Field Day: Automated Irrigation for Market Gardens at Bent Plow Farm
Hosted by the Kootenay & Boundary Farm Advisors (KBFA)
Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Location: Bent Plow Farm, Nelson
Emma Sowiak and Scott Humphries are the farmers behind Bent Plow Farm. Over the past eight years, they’ve built their farm from a forest environment to be a productive and profitable 2-acre market garden that grows a diverse range of certified organic vegetables and employs 3 full time summer staff. Growing and developing the farm has been a work in progress with incremental investments every year. Improving the irrigation infrastructure was always on the bucket list and last year Scott automated the whole farm’s irrigation system including soil moisture sensors to see real time the soil moisture data. Prior to automation, Scott also upgraded his mainline from his water intake for a larger pipe to increase pressure. At this field day participants heard from Scott about the system design, key considerations for upgrading and automating a system for a market garden including EFP/BMP funding that he used as cost-share to invest in the upgrades.
