Independent Irrigation Consulting & Training
MuddyBoots Irrigation
MuddyBoots delivers expert irrigation consulting, farm visits and irrigation training services to optimise water use efficiency for sustainable farming practices.
About MuddyBoots irrigation
MuddyBoots in the orchard
Founder of MuddyBoots (Pty) Ltd, Karen van der Westhuizen, is a soil scientist who is passionate about the impact that accurate irrigation scheduling can have on producing high quality agricultural produce and optimising limited water supplies.
MuddyBoots is a one-woman-show and primarily focuses on irrigation scheduling for horticultural crops, using drip and micro sprinkler systems. We are independent of hardware and software platforms. This means that we use what your farm already has in place, or advise where improvements can be made. We place a strong focus on irrigation training and upskilling the farm to be able to make better irrigation scheduling decisions.
More about Karen van der Westhuizen:
- With robust problem solving, analytical and people skills, I thrive in the irrigation consulting environment where I am challenged with transferring complex concepts into practical farm level actions.
- I excel at working with large datasets to find trends and develop customised functional models which can be used by farms to better understand their soil moisture, plan their irrigation schedules and develop water budgets.
- My public speaking skills allow me to effectively transfer knowledge in both a classroom and orchard setting while providing irrigation training and irrigation farm visits.
- I am passionate about upskilling farms so that they can make better irrigation decisions. I enjoy working closely with the whole irrigation team, from the farm’s manager through to the team of waterman.
“Giving farms the confidence to make better irrigation scheduling decisions”
Muddyboots irrigation services
Tailored Irrigation Solutions for Sustainable Farming
MuddyBoots Irrigation Farm Visits:
- Giving farm’s the confidence to make the correct irrigation decisions.
- A service tailored to a farm’s needs.
- Strategic visits or monthly scheduled farm visits.
- Inspection of soil profile holes, evaluation of soil moisture and roots, infield training, problem solving and developing irrigation strategies.
- Evaluation of system design, irrigation schedules and developing actionable protocols.
Remote Consulting & Models:
- MuddyBoots is independent of hardware and software suppliers and will work with the farm’s existing infrastructure and platforms.
- Evaluation of capacitance soil moisture probe graphs, setting of probe lines and providing irrigation scheduling feedback.
- Developing customised Excel models and basic irrigation schedules for farms.
- We have our own MuddyBoots Portal available to our clients to view soil moisture observations on an interactive map, as well as overlaid on soil moisture probe graphs.
- Calculate water use efficiencies and budgets.
MuddyBoots Irrigation Training:
- Theoretical irrigation training combined with practical sessions in your orchards.
- Upskill your farm to take ownership of its systems, so that the most informed irrigation decisions can be made.
- From a morning session to a two day course.
- Courses are run at the location of your choice.
- The level of theory is adapted to the group; from the farm manager to the waterman.
Optimise your irrigation scheduling today with MuddyBoots Irrigation
Email us : info@muddyboots.co.za
Authenticity in expertise
Science Meets Practical Farming
01.
Scientific Expertise
A unique combination of in-depth soil science, horticulture and irrigation knowledge.
02.
Hands-On Techniques
The ability to transform complex concepts into simple on-farm monitoring and actions.
03.
Sustainable Practices
Increases water use efficiency, seasonal productions and a farm’s resilience.
Feedback from the farms
Irrigation Stories from Growers
Karen van der Westhuizen has made a large contribution to the systems that we have put in place and the irrigation knowledge that we have gained until now. She has supported us in being able to achieve what we have, by applying water more productively and effectively. Without her inputs, we would still been in the dark. Most importantly, we have been able to learn from her. Many people are not as open to teach. Karen always takes things on with a positive attitude. As a lady, there is also the ‘x-factor’ that she brings; she is persistent in getting things finished and ensures that they are done well. This is something that we have learnt from her and benefit from daily.
Karen van der Westhuizen comes highly recommended in the Overberg fruit farming region for her astute evaluations and effective irrigation problem solving, as well as her vast understanding of the relationship between soil science, irrigation and commercial crop production.
Having attended one of Karen’s irrigation short course, it is clear that she is able to adapt to varied skill levels and delivers exceptionally valuable information, as well as practical advice, in an easily digestible format. This has left us with a better understanding of how to evaluate our plant’s irrigation needs, and how best to cater to them.
Having attended one of Karen’s irrigation short course, it is clear that she is able to adapt to varied skill levels and delivers exceptionally valuable information, as well as practical advice, in an easily digestible format. This has left us with a better understanding of how to evaluate our plant’s irrigation needs, and how best to cater to them.