Smart Water Use: Irrigation and Water Management for Small Farms
About This Course
Smart Water Use: Irrigation and Water Management for Small Farms is a hands-on course that helps smallholders and market gardeners plan, install, and manage efficient irrigation that saves water, labor, and energy while protecting yields and soil health.
Learning Objectives
Match crops and soils to a suitable irrigation method (drip, sprinkler, furrow/basin) and design a basic layout with valves, filters, laterals, and emitters.
Estimate crop water needs and create a weekly irrigation schedule using soil feel/appearance, simple water-use formulas, or low-cost sensors.
Select, size, and safely operate small pumps and energy options (manual, engine, solar) with basic filtration and pressure checks.
Implement operation and maintenance routines to prevent clogging, leaks, pressure loss, and uneven application.
Identify and mitigate waterlogging, salinity, runoff, and erosion risks linked to poor irrigation practices.
Track water use and costs, and improve efficiency with mulching, zoning, and staged automation upgrades.
Material Includes
- Irrigation method selector and field zoning worksheet.
- Scheduling sheets using soil-feel method and a simple water-use calculator with ET prompts.
- Pump and filter quick guides with start-up and shut-down checklists.
- O&M log for flushing, filter cleaning, and pressure checks.
- Troubleshooting tree for low pressure, uneven distribution, and clogging.
Target Audience
- Small farms, homesteads, and field-scale vegetable growers wanting practical irrigation choices (drip, sprinkler, surface) and simple scheduling methods tailored to limited budgets and variable water supply.
- New farm managers needing step-by-step setup, maintenance routines, troubleshooting, and basic pump/filtration know-how without advanced engineering prerequisites.
Curriculum
1 Lesson
Lesson
Smart Water Use: Irrigation and Water Management for Small Farms00:00:00
$15.00
Material Includes
- Irrigation method selector and field zoning worksheet.
- Scheduling sheets using soil-feel method and a simple water-use calculator with ET prompts.
- Pump and filter quick guides with start-up and shut-down checklists.
- O&M log for flushing, filter cleaning, and pressure checks.
- Troubleshooting tree for low pressure, uneven distribution, and clogging.
