Tag Archives: water management

Harvest prep 2016: Part 2

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When we talked about pre-harvest prep a couple of weeks ago, COO Bryan vonHahmann discussed how everything now becomes more critical as we enter the pre-harvest interval, in particular the final fertilizer application that helps the plants through the winter.

Team members Tim Bourgeois and Juan Carlos Gonzalez-Perez started those applications this week, and it’s going well. “This type is usually applied via fertigation,” Tim says. Fertigation, a process where plant nutrients are applied through irrigation systems, has many benefits, such as increased nutrient absorption by plants and reduced water consumption due to the plant’s increased root mass’s ability to trap and hold water. “We’re taking the truck around from pump to pump, starting each system, looking for any leaks. We’ll fix any, if we find them, then repair any clogged sprinkler nozzles before we start so each area gets the coverage it should.” Typically, a bog should be done two to three weeks prior to harvest, so Tim and Juan Carlos are mirroring the harvest schedule order as they start the applications. Weather can also be a concern: “The wind will blow falling water away from where it needs to be,” Tim says. “If the breeze is under 7 to 8 mph we’re in good shape; otherwise it’ll go on top of the dam, which is a waste. Yesterday we could go till noon, but the day before we had to quit by 9:30 because the wind was picking up.”

The rest of our team is working hard to get the farm ready, as well. “We’ve been mowing like crazy,” says Matt Giberson. “We’re running six mowers, including two on loan from Rutgers. It was really generous of them to do that, and it means we’ve been able to cover a lot more ground.” Mowing is necessary to finish prior to harvest because the grass can get really thick on the edge of the dam, which makes it harder to get the berries out.

In addition to all of the grounds maintenance, the second bog side cleaner arrives today. “We have to unload that and put everything together, which can get a little involved,” Matt says, “and then we need to get it ready for a practice run on Wednesday or Thursday to make sure it’s good to go.” For the practice run, the team will be at the young beds at Old 11. “It’s a second year bed, so there’s not much fruit,” Matt explains. “We’re not expecting great fruit from that, because it’s not really ready, which makes it ideal for a trial equipment run.” Additional ongoing maintenance includes clearing the weeds, especially by the pump houses, crowning dams, and working on the wider turnarounds. “Now that we have a second bog side cleaner, we’re going to need more room, so Steve [Manning] is out there with a crew widening the dams at Red Road and Bishop’s Mill as well as the top of the property at Rancocas, including gate extensions to make sure we can make the turn with no problems. It’ll help with sanding in the wintertime, too.”

Water is a big concern going into the autumn. “We haven’t had any rain,” Matt says. “We’ve been running the wells off and on every day, and with the irrigation you lose some on the reservoirs. The home farm is okay, though we’re hoping for a good rain. Sim Place is lower because that big reservoir is so huge it takes a while to fill up. And the weather between here and there can vary a lot; we can get a shower on the home farm while Sim Place doesn’t get anything. All the boards have been in for weeks, but haven’t taken any out so we can maintain everything. We’re trying to save water where we can, but we’d love to see a good rain before we start, especially at Sim Place.” So far, though, he’s optimistic: “The fruit’s looking good! Some of the numbers I’m seeing look good, and I can’t wait to see how a few of our newer bogs do this year.”

Heat – summer 2016

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It cannot be said enough: the key to growing cranberries is water. Cranberries need about an inch of water each week during the growing season (either via rain or irrigation), preferably early in the morning or at night, in order to avoid losing it to evaporation. We irrigate for two reasons: first, to keep the vines healthy and productive, and second, to protect them from the heat. Keeping them cool helps protect the bloom, the fruit, and the vines themselves. Once the fruit is formed, it’s important to keep them from what we term “scalding”. Scald occurs when the temperature is high but the dew point (humidity) is low; as Dr. Peter Oudemans likes to say, “When people are comfortable, the cranberries are in trouble.”

