The little mulch layer we were looking at is under 3K. It hills, stretches tight and buries the edges. It's for a smaller tractor and only uses 4' plastic.
There are three growers in our project with a total of 15 acres under irrigation (at least the plumbing is still there LOL). We each specialize - one guy does corn, potatoes and snap beans, another specializes in purplehull peas (#1 one veggie here - we never have enough. People fight over them at harvest). I grow the tomatoes, cukes and peppers plus some winter crops. I have 22 acres, but only use three for veggies.
Of course that was all pre-drought - things have changed so much here it's hard to say what our future is now. Our other two growers both had a lot of cattle to feed or sell and veggies were at the bottom of their priorities this summer. It's been a nightmare for everyone - farmers and ranchers alike. Except for the really big operators with heavy-duty wells to irrigate hay fields, all the cattle are gone now. West of here, many died of thirst and starvation, stuck in the mud of what was once their watering holes. And many animals were roasted alive in wildfires. And it's not over - they say next year will be the same!
I searched the web but couldn't find a Netafim hi-flow product with the 8" spacing I want. So I am ordering a 4100 ft roll of thick wall (15mm) from Dripworks for $270, minus a commercial discount.
Jack
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