Farm Design Tools
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail
There are a bundle of tools available to assist the design of a rural property.
I use a lot of plans and requirements documents to assist me to define ALL of the aspects I need to consider. It is not just paper for the sake of paper – it is part of a thought out system. Done properly the design of the property and the business will show better results than a poor plan scratched in the dust and hastily executed.
When a system is recorded, the act of recording it will bring to mind other aspects and possibilities that would not have otherwise surfaced. The result is a better plan – Clean, Efficient and Profitable!
Table of Contents
Requirements Documentation
A Requirements Document will define your desired functions for the farm. This is the “What do I want?” part of the process. It must be complete – and possible – before we can start the design side tasks. Then we must address the list of subjects below:
- What do I wish to produce?
- For what market?
- What systems will I use?
- What water do I need
- What roads and access
- What infrastructure will be needed?
- What equipment do I need?
- Can I design multiple yields over the year?
The Scale of Permanence
The Scale of Permanence provides a structure to prioritise design components of the farm.
If we start with the more permanent considerations and progress to the least, the design system is most flexible while needing the least work. The aspects described are:
- Climate
- Landshape
- Water Supply
- Roads/Access
- Trees
- Structures
- Subdivision Fences
- Soil
It was created by P.A. Laurence in the 1950s and defines how long parts of the farm exist. Obviously things like Climate and Landshape are changeable – at a great cost. Subdivision and soils are relatively easy to change and need to fit with water, roads and structures etc.
It takes 3-5 years to either ruin of restore soil so it is last on the list.
Keyline Analysis
Keyline Analysis is concerned with the lay of the land and water flow. The key point is defined as the highest point in a valley where the land changes from a convex to a concave slope. This is the possible location of the highest dam on the slope. The keyline is the contour passing through the key point.
Ridge tops are usually dry, valleys may carry runoff water. Keyline ploughing (below contour from the valley to the ridge) will draw water from a valley base to the ridge tops either side, thus improving the soil and usability of the ridge.
The ideal is a set of dams connected by a drain or swale on contour. When one dam is filled, water is naturally directed to other dams – possibly in a different watershed. The possibility exists for “rows” of dams at different heights up the slope all joined by swales.
The main dams in a keyline system have a lock-pipe though the base of the wall to allow release of the water without the need for a pump. This will assist with flood irrigation down slope.
Airflow needs to be considered as well. Timber can dam and direct cold air flow, it can also protect by way of windbreaks. A timbered area may help manage wind.
Keyline Analysis results are best recorded on a relief map. They involve future earthworks which are often expensive and so mistakes are not what we want.
Consider this – any earthworks you create are likely to exist until the next ice age.
Get them right first time!
Sector Analysis
Sector analysis determines the lay of the land as regards the source and direction of features and seasonal events. A short list is:
- Sun angles – sunrise, sunset and noonday for solstice and equinox (Shadow effects)
- Hot Winds
- Cold winds
- Prevailing winds
- Cold air flow and pooling
- Fire
- Rain
- Good View
- Poor View
- Smell
- Noise
- Privacy
- Wildlife paths
- Flood
- Frost
- Wet or waterlogged soil
- Dry soil
Sector Analysis results are best recorded on a relief map. They identify possible hazards and suggest methods to mitigate them.
Topographic Analysis
Topographic Analysis or slope analysis as it is sometimes called determines the best use of the land with the shape of the land in mind.
Gravity is the primary consideration here. It can be a great ally or a considerable burden depending upon what you are trying to achieve. Placement of water tanks on higher ground is useful as it provides free water pressure and distribution to lower country, however water must be pumped up to the tank.
Another consideration is when the processing sheds are at a different level to the gardens. Do you need to muscle tools and produce up or down the hill? Could the gardens be placed surrounding the sheds at the same level to reduce carrying goods uphill. They will eventually work the whole block – just not in the way you may prefer.
Stock prefer to walk around a hill on contour when traveling between feed, water and shelter. This determines the best utilisation of the land.
Roads and access also need to consider slope to avoid causing erosion. They are best placed on contour and where possible / needed run directly up the ridge-line on the watershed to avoid erosion. This is also the case for fences. Stock will follow a fence line and may cause erosion in their tracks.
Topographic Analysis results are best recorded on a relief map.
Zone Analysis
Zone Analysis defines the amount of attention each area of the property needs. We start at Zone 0 which is the busiest and progress to Zone 5 which may receive 3-5 visits over the year.
This analysis guides us to place the busiest components nearer the centre of operations to minimise time wasted by travel. Each component is assigned a zone number and there may be multiples of each zone.
The analysis is drawn over a standard property map, possibly based upon a relief map or a Google maps image. It shows the components, roads and paths between them and all associated infrastructure.
- Zone 0 – Household / processing sheds – Central
- Zone 1 – Intensive Food and Flower Garden – Intensive
- Zone 2 – Food Forest / Main crop – Volume
- Zone 3 – Orchards / Grazing – Extensive
- Zone 4 – Woodlots / Forestry – Fill
- Zone 5 – The Wilds / Some gathering – Nature’s Realm
Layout Mapping
Now you have considered the pros and cons of the farm site, you have determined what you wish to produce and where, it is time to draw it all on a map. Google Maps is a handy tool to provide the base layer.
This step will provide you with new ideas and will take some iterations to get it as you want.
Land Use Plan
This process is defining the future of your life on the property – get it right and fun may be had – get it wrong and pain will be experienced!
The Land Use Plan is the aggregation of your previous research. Much of it is cut and paste and summary. The process of combining your hard thinking into one place in a proper order will tidy your systems and likely bring up other ideas to make the whole more Clean, Efficient and Profitable.
- Any need for an element that your system cannot provide results in work
- Any yield of a function that cannot be used by your system results in pollution
- Work and pollution create drudgery which is the punishment for poor design
Tacota Coen – Mixed Farmer Canada
Author’s Note
The Land Use Plan is a living document – keep it alive and do not hide it in the filing cabinet. Scribble all over it and update it at least yearly. Then create the changes in your land and your life. It is the end result of a lot of serious thinking and effort designed to make your future a happy one! It does deserve respect.
Prior to devoting my time to Properly Organic and Designer Acres, I served as a contracted super tech in the bleeding edge of satellite imagery, business management and accounting software, then telecommunication software bringing SMS and Mobile Application Protocol into Australia. I then decided to return to the land. I quickly discovered that apart the shape of the bales and the colour of the tractors little had changed.