When humidity is low, applied water will readily evaporate and cool the fruit. During the day, if temperatures get up to around 95 degrees, we will turn on the irrigation in order to cool the bog down to the 80s. We’ll run the pumps for about an hour or two, depending on variables such as wind, temperature, and humidity. There is also a distinct difference between sending water through the root system and keeping the bog cool. The trick is avoiding complications from too much moisture, which can cause conditions that are welcoming to fungi such as phytophthora, which causes root rot. Vines shouldn’t be damp all the time; it’s a balancing act to keep the fruit at optimum growth conditions while avoiding oversaturation. The key to walking the tightrope is constant evaluation and always being aware of bog conditions.

With the use of thermal imaging cameras, our team has been able to use our irrigation systems much more efficiently when cooling down the fruit. “With the camera, we can get a better indication of when we should run the water,” says manager Mike Haines. “Historically, when the temperature got high enough, we would just turn on the sprinklers and let them run for a while. But it wasn’t always necessary. We could get a day that was only in the high 80s but really dry, which means the fruit’s going to get super hot and break down. That can lead to rot. Conversely, it could be 95 out, but the humidity might be high enough to keep fruit cool. Using a thermal camera is helping us pinpoint temperatures precisely so we run the pumps when we need to rather than guessing.”

Regarding the recent heat wave, “I actually think the plants are liking it,” says COO Bryan vonHahmann. “Our reservoirs are lower, and we’ve been irrigating every four days as well as paying closer attention to dry areas, but that’s not indicative of the heat wave.. .that’s just because we haven’t had much rain. As far as the growth is concerned, we’re doing okay.” His main worry in this weather is for our team members. “It certainly impacts our people, but we’re taking precautions and keeping an eye out. We’ve been starting work at 5:30 as opposed to 7:00 and leaving early, and that’s helped a little bit. We’re keeping everyone hydrated and making sure the water coolers are readily available. And as the temperature rises we try to rotate people among tasks that keep them out of the sun and in cooler areas as much as possible.”

Ditching 2016

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Every year after the winter flood comes off the bogs, our team begins cleaning ditches. Ditching is important for two reasons. First, it helps maintain the proper moisture level in the soil. Second, and most importantly, removing water from the bogs quickly is urgent in case of a big rain event. The process is simple–the machine moves along the water line, removing the debris that has accumulated over the winter and placing it along the dam–but in the past has been time-consuming.

We have, however, recently acquired some new equipment to help streamline the process. “We lost the engine in the excavator that had the big ditcher on it at kind of a critical time,” COO Bryan vonHahmann explains. “But just recently we bought another arm mower with a longer reach that can go down 25 feet rather than 20. So we were able to just purchase another attachment; now we just take the mower off and put the ditcher on that arm. That makes it a lot easier to get to everything.”

“Not only does it save us some time,” says Matt Giberson, “but since it’s narrower, it doesn’t tear up the vines as much. And that also means the operator can see obstacles such as irrigation lines and underdrain much more easily, which means it frees a team member to be elsewhere, since they don’t have to act as a guide.”

Long-time team member Rick Zapata is running the show again this year. “I’ve only been at it for about a week, but it moves fast,” he says. “It’s a little different this year; usually it goes in a particular order, but this year I’m skipping around to different sections.” He emphasizes the need to be careful of the irrigation systems. “You have to look at the pump house and figure out the layout. I know where most of them are by now, but a new guy will take a little longer. There’s a lot to keep track of: the pipes, the pole, the wires. But the machine works great. It gets a lot of the dirt and the obstruction and just keeps moving.”

“The only thing we have to do is come back around where the underdrain is and clear out those spots underneath,” Matt says. “We had to put off the project due to the weather, but now that we’re catching up, Rick is moving really fast.”

