The Importance of Managing Our Water

There can be many misconceptions about farming, as there are many different approaches to agriculture. Conventional agriculture is more aggressive on the soil, organisms, and overall ecosystem. But even on an agroecological farm like ours, where farmers are mindful of their impact on the ecosystem around them, there are ways that we are inevitably disrupting the land and soil. So it's important to take responsibility for these impacts and find ways to integrate agricultural and infrastructural development into the natural patterns and environments. 

Observation and infrastructure design planning

The process of our new terraces started with intentional design planning, and was materialized with the support of people clearing out young trees, a digger coming to contour the land, and many team members stabilizing the soil with dried hay and planting!

In February, our agriculture team began to build new terraces on the farm to increase food production and feed more community members in the western side of Puerto Rico. On these terraces we plan to have agroforestry - growing crops alongside fruit trees and native plants- as well as a rotation between beans and rice. But that isn’t as simple as just putting seeds on the ground: it requires a lot of intentional thinking and planning beforehand. By following permaculture principles, we design spaces that are more harmonious with the natural patterns that are around us. How we manage water is a big example of how we do this. 

Plenitud PR’s farm is located in Las Marías, a town in the western-central mountainous region of Puerto Rico where rain is very abundant. These factors make for an interesting combination - mountains with steep slopes and rain rushing down them results in lots of runoff. This can be a very dangerous combination without proper planning,  leading to intense soil erosion, loss of crops, and major landslides.

However, even with some of the most intense rain events on record, our farm has not seen any major problems. Why?

Our agriculture team uses a combination of different passive water management systems (see Figure 1) that work together with the natural landscape to control runoff and promote water infiltration in the soil. These systems promote soil fertility, provide habitat for wildlife, and produce yields of fruits, fuel, building materials, and more! As such, they are key in helping us grow food and feed 80 families weekly! 

Figure 1:  This is an elevation map of our farm and the different passive water management systems that we have been able to implement throughout the years. You can see the solid and dotted white contour lines on the map. Every point on a contour line is at the same level or elevation.

Terraces as a passive water management tool

One of the key water management systems for agriculture on a farm are the terraces. A terrace is a horizontal area of land that is created on sloped terrain to have flat spaces for sowing. They have been used all over the world for centuries!

Aerial view of Plenitud PR’s terraces.

Side view of terraces.

Terraces are ideal for agriculture in hilly areas because they provide a flat area that is more accessible for farmers, and they also combine different water management features that promote passive irrigation for crops and protect nutrient-rich topsoil from erosion. In Figure 2, we can see a diagram of how they work: 

Figure 2: Terraces are constructed with a slight inclination inward (opposite to the existing slope of the terrain) to retain water and avoid erosion. In areas with heavy rain, it is recommended to make a diversion ditch on the inner corner with a 2-4% slope (2-4 centimeters of elevation difference per every meter), to make sure any excess water drains off safely. If this is not done, water will pool in the terrace and inundate the growing area.

3 things to remember when building terraces

1. Observe the space and identify resources

Before any work is done, make sure to first begin by observing the space you want to build terraces in. Take into consideration:

• the natural slope of the terrain - the higher the slope, the less flat space you'll have

• marking medium aged or tall trees that would be beneficial to conserve throughout earthworks

• identifying trees that can be used as lumber or wood-chips

• what vegetation can be cleared out to be later used for other things like compost.

2. Have a reforestation plan on-hand and act fast (to prevent further erosion)

Before starting any earthworks in your site, be sure to have a reforestation plan. This means identifying those crops that you want to grow in flat areas, and especially the trees and plants for sloped areas. These are crucial for soil stabilization and erosion control. Make sure to also have hay readily available to spread on top of the loose soil. The hay will help prevent erosion while new plants grow on the terrain! 

In our new terraces, we quickly began growing beans in our flat areas, vetiver at the edge of these areas to stabilize the soil, and other crops like ginger, turmeric and calabaza, caribbean pumpkin, in the sloped areas.

3. Start small and study how it goes

Before starting with any heavy machinery, start by testing out the process on a small scale. With hand tools like hoes, shovels and a water level, you can build out a test version of a terrace and start getting familiar with the terrain.

To find inspiration and learn more about designing your own farm or home garden, check out our agroecology manual ¡Siembra Boricua! Manual de agricultura en armonía con la naturaleza for more detailed, step–by-step guidance!

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