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Greetings!
The
busy season is finally here!
Rest assured that your phone will be ringing in the weeks ahead as your
customers awaken from their winter slumber. It's time to get those
landscapes looking great and to implement the latest water-saving products and practices.
As your dealing with the spring rush, count on the Urban Farmer team to have
the products and know-how to help you deliver winning solutions to your
customers. Call on any of us if we can help you during this busy time.
See you soon!
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Free
Monthly Landscape Watering Classes Start April 6
Register now to build your water efficiency knowledge
This
class, offered monthly, will show you how to efficiently manage water in the
landscape. It's an introductory level class with information well suited
for clients and new employees.
Classes are free but space is limited.
Reserve seats now in San Francisco, Mill Valley or Richmond!
Click here to view dates and reserve seats.
Download a printable PDF schedule to share with a friend.
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Waterwise Landscaping Conference: Slow the Flow - April 24
Foothill College, Los Altos Hills
 The
Foothill College Environmental Horticulture & Design Department
hosts the one-day Waterwise Landscaping Conference Saturday, April
24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills.
Conference registration fee is $45 when you register by April 20; $55
after April 20. Space is limited. Online registration is
required. You must register by April 20 to
receive a boxed lunch.
To register, complete the
online form and remit payment at communityeducation.fhda.edu.
CONFERENCE DETAILS
Participants will discover ways to reduce landscape water and
lower their water bills. The conference will feature green industry
professionals who will teach creative options for residential landscape
water use. Lecture topics include lawn conversion, water harvesting, how
to analyze a water bill and more.
Demonstrations and workshops will
guide participants through planning a waterwise garden, scheduling
irrigation controllers, modernizing existing equipment, plus planting
and mulching techniques to ensure healthy installations. Residents can
meet water district representatives to learn about upcoming mandates and
incentive programs.
Guest speakers include:
- Owen Dell, author, Sustainable
Landscape for Dummies;
- Frank Niccoli, Foothill College
Horticulture Instructor, How to Remove Lawn Area & Replace with
Waterwise Alternatives;
- Dan Svenson, Foothill College
Horticulture Instructor, Water Conservation in Landscape Design;
- Sherri Osaka, of Sustainable Landscape
Designs, Rainwater Harvesting & Gray Water Systems;
- Tom Bressan, of the Urban Farmer Store, Sprinkler
Retrofitting for Water-Saving Results;
- Marsha Prillwitz, of California Urban
Water Conservation, Money-Saving Landscaping Ideas; and many
others.
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Be Prepared For Spring Service Calls with Our Troubleshooting Guides
Download copies of our free problem-solver guides
Most
irrigation system problems are never identified until
it's too late. You're suddenly faced with a large area of stressed
turf with no
way to apply water to it to bring it back to life.
Even with
the most advanced irrigation installations, there will
be times where controllers, system wiring or valves can fail to operate,
causing water not to flow to the sprinkler
heads.
Before starting with a troubleshooting task, don't forget to check the obvious. Is the water supply on? Are there isolation valves at the backflow preventer or in the mainline that are preventing water from flowing? Has the flow control on the valve been turned all of the way off? Reviewing these factors up-front can save time and effort.
Additionally, make sure there is not a programming error. If the zone operates fine manually using the controller's manual mode but does not operate automatically, this usually indicates a programming error rather than an electrical problem. Review the controller's programming guide and look for data-entry errors.
The following guides can help you with resolving both mechanical and electrical issues. Print these out and carry with you for quick reference:
PDF Article - Irrigation Troubleshooting Simplified
Quick Reference Guide - Valve Mechanical Troubleshooting (PDF)
Quick Reference Guide - Using a Volt/Ohm Meter (PDF)
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Look Professional-Be Professional-Use a Toro
Pressure & Flow Gauge
Get accurate data to help you design right
 Let
Toro and The Urban Farmer Store make it as easy as 1-2-3!
