FARM OPERATIONS MANUAL

SECTION 1 — DAILY NON-NEGOTIABLES

These are the items that keep fish, plants, and animals alive.

1. Check Power & Pumps (Daily)

Walk every pond and bed.

If power is out (Riverbed):

  1. Reset GFCI at receptacle

  2. Check breaker between patio cover & pergola

  3. If still off → leave breaker OFF and diagnose

If beds are not filling → hand water plants

2. General Walk Around (Daily)

Look for:

  • Leaks

  • Broken items

  • Bugs

  • Vandalism

  • Trash

  • Event leftovers (report to event coordinator Monday mornings)

3. Feed Fish & Chickens (Daily)

Fish

  • Small handful per pond

  • Come back: if gone → feed again

  • Floating food = overfeeding

Chickens

  • Check hanging water jug

  • Clean fixed bowl (Riverbed)

  • Refill feeder from blue barrels

Feed source: OC Farm Supply / Anaheim Feed

4. Remove Dead Leaves / Flowers / Weeds from Beds (Daily)

  • Remove dying or diseased leaves

  • Basil → remove flowers

  • Fruiting plants → remove flowers if still growing vegetatively

  • Trash goes in blue dumpster

SECTION 2 — WEEKLY SYSTEM HEALTH

5. Adjust Pond Water Levels (Weekly)

PVC ball valve over pond wall.

  • Only a trickle entering pond

  • Too much water kills fish/bacteria

Gold Coast: auto-fill → check pump room if ponds low

6. Check All Bed Fill Valves (Weekly)

Water should gently roll over standpipe — never gush

If restricted:

Riverbed Pump Unclog

  1. Kill breaker power (wifi pumps)

  2. Undo 2” union (don’t lose O-ring)

  3. Remove pump

  4. Clear impeller

  5. Reassemble and test

Gold Coast

  1. Close 2 shutoff valves

  2. Open canister filter and clean

  3. Reopen valves

  4. Backup pump available in pump room

7. Scrub Drain Pipes, Fill Pipes & Baskets (Weekly)

Clean:

  • 2” drain pipe holes

  • 6” drain hole algae

  • 6” fill pipe

  • Filter basket (never bang it)

  • Gravel Trenches - remove algae and milk build up

8. Inspect Beds for Leaks (Weekly)

Look underneath beds.

Common cause at Gold Coast:

  • Drain pipe not seated

  • Too much incoming water

  • Drain guard clogged

9. Transplanting (Weekly — evenings / <70° days)

  • Turn pumps on first to see water level

  • Plants >3”

  • 8” spacing

  • Keep gravel 1” above water line

  • Avoid heavy root plants near drains or inlets

10. Weeds Everywhere (Weekly)

Including:

  • Beds

  • Property

  • Gold Coast hill

  • Rogue roses

11. Spray Bugs Off Plants and Trees (Weekly)

High pressure, low volume.
Aphids, beetles, scale.

12. Seed Work (Weekly)

Direct Bed Seeding

  • Pump on → bed full

  • Expose water slightly (moving gravel to the side)

  • 1 seed per 2 sq inches

  • Cover with gravel

  • Mark area with variety and date

Seed Trays

Use soil mix (see Section 6)

Gold Coast → potting table

Label trays with date & type.

13. Cleanliness (Weekly)

  • Trash cans → blue dumpster

  • Pergola / patio cover washdown

  • Restrooms cleaned & stocked

  • Tables / benches sprayed and wiped down with rag

  • Office / foreman house cleaned (windows, window seals, floor, carpets, etc.)

  • Entry gate parking lot swept (riverbed)

  • Lights checked and fixe

  • Pathways at Gold Coast

  • Event setup if needed

SECTION 3 — MONTHLY SYSTEM MAINTENANCE

14. Remove Dead Plants (Monthly)

Flood beds first.
Remove root mass and debris carefully.
Do not puncture liner.

15. Exercise Fill Valves (Riverbed Monthly)

Turn fully left → right → return. Flow is correct when water is just gently rolling over the drain pipe.

16. Chicken Coop (Monthly)

  • Remove waste to trees

  • Replace paper under roost

  • Refresh hay if smelly

  • Spray down entire coop with water

  • Scrub areas if needed

17. Water Chemistry Test (Monthly)

Test 3 ponds:

  • Ammonia

  • Nitrates

Determine fertilizer need.

18. Fruit Tree Inspection (Monthly)

Check for fungus, scales, bugs.
Soil should be moist, not muddy.

Imidacloprid every ~3 months (never near ponds, never when plants have flowers or fruit)

19. Gravel Refresh in beds (Monthly)

No exposed water.
If full exposure → tap drain pipe down.

20. Sprinkler Inspection (Monthly)

Repair droppers/sprayers.
Supplies in shed bin.

21. Riverbed Front Landscaping Water (Monthly)

20 sec soak per plant from pepper trees → queen palm.

22. Greenhouse (Riverbed Weekly)

Water plants.
Clean floors/walls/seating. Check Power

SECTION 4 — FISH, POND & FERTILITY TREATMENTS

Pond Treatments

Product Dose Notes
Microbe Lift Barley 75 ml / 4000 gal Algae control
Humic Acid Powder Monthly Algae & salt control
Chicken Manure Pellets 2 cups weekly Direct to pond

RB ponds = 4000 gal
GC ponds = 8000 gal

Foliar Spray (Monthly)

2 gallons water +

  • ½ tbsp Triple 20

  • 1 tbsp Humic acid

  • 1 tbsp Kelp extract

Bi-Annual Tree Fertilizer

Granular application.

