The property operates as a working farm with 30-40 acres of row crop production fields with crop rotation, cover cropping and sustainable grazing practices in place. The farm prides itself on sustainability; building healthy soils for healthy plants; and its mission to provide organic produce to charity.

As of 2015, the rich habitats of PNF are now permanently protected by an affirmative agricultural conservation easement executed with Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST). ECI implemented many of the strategies suggested in the habitat management plan and trained employees of the farm to properly execute the restoration practices. The relationship between ECI and PNF continues to grow as the farm’s many habitats show success in their management.

The stormwater from the new neighborhood is intended to drain into the basin and infiltrate into the creek or water table. The basin is actually constructed of two retention ponds lined with upland native grasses. There are riparian trees and shrubs propagated from local watershed sources along its banks.

ECI was hired as the maintenance contractor to ensure the riparian plants and upland grasses survive through their establishment period. The maintenance on these stormwater basins is critical in the first few years. Many landscape contractors neglect these sites after install and they end up failing in purpose and function. The team at ECI was also hired as a consultant to write the maintenance manual for this basin.

ECI’s landscape designer, Dakotah Bertsch, worked with the client to develop a plan to incorporate their goals into a cohesive vision for the landscape, working in additional ecological features such as a rain garden to harvest stormwater, permeable decomposed granite paths, and a rain water harvesting tank for water storage. Grade changes for the rain garden were achieved using boulders and dry-stacked stone retaining walls, and all soil was kept onsite in order to minimize waste and enhance the sustainability of the project.  The lawn and excavated soil from the rain garden were recycled in place to create planting mounds for a palette of carefully selected native plants.  Much of the nursery stock used was grown at Central Coast Wilds, ECI’s nursery division, with seeds and cuttings collected from local watersheds.

The installation took a couple of weeks to complete, and included demolition of their older landscape, light grading for the rain garden, construction of the paths, and planting. The landscape was polished off with wood chip mulch to help retain moisture and build soil. Since installation, the plants have started to grow in wonderfully, and we have seen butterflies and other insects enjoying the new habitat.  The client has been very involved in gardening and maintenance, and has even opted to get their landscape rated as a Monterey Bay Friendly Landscape – certifying that their landscape is ecologically beneficial, and qualifying them for numerous local discounts.  We are excited to see this project continue to serve our client and the community at large!