The Secret Art of Pumping Water Without Electricity

Over the course of this year, I’ve had several regenerative farmers tell me ‘secret ingredients’ to success.

They’ve spanned from compost recipes to tractor tools to irrigation techniques.

Today, I’m giving you the inside scoop on a centuries-old piece of technology that farmers are using to move water long distances without any electricity, labor, or massive investments.

On small market farms, irrigation is usually an afterthought. It’s a simple task to set hoses up to wells or city water sources.

But on ranches that sometimes span over 10,000 acres, water access can determine financial and ecological success every year. Digging wells gets expensive, and moving water with vehicles can add hours of work to an already-busy day.

One of the most financially successful farms (per managed acre) found the answer to this predicament in a tool that can pump water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — all without electricity.

Ridgedale Farm sits in the remote countryside outside of Stockholm, Sweden. The property’s designer and manager, Richard Perkins, has the energy of a mad scientist, the analytical skills of an accountant, and the green thumb of a veteran farmer.

When Perkins purchased Ridgedale, there wasn’t much infrastructure. What he did have, however, was an abundance of flowing water via streams on the farm. As an avid fisherman, Perkins knew the streams were loaded with brown trout. He needed a way to siphon small amounts of water without disrupting the stream’s ecosystem.

After researching his options, he found a clue in a 200-year-old patent for a simply designed piece of technology called a Ram Pump.

Perkins says the Ram Pump offers three immediate benefits over modern technology.

First, it doesn’t use electricity. All you need is moving water and elevation change.

Second, well-placed Ram Pumps won’t pull all the water from a source. They take small ‘sips’ over a long period of time, so fish and other wildlife won’t find themselves perched on a dry rock.

Third, these pumps can push water massive distances. At Ridgedale Farm, Perkins says their Ram Pump has a 1:100 working ratio. In other words, water that falls one foot into the pump will be pushed 100 feet up the hillside.

If it doesn’t use electricity, how does it pump water for such long distances?

The magical secret stems back to the late 1700s when the co-inventor of the hot air balloon, Joseph Michel Montgolfier, took an interest in fluid dynamics.

The Ram Pump takes advantage of the energy in moving water, and I found it to be the perfect balance between magic and science. I’ve attached a few videos so you can see the pump in action.

If you’re interested in taking advantage of the Ram Pump, all you need is an elevation change and a small amount of moving water.

You can make your own, or you can check out the original manufacturer who has sold Ram Pumps for over 200 years (and has a “forever” guarantee).

Do you know a farm that we should feature?

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