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Author name: Tony Tavares

Potato Grower Adding More Drip Irrigation

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With its inaugural “a great start,” Maverick Potato Co. in Center, CO, is heading into 2014 with plans to double yellow production, increase organics, make upgrades to the packing shed and continue to build relationships in both domestic and Mexican markets, according to company President Roger Christensen.

Christensen, who founded Maverick in 2013 with co-owner Michael Kruse, is a longtime San Luis Valley grower and potato salesman. The two grower-partners went into the 2013-14 season with plans to move approximately 200,000 hundredweight of mostly russets, with a lesser volume of yellows.

“Overall it has gone really well, and we’re off to a great start,” Christensen said in early January. “We are now SCS GlobalGAP certified and consider food safety to be our number-one priority.

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U.S. Water Prize Winners to be Announced at the California Irrigation Institute Conference

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The U.S. Water Alliance will announce the 2014 winners of the esteemed U.S. Water Prize on Thursday, January 23, at the 52nd annual California Irrigation Institute (CII) conference in Sacramento addressing water and energy use. Alliance President Ben Grumbles will announce the winners in his keynote directed to the audience of agricultural, urban and environmental water experts.

“Given the urgent and critical challenges California faces due to drought, there couldn’t be a better place to announce and celebrate U.S. Water Prize winners,” explains Grumbles. “America’s future looks bright blue with these shining water stars. Our 2014 winners are leading the way by reducing water waste, reusing water resources, and rethinking watershed strategies and technologies.”

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California Governor Declares Drought State of Emergency

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With California facing water shortfalls in the driest year in recorded state history, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today proclaimed a State of Emergency and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for these drought conditions.

“We can’t make it rain, but we can be much better prepared for the terrible consequences that California’s drought now threatens, including dramatically less water for our farms and communities and increased fires in both urban and rural areas,” said Governor Brown. “I’ve declared this emergency and I’m calling all Californians to conserve water in every way possible.”

In the State of Emergency declaration, Governor Brown directed state officials to assist farmers and communities that are economically impacted by dry conditions and to ensure the state can respond if Californians face drinking water shortages. The governor also directed state agencies to use less water and hire more firefighters and initiated a greatly expanded water conservation public awareness campaign.

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Water Professionals Gather to Discuss California Drought, Water & Energy Efficiency

Leave a Comment / California Drought, Drip Irrigation News, Drought /

Water professionals from around the state are preparing to meet in Sacramento to discuss the future of efficient water and energy use in California, but many are now focusing on an immediate future threatened by drought.

Click here for a graphic and additional information concerning California’s current drought situation.

As a result, California Irrigation Institute conference organizers have secured recently appointed Deputy Drought Manager Jeanine Jones to provide an update during Friday’s luncheon regarding what the state of California intends to do. This bonus presentation has become a draw for many registering attendees at the 52nd annual conference of agricultural, urban and environmental water experts.

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Veteran Attends Sustainable Agriculture Training Program with the Help of Toro Grant

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Brock N. Selman is currently transitioning out of the military after five years of honorable service and two tours to Afghanistan. With hopes of creating a future in farming, Brock turned to the Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training (VSAT) program, that trains veterans in not only sustainable agriculture, but also business planning.

According to Brock, “I envision a farm where not only high quality organic food is produced, but also a learning center for the young and old, alike. A place where field trips can teach children where food comes — from and how it’s grown, as well as teaching adults about healthier alternatives to fast food and prepackaged meals at the grocery store.”

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California Irrigation Institute Conference

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CIIOn January 23 & 24, the California Irrigation Institute (CII) will be presenting its 2014 conference on “Building a Water and Energy Efficient California.” The conference is the CII’s 52nd annual conference and is a great place to join colleagues, speakers, and exhibitors as we look to improve California’s water and energy efficiency. To register or learn more, visit caii.org.

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Best Agricultural Colleges in the World

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The University of California (UC)-Davis, is Number 1 in the world for teaching and research in the area of agriculture and forestry, according to rankings released by QS World University Rankings.

This is the first year that the organization — which provides annual rankings in 29 other subject areas — has produced rankings in agriculture and forestry. Click here to see the entire top ranking list, or

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And the Winner of Toro’s ‘Ready. Set. GROW!’ Grant Program is…

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Ready. Set. GROW!The Toro Company today announced that Shannon Ranch Elementary School, in Visalia, CA, won top prize in the company’s ‘Ready. Set. GROW!’ grant program. As a result of the public vote, a $7,000 grant will be awarded to Shannon Ranch Elementary. The grant will enable the school to enhance their life sciences program including installing a water-efficient drip irrigation system at their school garden for use by students throughout the year. The garden will also serve as a model on smart irrigation practices for the surrounding community.

Upon receiving the news, Principal Samantha Tate said, “We appreciate the opportunity Toro has provided Shannon Ranch through the ‘Ready. Set. GROW!’ grant. We envision our school garden as being an essential component of our life sciences programs, kindergarten through the sixth grade. To have the opportunity to teach our students about the importance of agriculture in education, and how our garden can benefit our school community, is an incredible gift!”

And the Winner of Toro’s ‘Ready. Set. GROW!’ Grant Program is… Read More »

Subsurface Irrigation Systems Drip Water When and Where It’s Needed to Support Higher Yields

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A 40-year-old irrigation technology is seeing newly realized yield value as drought conditions, economic factors and resource scarcity issues intensify.

Initially adopted by U.S. vegetable, fruit and nut farmers in the 1960s and 1970s, subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) technology has rapidly advanced in the last two decades and continues to gain precision agriculture momentum.

Today’s SDI systems apply slow, frequent applications of water into soil and surrounding plant root zones through a system of driplines and emitters buried 10 to 18 inches below ground. SDI systems are well suited to support crop production in arid, semi-arid, hot and windy growing conditions such as those experienced by farmers in the High Plains states.

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Great Plains Growers Use Subsurface Drip Irrigation to Maximize Efficiency

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Lonnie Bohn and Don Blaschko installed a Toro SDI system on a 53-acre field four years ago and have seen higher yields due to increased water efficiency. “We started to look at the drip system because of the lower pressure and absolute efficiency. None of the water runs off,” Bohn says. “It’s all underground, so there is no evaporation.”

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