Irrigation refurb

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A good irrigation plan manages the volume, frequency, and application of water in an organized and efficient way. A clean abundant water supply is only the first step in Pine Island’s water management program; a detailed irrigation routine is also crucial to our goals. A cranberry crop’s needs are met in three ways: rain, irrigation, and soil contribution. Unfortunately, farmers have yet to find a way to control the weather, so they must turn to the things that they can control.

Now that the winter flood is on, our team has begun working on an irrigation refurb. “A few years back we realized not everything was working optimally,” says Jeremy Fenstermaker. “So we started testing the irrigation systems–pumps, nozzles, sprinkler heads, everything–to find out why they weren’t running the right way. Then we made a plan to get everything back up to speed over the next five years.” Jeremy, along with Mike Haines, took some time to review all of our systems and then formed a plan. “Irrigation is the only thing you have 100% control over, so it needs to be done right,” explains Jeremy. “We started out checking the pressure and flow. We knew how many gallons per minute were ideal, and if a system wasn’t reaching that we took the worst ones and decided what needed to be done.”

Part of the issue is uniformity. “There are three different spacings, which means at least three different sizes of nozzles,” Jeremy says. “So it’s a priority to get everything uniform on one system. If nozzles get mixed up, it can screw up the application rate, so we’re trying to get it to where it should be and keep it that way to improve both fertilizer application and frost control. One of the big reasons we’re doing this is that we found out with different spacings there are different rates that water goes on; we want to match it at the rate the soil can take it in, but we were exceeding it in a lot of areas. If the soil is too wet, that can lead to rot. Fixing the flow won’t to eliminate disease, but should hopefully cut it down. When everything is putting water out at same rate, we don’t have to worry about water at different times. The whole farm can run at once.” And since the bogs are flooded, this is a great winter project. It’s a whole lot easier when all the sprinklers from one system are in one box; you can put your hands on all of them.

While Jeremy is working on application rates and while Waldemar Blanco and Bob Heritage are working on refurbishing sprinklers, our Equipment/Facilities team is working on the pumps. “We have a number of engines that we weren’t happy with how they were running this past season, and since the work that needs to be done is considerable, we didn’t want to do it during the season itself,” says Equipment/Facilities manager Louis Cantafio. “We currently have seven systems in here with some issues that needed addressing, and while they’re in here we’re making some adjustments that will be useful going forward. In addition to the repairs, we’re getting them ready for automation as well as making some changes that will be more efficient for the team during frost, during the winter flood, during fertilizer application…anything that could make things better for both the equipment and the team. That’s not the main reason we brought them in, but we’re taking the opportunity to update while the bogs are still under water!”

Winter is coming.

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Preparation for our winter projects has begun! Mostly, this means getting ready for the winter flood.

As we have discussed here before, drainage is a key element in Pine Island Cranberry’s water management program. In addition to having irrigation systems that reduce water usage, well-drained soil is necessary to keep a bog’s root system functional. Beds should be designed for adequate drainage, which is essential for good root development and aeration as well as prevention of conditions that can lead to the presence of Phytophthora, which causes fruit rot and root rot.

Under normal conditions, the temperature steadily drops post-harvest; it is important to wait until the vines go dormant before starting to put the water on. Once they freeze and aren’t covered with water, the roots can become exposed, and we need to cover them as fast as possible.

Flooding starts by letting in streams from the reservoirs to canals and bogs. Strategic board placement (more boards in the southernmost bogs to catch the water) will get the ditches high enough to start flooding from the bottom up. As the water level in the bogs begins to rise, our team begins adjusting the water level in the bogs by adding boards where they are needed. Once the vines are covered and the stream has settled, we adjust the level of the reservoirs to maintain the stream and keep the bogs flooded for the winter. Wells are shut down once bogs are flooded, and only turned on again if it is dry and reservoir levels are dropping.

In addition to water management, our shop team is busy winterizing facilities and equipment by clearing out gutters and downspouts to prevent ice build up, shutting off the water supply to outside faucets, and draining all exterior water lines where necessary. They are also making sure to top off fuel tanks and perform other routine maintenance tasks in order to keep everything running as efficiently as possible!

