Wet Feet Farming Highlight
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Wet Feet Farming is the application of agroforestry practices to wet, marginal farmland in order to increase production. Wet feet farming can also:
make farming more resilient to climate change
create more opportunities for income
increase biodiversity
improve soil health and water retention
Wet Conditions are Becoming More Common
Farmers in North Puget Sound often have soggy soil for a variety of reasons. With climate change, our total annual rainfall is becoming concentrated into fewer months and farmland is often inundated with periods of too much water followed by long, dry summers. As development in our region expands, this problem is exacerbated by the increase in impervious surfaces, which causes more runoff. Conversion of forests into developments also results in the loss of trees that once soaked up thousands of gallons of water. In addition, some farm properties are experiencing challenges with their existing drainage infrastructure that makes the problem on their property even worse.
How it Affects Farmers
Farmers with increasingly waterlogged soil face many challenges, often including loss of income. A farm that used to get three cuttings of hay may have such soggy conditions that they can only get equipment out for one cutting per season. Another farmer may be unable to get their crops planted on time due to saturated soils. Others may find their crops don’t perform as well in wet conditions or that they become more vulnerable to pests and disease.
Feast or Famine
In the past, the most viable option to deal with wet soil would typically be to add new drainage infrastructure, such as drain tiles. However, the associated costs and permitting often make this challenging, and it may also not be the wisest option given our changing climate. While rainfall may be heavier in the wet season, our dry season is becoming longer and drier. Draining water off a farm in the spring may mean the loss of moisture in the soil that could be of vital importance during the summer.
A New Approach
Applying agroforestry practices such as alley cropping or food forests may be a better option in these areas, particularly when considering the long-term view. Rather than draining a field for production, an agroforestry system can allow farmers to integrate high-value perennial crops that tolerate wet conditions and yield more income than existing crops while holding valuable water within the soil profile. Systems such as alley cropping allow farmers to transition gradually—trees and shrubs can be planted in rows and while they mature, annual crops can continue to be harvested in the alleys.
To learn more about Wet Feet Farming, or other agroforestry topics, contact Snohomish Conservation District’s Agroforester, Carrie Brausieck, at cbrausieck@snohomishcd.org or 703-407-8341.
Help Us Develop the Guide!
We’re working on a farmer-friendly guide to Wet Feet Farming, and we need your input! Please check out our draft version and let us know what you think at this survey.
