Poultry farm
Robert is our part time free-range poultry farmer. The farm has cereal growing land which has high levels of nutrients, especially Phosphate. This is assumed to be a result of historically annual applications of nutrient rich hen manure.
Caption to go here.
The problem
The farm has cereal growing land which has high levels of nutrients, especially Phosphate. This is assumed to be a result of historically annual applications of nutrient rich hen manure. Similar to our other farms, this farm has a rich supply of spring water. The only major dirty water source on the farm is roof water from the poultry houses which we have classified as ‘lightly contaminated’.
The Solution
Robert is interested in harnessing the spring water in combination with the dirty water on farm to grow crops with a commercial value. He hopes to do so by passing the spring water and dirty water through a series of raised beds (Picture). The plants growing in the raised beds can utilise the nutrients from the water for growth. It is hoped there will be an opportunity to grow out of season crops year round as the spring water remains at a constant temperature year round. After the water has passed through the raised beds it will fall into an existing open drain which runs alongside a P rich parcel of land. Planting a buffer strip along this drain, planting its banks with vegetation and installing a check dam will conveniently convert this already existing feature into an additional single swale.