. The technology in battery power needs to be a bit better for us to consider them again.

[@Realatmx]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm oh that's sad.. Hope you found cheap renewable electricity source ..

[@domenicozagari2443]

Tropical fruit trees do good in the desert.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We have a few hardier tropicals growing out here in Wittmann. It's a bit easier in the city where they are about 4-5 degrees warmer than we are during the Winter. It can be done!

[@jellyellis6813]

I just bought a house on 2.3 acres in Golden Valley Arizona so I'm not too far from you...my property is pure desert oasis I am dying to plant berry bushes and all fruit trees we are in a higher elevation Golden Valley probably got 6,000 higher than you I just don't know where to start we are also using a water tank as well to get our water I need to figure out what to do and I just need your help I don't know where start

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Jelly! That's a solid chunck of land you have there. We're only using about 2.5 of the 6 acres we have here, so you will have plenty of room to move. The best place to start is with your irrigation. It will be very difficult to hand water your trees, bushes and vines and they will need consistent irrigation in order to produce well for you. We have detailed what we're doing here and that should help you along the way. All of our videos are separated into Playlists, so you can pick and choose from there as you're working your way through it. If you have specific questions you're welcome to email us and we do offer consultations. Details on that are on our website.

[@Mady-lo6qb]

For some reason the term "moisture farmer" keeps running in my head. lol. Do you guys get a lot of mists? There are some youtube videos on fog nets used to harvests mists for their water. Redwoods do this too. I do not know if this is feasible for you to consider or not.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Mady! With the exception of a day or two after a storm, our humidity is in the very low double digits (sometimes single digits), so moisture is pretty much non-existent for us. I (Duane) am from SoCal and with the proximity to the ocean even the desert areas see higher humidity that we simply don't have here.

[@Cjudd001]

I was going to give you shit about drawing table water for the desert until the end of your video.. Seen plenty of other videos about de-desertification and this is a good way to do so. Followed natural sequence farming in Australia and watched videos and a man turn Arizona desert back in to a spring filled aquifer by reinstating vegetation and root systems to drive water back down into the aquifer.. your statement is spot on. Are we perfect? no but your idea is sound. Create the plantation above and hydrate it and it will slowly hydrate and green the desert.. There was a guy that used orange peels to regrow rainforests.. don't you guys grow a lot of oranges near California?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thanks for this comment Clint. We catch a lot of flack from folks who don't know the details of what we're trying to accomplish here, but we're doing our best to be good stewards. We actually grow a lot of citrus here in Arizona. Not as much as we used to as many of the old orchards are being leveled for housing as the city expands. That's part of our problem with more and more drought. Concrete isn't exactly a beneficial part of the water cycle! That being said, we do grow plenty of citrus on the farm here. All of the organic matter that we don't consume is returned to the soil via various composting methods. Technically all of the organic matter does as we're on septic here.

[@EmuMan44]

What is your total water withdrawal per annum?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

That's a good question Lee and I haven't attempted to calculate it. We don't have meters and we use it for both irrigation and the house, so it would be an estimate rather than an actual number. Water usage for us varies greatly from one season to the next. Winter time for example it's very low, while summer it can be quite high depending on rainfall and temps.