I hope this helps. It is not a large scale operation. The work I am doing here is, by design, human (me) scale. So it is slow going and hand tools for the most part. (For construction, yes, I use power tools.)
Here is a look at their current, temporary pen. This will be replaced - in generally the same area - with coated woven wire fence. The site is the same. We are looking south. Just beyond this pen is a garlic garden (recipient of nutritious slurry), then downslope are three more raised beds.
This is where the slope starts to break. Garlic, on left, is level, then new grapes are downslope just a tad. You can see part of a rainbarrel on the right.
When I dump the ducks' dirty water, it runs down the path past the three lower garden beds. I may make more of a definite channel, but right now the flow just follows the path downhill right next to the beds.
Looking back up the path:
These are some of the hundred or so stems of sunroot (
Helianthus tuberosus ) that just LOVE duck manure. If you haven't tried this, you are missing something! But that's for another forum
Here is the beginning of a lateral to take nutrient-laden water to the uphill side of a bed with garlic, mache, and potatoes. Needless to say, there is quite a bit more to be done . . . but even this little bit works well so far.
Another angle on the little lateral.
The potatoes here are watered and fertilized by the water carried in the little trench filled with rocks. The rocks are to keep me from turning my ankle. They are large enough to allow plenty of water flow through. Sediments will eventually build up (don't know how long it will take), so I will need to flush them out with a hose.