Water management – dry conditions

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While it hasn’t been as bad as California, until this week New Jersey had been suffering its own dry spell–before Joaquin started getting closer! Fortunately, while steady, the rain this week hasn’t been as heavy, but there’s still a lot of work to do! Rain can be a blessing, but heavy downpours can lead to bog flooding and have an adverse effect on fruit quality. This is a challenge every day of the year, but during harvest, water management is crucial.

Before the rain started this week, GM Fred Torres had been worried about the water. “We’re starting harvest and it’s dry as a bone,” he said. “In previous years, when the water’s been high enough, we’ve been able to catch it down at Oswego. Now we’re pumping it right back into the reservoir, because we need it there. The other issue this time of year is frost. When there’s frost, we need a lot of water in the pump. So we have to be very careful with our usage. Of course, we can run the wells, but it’s expensive. We can say we need it, but then the question is, is it better to keep the reservoir where it is? We’re hoping to catch some of this rain water to keep reservoirs tip top. It’s a balancing act, especially this time of year!”

The producing bogs aren’t the only ones affected by the weather. “The new plantings get water three times a day. Since they don’t have the root system an established bog does they can go backwards more quickly,” explains New Production Manager Mike Haines. “They were actually holding up really well for a while; the drier beds were actually sending out more roots, which seemed logical to me…but again, you can’t have it too dry or the plants will get stressed. We’ve had to start watering more.” He is also working on an experiment with the ditch levels at the Warehouse renovation. “The big concern with heavy rains is always washout on the edges,” he says. “But now we have that coconut mat. So we’re raising the water to different levels in the ditches. We’ll see what happens.”

The rain started Tuesday night, and our team has been working to manage the water ever since! “Tuesday we got three inches of rain overnight,” supervisor Gerardo Ortiz says. “We’re putting boards in at the gates and some at the pumps so we can hold it a little bit. The reservoirs have to come up a couple more inches to get to the level we want; between the harvest and frost we’re going to need all we can get!” As of today, he was feeling positive: “We’ve had about five inches, but it’s coming slow and steady. That makes it a lot easier…and we really need it!”

Learning through experience

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One of the late Bill Sr.’s favorite maxims about just about everything involving cranberries was, “Where is the water coming from, and where do you want it to go?” That can be one of the most challenging things to pick up when you are learning about Pine Island’s irrigation system. GM Fred Torres tells newer team members all the time: “You’re not going to learn how to do this overnight.” In practice, this means constant awareness and monitoring of where the water is coming from, where it is going, and how much stream is coming down.

Assistant Manager Mike Haines is beginning to learn all about this. “Jeremy [Fenstermaker] has been showing me the different ways you can direct the water,” Mike says. “There’s no one right way; there’s just figuring out the optimal way to get them flooded quickly so they’re not damaged by the cold.” Under normal conditions, the temperature steadily drops post-harvest; it is important to wait until the vines go dormant before starting to put the water on. Once they freeze and aren’t covered with water, the roots can become exposed, and we need to cover them as fast as possible.

Flooding starts by letting in streams from the reservoirs to canals and bogs. Strategic board placement (more boards in the southernmost bogs to catch the water) will get the ditches high and running down to start flooding from the bottom up. As the water level in the bogs begins to rise, our team begins adjusting the water level in the bogs by adding boards where they are needed. Once the vines are covered and the stream has settled, we adjust the level of the reservoirs to maintain the stream and keep the bogs flooded for the winter. Wells are shut down once bogs are flooded, and only turned on again if it is dry and reservoir levels are dropping.

“I worked very closely with Gerard at the beginning of the year to learn about the water system overall,” says Mike, “but that was just the beginning. I learned about where it was coming from, but am still learning where and how each system is connected.” The flooding is just about done, but he’s also working closely with Jeremy on adjustments: “Now he’s tinkering here and there so that we have the flow we need all winter but aren’t wasting water, which also helps us work more efficiently. It’s a lot of problem solving and math, but I’m really beginning to understand.”