SECTION 5 — INSECT & PEST CONTROL
Issue Treatment Frequency
Systemic bugs (non-garden) Imidacloprid 6-8 weeks
Aphids / whiteflies Beauveria bassiana As needed
Caterpillars BT As needed
Mites (chickens) Prozap / Permethrin 2x year
Mosquitos Treat before season Seasonal

- Imidacloprid NEVER near ponds. Never on trees with flowers or fruit.

SECTION 6 — SEEDING SOIL MIX

  • 3.8 cf ProMix HP

  • +10 gal perlite

  • +5 gal vermiculite

  • +10 gal coco coir

Before seeding:

  • 1 tsp CSP

  • small amount Great White

SECTION 7 — WHAT GROWS WELL HERE

Flowers for Beds

Zinnia, Marigold, Cornflower, Alyssum, Statice, Strawflower

Crops That Do Well

Summer Good

Basil, Armenian cucumber, cherry tomato, zucchini, squash, tomatillo, garlic chives, figs, shishito, nasturtium

Summer Bad

Common cucumber, chard, peppers, watermelon, okra

Winter Good

Carrot, kale, lettuce, radish, celery, cabbage, arugula, bok choy, cilantro, kohlrabi

Winter Bad

Cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts

Proven Varieties

Carrots: Nantes, Parisian, Atlas
Tomatoes: Sun Dipper, Mountain Magic, Sakura, Green Grape
Basil: Everleaf, Prospera, Emerald Tower, Thai, Lemon
Onions: Shakespeare (sets better than seed)

SECTION 8 — RESTOCKING & SUPPLIES

Always stocked behind chicken coop at Gold Coast:

  • Lavender

  • Yarrow

  • Yucca

  • Olive Bushes

  • Salvia

  • White roses

Always have backup seedlings at Riverbed.

Feed: OC Farm Supply / Anaheim Feed

SECTION 9 — VINES (Monthly)

Cut away from fence, trees, ground.
Never pull — always cut in sections.

SECTION 10 — SUPPLIES

Fish Feed & Chicken Feed

Used for:

  • Fish pellet feed (blue barrel)

  • Chicken feed

  • Hay / bedding

Soil, Seed Starting & Amendments

ProMix HP (3.8 cu ft bales)

Base for all seed starting mix

Additional Mix Ingredients

Add to ProMix:

  • Perlite (10 gallons)

  • Vermiculite (5 gallons)

  • Coco Coir (10 gallons)

Seedling Soil Amendments

Added before seeding:

  • CSP (Corn Steep Powder)

  • Great White Mycorrhizae

Pond & Plant Foliar Products

Product Use
Microbe Lift Barley Extract Algae control in ponds
Humic Acid Powder Algae control / salt retention
Triple 20 Powder Foliar spray fertilizer
Liquid Humic Acid Foliar spray
Kelp Extract Foliar spray
Chicken Manure Pellets. Weekly pond fertilizer

Insect & Pest Control

Product Use Notes

Imidacloprid (Bonide Systemic) Fruit trees & landscaping NEVER near ponds. Not for beds. Not for citrus spray. Soil only.
Beauveria bassiana Aphids / whiteflies Spray as needed
Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) Caterpillars Spray as needed
Prozap / Permethrin Dust Chicken mites 2x per year

Cleaning & Facility Supplies

Item - minimum stock
55 gallon trash bags - 100 bags
Windex - 4 bottle
Clorox spray - 4 bottles
Simple Green - 4 bottles
Paper towels - 25 bundles
Toilet paper - 30 rolls
Liners - 10 packs

Chicken Health Additives (Water)

Product Use
Flock Pro Probiotic
Hen Boost Vitamins
Probiotic + Digestive Enzymes Gut health

SECTION 11 — WHERE WE PURCHASE SUPPLIES

Anaheim Feed & Pet Supply

  • Chicken food — Kruse Super Egg

  • Chicken treats — Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae

  • Bedding for nest boxes

  • Cat food

  • Cat treats


Foothill Feed

  • Fish food

  • Straw for chicken coop ground cover

  • Chicken food

  • Chicken treats

  • Chicken health treatments


Orange County Farm Supply

  • Chicken manure pellet fertilizer (for ponds)

  • Seeds

  • Specialty garden tools

  • Seedling soil

  • Seedling soil amendments


Green Coast Hydroponics

  • Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil (for potting up plants)


Home Depot

  • Decomposed granite

  • Plants

  • Seeds

  • Bleach spray

  • Irrigation supplies (PVC, valves, fittings, hoses)

  • Garden tools

  • Paper towel rolls

Amazon.com

  • Trifold paper towels

  • Septic-safe toilet paper

  • Hand soaps

  • Seeds (when local sources don’t have stock)


PlasticPlace.com

  • 55-gallon 1.2 mil trash bags (outdoor cans)

  • Harvest bags


JohnnySeeds.com

  • Specialty seeds

  • Onion sets


TrueLeafMarket.com

  • Bulk seeds for direct sowing in beds


RareSeeds.com

  • Specialty / unique seed varieties

FarmersFriend.com

  • Air-prune seedling trays

GreenhouseMegaStore.com

  • Seedling trays

  • Bottom trays

  • Pots for potting up

  • Trays for pots


Farm Director:
Aaron Flora
714-362-4233
aaron@renewablefarms.com