1) Attach the flow & pressure gauge on the hose bib at the location
where the new system will connect.
2) Open the hose bib to find out the static pressure.
3) Open the gate valve until you get to the pressure that the system
needs to perform and note the gallons per minute on the flow gauge.
You now have your design capacity!
Stop in the store and put away your flow test bucket. Let us help you
understand the importance of knowing static pressure and design
capacity. Great irrigation systems are good for you, your customer, and
The Urban Farmer Store.
List price $95.00 while our spring buy supply lasts its only $55.00
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Add NDS Drainage: An Easy Way to
Grow Your Business
Your Customers Have Drainage
Problems, You Can Provide Solutions
Both
your existing customers and your new projects can benefit from an NDS
drainage system. Smart contractors have
discovered drainage is a fast
growing business opportunity.
Without
proper drainage, excess irrigation and rainwater
can damage a property. Until such
damage is visibly apparent, most homeowners never consider a drainage system as
a method to protect their property.
Independent
research shows that when drainage is recommended
by a contractor as a
preventative measure, most homeowners accept this
recommendation without hesitation. Homeowners
rely on the expertise of their contractor to ensure their landscape and
property will be well protected from water damage and less susceptible
to water
damage in the future.
Installing drainage
not only helps your bottom line, but also adds value to your services by
showcasing
your expertise.
NDS,
the world's leading producer of professional landscape drainage
products wants to help you get started in drainage
and sell more
drainage products.
Sign up for free promotional materials at www.ndscontractor.com
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New LED
Landscape Lighting
Minimize Installation Time, Maximize Energy
Efficiency
 Let Kichler change the way you
think about LED Accent Lighting.
Kichler LED accent lights
create maximum impact
in the landscape with pure, warm white light.
These innovative
fixtures combine
state-of-the-art color rendering with cool operation, low energy
consumption
and long life (40,000 hours). Optically engineered from the inside out,
Kichler
LED Accent Lights optimize light output and beam spread. These
high-grade
optics ensure that each fixture delivers a solid punch of light exactly
where
it's wanted.
Kichler's Design Pro LED
Landscape Lighting line includes
path, spread, accent, water, in ground and deck.
The ease of
installation and escape from voltage
drop headaches make LED a valuable solution
for lighting pros.
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San Francisco Green Festival April 10-11
 See the Urban Farmer Store at the San Francisco Green Festival, April 10-11, 2010.
In honor of Earth Day's 40th Anniversary, discover what inspires you to
motivate, participate and activate. Held at SF Concourse Exhibition Center 635 8th St (at Brannan St) San Francisco, CA 94103
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Volunteers Needed for the Marin Garden Tour: May 15, 2010
Participate in this garden showcase, over 30 locations on the tour
 Volunteer or participate in the Marin Eco-Friendly Garden Tour
Choose shifts: 9:30 to 1:00 p.m. or 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Volunteers get 3 free Tour tickets and a T-Shirt!
For more information or to help, contact: Wendy at 945-1521 or wmenara@marinwater.org
This self-guided Tour is $10 per person or you can volunteer to earn 3
free tour tickets and a T-Shirt!
See examples of: rain gardens and cisterns, gray water systems, smart
irrigation controllers, erosion control measures, habitat for wildlife,
native no mow lawn, permeable walkways, edible organic gardens,
pesticide-free landscapes, native, drought tolerant, fire resistant,
deer resistant and creekside plants.
Download Volunteer Flyer
Download General Tour Flyer & Information
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Our Store Locations:
San Francisco:
2833 Vicente Street
San Francisco, CA 94116
Phone: (415) 661-2204
Fax: (415) 661-7826
Marin:
653
East Blithedale
Mill Valley, CA
94941
Phone: (415) 380-3840
Fax: (415) 380-3848
Richmond:
2121 San Joaquin
Street
Richmond, CA
94804
Phone: (510) 524-1604
Fax: (510) 524-9797
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