Drainage repair

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The harvest is in, and our winter projects have begun! This week, team members have started installing new underdrain in preparation for the winter flood. As we have discussed here before, drainage is a key element in Pine Island Cranberry’s water management program. In addition to having irrigation systems that reduce water usage, well-drained soil is necessary to keep a bog’s root system functional. Beds should be designed for adequate drainage, which is essential for good root development and aeration as well as prevention of conditions that can lead to the presence of Phytophthora, which causes fruit rot and root rot. Previous underdrain repairs have used 4-inch pipe, but thanks to grower-neighbor Bill Cutts, we are working with 2-inch pipe instead.

“Bill talked about this at the ACGA summer field day a little bit,” says Assistant Manager Mike Haines. “The smaller size should make it easier for repairs, and installing it isn’t nearly as hard on the vines, which is great.” However, there was a bit of prep to take care of first. “There were several patches with just weeds growing; rushes like swampy areas, Dad says. If you see rushes growing in a bog, it’s too wet for berries. So Kelvin had a crew out here hoeing all the weeds, and then they added sand to make the spots level with rest of bog. One reason for standing water could be that the bog’s out of level, acting like a bowl, and the water just collects. So taking out those weeds and leveling things off might help.”

Our team worked a little with Bill over the summer to try things out, but this is the first big project installing the new underdrain. “According to Bill, this should all be filled in by the summer, and we wont even be able to see where we’ve added it,” says Mike. “We have the laser here so when Caesar is on the tractor he can make sure everything stays level. It’s been a learning experience, figuring out how deep it needs to go. The original underdrain is 16 inches below the surface, but the water can’t go that far and we end up with it standing on top. That’s why we’re redoing Panama 1 through 4, in fact. Every 13 feet 4 inches we’re putting in the new stuff; it’s better to err on the side of too much!”

It’s also an excellent opportunity to collaborate with fellow growers. “Bill said it’s been working well for him,” Mike says. “But he keeps checking back to see how we’ve been doing and if we’ve had any ideas for alterations or improvements.” Our team is constantly evaluating conditions and practices in ways that ensure both better decision making and optimal production. To that end, while we’ve been borrowing this tractor from Bill, the equipment team is working on building one of our own, making improvements based on team recommendations. “The cranberry community isn’t so huge that businesses will make equipment especially marketed to us,” Mike says. “A lot of what we do is done by working together to improve what we have.”

MFS: Pine Barrens Intensive Learning

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This week, Pine Island Cranberry was very pleased to host a group of students from Moorestown Friends on their week-long Pine Barrens Intensive Learning experience. Per the MFS website, this particular IL unit provides student with the chance “to learn the unique history and culture of the nearby ‘Pinelands,’ the first National Reserve created by Congress. The area has also been designated by the United Nations as an International Biosphere Reserve. We will spend time hiking and exploring the forest as well as learning about the intriguing history of the area, including the Jersey Devil and the indigenous ‘Piney’ population.”

The morning started with a presentation by CEO Bill Haines on the history of the farm and some of the changes that have been made throughout the years. He spoke of the generations who came before and how each successive generation has since made its own mark. He explained why cranberries and blueberries are so essential to the Pine Barrens: because the growers understand the need for an abundant supply of clean water. “The key thing to know about this farm and this industry is the water supply,” he says. “Where does it come from, and where do we want it to go? And we’re fortunate that we have the opportunity to be here and to do that, because we understand that we need to protect all the resources here if we want to remain in business.”

Bill then introduced PIICM manager Cristina Tassone, who started out with us as an intern seven years ago and now this year is making all the major crop decisions. Cristina’s presentation mentioned how her position is analogous to that of a parent: her job is essentially to be the caregiver of the crop. She also included the basic life cycle of a cranberry bog, starting with an explanation of sanding and why it works.

