Mullers’ Daylight Farms receives conservation award

John and Eda Muller’s Daylight Farms will be among the recipients of the first annual Agriculture Water Quality Alliance 2007 Conservation Awards from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The awards will honor six California farms based on their "innovation, community leadership, and exceptional strides in farm water quality protection.", reports Julia Scott in the County Times.

The common-sense technique is one of several changes the Mullers made five years ago to protect their soil, use less water, and keep their labor costs down.

These include the use of an evenly-distributed "drip" irrigation system in the place of sprinklers, which are less precise and can get blown in the wrong direction. John Muller says the more efficient drip system has helped his farm save 65 percent of its typical water volume and cut down on labor costs.

On Sunday, the Mullers gathered the last of the drip tape from their zucchini patch. Next week, they’ll plant cover crops at the site of their pumpkin field on Highway 1.

"The cover crop is very old-fashioned," said Muller. "It is saving the soil from running off in the long term — and it makes us feel that we’redoing the right thing on our fields again."

There’s more detail on these techniques in the County Times story.