Area farmers are seeing big benefits from joining the District’s FARMS program.
Farmers recently shared their success stories in a new District video on the Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems program. FARMS is a cost-share program offered by the District that promotes water savings and water quality improvements.
“As a farmer, you worry, are you going to have enough water?” said Bill Brasswell, owner of Polkdale Farms. “Farmers use water, you don’t have a choice, if someone gives you an alternative to water you want to take it. And if they want to give you money to take that alternative you certainly want to do it.”
The FARMS program encourages farmers to engage in new or alternative best management practices to help promote water quality and water conservation.
Some examples of best management practices that can be cost-shared are water control structures, soil moisture sensors, filtration systems and main-line piping to connect into the existing irrigation system.
Jonathan Brown, vice president for production at Bethel Farms in Arcadia, said the FARMS program provided financial assistance for tools like his weather station.
“We have sensors throughout the farm that help us make decisions where any of our crops are concerned, whether we’re watering or we’re doing some type of spray or nutritional application,” he said.
Applying for the program is easy and District staff will visit a farm and explain the best management practices that can fit an operation.
“Natural resources are limited,” Brown said. “So I feel like personally, I want to do everything I can to preserve and do a better job at being conservative with those resources.”
For more information on FARMS, visit WaterMatters.org/FARMS.