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The Clay Pond of our Organic Farm is 160 long and about 60ft wide. The pond is only 4ft deep and has two islands in the middle. The Clay Pond gets its name from the heavy soil, which is difficult to farm but is superb in holding water. The Clay Pond only gets water from ground run-off. A 4" overflow line drains excess water to the Marsh Pond. The Clay Pond is also used for Mobile Irrigation. |
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August 27, 2003 - To minimize rodent damage to gourds curing outside, I built a Gourd Rack in the shallows of the Clay Pond. When the pond is full, water is about 1ft deep at the base of the stand. It worked - I didn't lose any gourds in the winter of 2002-2003. |
August 27, 2003 - A closeup look at the gourd rack. I started by pounding grape posts every 8ft. I made inverted cones of metal flashing to deter rodents upward travel. Next, I took 8ft sections of 4ft tall fence material (2x4") and bent it in to shelf sections. I used bailing wire to attach the fence to the posts and used a canopy wire to support the outer edges of the shelves. |
