Water Catchment to Sustain Food Production in the Midst of Climate Crisis

Our project objectives are to:

1. Construct three rainwater harvesting systems for typical high tunnel applications on farms, plus a small-scale community demonstration system applicable to backyard growers.
2. Document all design steps, construction methods applicable to farm and residential use, and material costs to support educational outreach.
3. Monitor and record the performance of each system
4. Conduct 4 training workshops for farmers and backyard growers, to teach others how to do the same.
5. Widely share knowledge and education on water conservation techniques to help growers adapt to increasingly challenging climate patterns.

Progress to date on each objective are as follows:

1. All three rainwater harvesting (RWH) system installations were completed.  Approximately 43 people participated in various construction events for hands-on training.
2. Fifty years of weather data for the project area was downloaded, compiled, and reviewed to serve as a basis for planning and sizing RWH systems.  A spreadsheet tool and user guide were developed to help growers size systems for their operations.  
3. The project team documented applicable design steps, construction methods, materials and costs to create outreach materials.
4. Performance monitoring was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the systems, compare water storage using tanks vs. a pond, and estimate the potential payback period for the material investments.
5. Four workshops were held with approximately 99 attendees. At the time this report was prepared, presentations were scheduled for three added events that should reach one hundred or more participants.
6. Educational materials created are posted on KC Farm School's website and have been shared at workshops and through KC Farm School's Let's Grow Wyandotte! program.

This project has directly contributed to agricultural sustainability by increasing water resilience, reducing operating costs, improving soil health outcomes, and strengthening farmer knowledge-sharing networks in a region experiencing increasingly erratic precipitation and prolonged drought conditions. The rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems constructed through this project reduce reliance on municipal and groundwater sources by capturing and reusing water that would otherwise be diverted away from high tunnels.

The systems increase on-farm water efficiency and reduce pressure on increasingly limited water supplies. Use of harvested rainwater within high tunnels also addresses soil health challenges associated with long-term municipal water use, particularly salt accumulation. Additionally, this project supports climate adaptation by helping farmers respond to increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns.

By documenting system sizing based on 50 years of regional weather data, the project provides growers with practical tools to plan for both drought periods and intense rainfall events, supporting long-term resilience of specialty crop production systems. Economically, the project demonstrates how RWH systems can reduce ongoing irrigation costs while increasing water security during peak growing periods. By documenting materials, construction costs, system performance, and payback periods, the project provides growers with transparent information to assess return on investment and make informed infrastructure decisions.

Partner farmers gained practical experience with system design tradeoffs, including tank-based versus pond-based storage, allowing them and other growers to choose cost-effective approaches appropriate to their scale and site conditions. Over time, reduced reliance on purchased water can lower operating expenses, stabilize production during dry periods, and reduce risk of crop loss due to water shortages. The freely shared materials developed by the partnership further reduce barriers to adoption by helping growers avoid over- or under-building systems. Social sustainability was strengthened through hands-on learning, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, and community-based education. Three farms adopted rainwater harvesting as a new conservation practice and now serve as long-term demonstration sites for continued farmer and community member learning. More than 140 farmers, agricultural service providers, and community members participated in workshops, construction events, and farm tours, with presentations continuing to occur after the project period.

The educational materials, calculators, and documentation will remain publicly available and continue to be used in workshops, conferences, and on-farm training events. The demonstration systems provide living examples that farmers can observe under real operating conditions, increasing potential adoption.