“Once the water comes off, we have an eight-member ICM team that’s in those bogs every day,” Cristina says. “All season long we’re walking in the bogs, checking to see what they need. We currently grow nine different varieties that require different management strategies due to growth stage, color of leaves, disease, and pest issues.”

The group was surprised by some of the water management aspects, particularly the layout and how the bogs were interconnected via gates. They also asked some great questions about sustainability and the effect of cranberry farming on the water supply. And a lot of them enjoyed the next part of the presentation, which involved taking them out to a bog that has recently been drained in order to install sprinklers.

For their part, the students were able to tie in what they learned from us–the importance of clean water and sandy acidic soil–with other visits around the Pines this week, and got confirmation on the low impact of cranberry harvesting on the Pine Barrens ecosystem from their next stop at Pakim Pond.

“It was great to have them out here,” says Cristina. “I absolutely love talking about what we do; it really is a unique opportunity to do this work on this scale. It’s fantastic for us, to be a local business with such deep roots available to educate as well as give students the chance to have a better understanding of what it takes to grow cranberries, not just assume we walk around in waders all day like the commercials. And it’s important to share the opportunities we have to offer as a future career possibility.”

Winter Routine: Winter flood

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Pine Island has just about finished another important part of our winter routine: the winter flood. Under normal conditions, the temperature steadily drops post-harvest; it is important to wait until the vines go dormant before starting to flood.

In last year’s winter flood entry, we talked about the importance of water level in the reservoirs. If there has no been significant rain to get the reservoirs to flooding level, we have to start our wells, continuing to use them to maintain the reservoirs and the stream needed to get the bogs completely flooded. Team member Matt Giberson, in his second season working with flood management, expressed some relief that this wasn’t necessary. “In some places we worried about not having enough water to flood everything, because reservoirs were so low,” he says. “There was one good storm at Sim Place that helped us harvest. We got about two or three inches to fill the reservoirs, and then it didn’t really rain until we started flooding. In addition to everything else, if we don’t have to run the wells it saves fuel.”

One of the late Bill Sr.’s favorite maxims about just about everything involving cranberries was, “Where is the water coming from, and where do you want it to go?” That can be one of the most challenging things to pick up when you are learning about Pine Island’s system. “I know the water much better this year, especially in the areas where my team was harvesting,” Matt says. “Better than last year, when I was still trying to learn everything. Harvest helped me learn a lot more about the water and how it works. There’s still a lot to learn, but it’s not something where you can pick up everything in a matter of days. It takes hands-on experience.”

The weather’s been a new experience for Matt, as well. “Ice on the gates and all the snow has made it tough to put the boards in. And then, of course, the water is ice cold!” But, he adds, “There’ve been no problems with the ice plugging the gates. That gets to be a real mess, but thankfully we’ve avoided it so far.” While it was very very cold last week, the wind didn’t affect us as much as it might have. “Fred [Torres, Pine Island GM] pointed out one of the problems with the wind, though: if it’s blowing hard enough that you can see the vines, you think you need to get out there and tweak things. You can’t do that; wait until it’s calm and then you’ll see what you really need to do.”

“We also put stems in every bog at Red Road so we can flood as we sand,” says Matt. Stems in the floodgates help get bogs to different water levels. “This means we can flood one and keep other low, then push water into next bog for sanding.” Once the winter flood is done, our team maintains reservoirs throughout the whole winter. “Ox Pasture, for example, has to stay high so we don’t have to run the well.” This is important because Ox Pasture, situated at the northernmost end of the property, is Pine Island’s largest reservoir and the primary source of water for the main farm.

Putting on the winter flood as quickly and efficiently as possible saves time, fuel, and most importantly, protects next year’s crop. It is this attention to the environment and continuous improvement of our processes that help us grow more acres and more fruit per acre with every successive year.