August 11, 2010
www.gfb.org
Vol. 28 No. 32
GFB HOSTS WATER TOUR FOR EPD DIRECTOR ALLEN BARNES Georgia Farm Bureau hosted an agricultural water tour Aug. 4–5 for Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director Allen Barnes to let Barnes see firsthand how Georgia farmers utilize water and the steps they are taking to conserve water and improve water quality by minimizing manure, chemical and soil runoff. The tour visited the Bleckley County farms of Mike Lucas and Kevin and Chuck Williams, Glen Lee and Donald Chase in Macon County, Zach Thaggard in Lee County, David Holton in Baker and Mitchell counties, Lanair Worsham in Mitchell County and Monrovia Nurseries in Grady County. “Director Barnes asked us if we could help him better understand agriculture’s use of water, and so we gladly organized this tour,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “We appreciate Director Barnes wanting to visit farmers to see how they use water and talk to them about water issues.” During the stop at the Lucas farm, Mike explained to Barnes that he uses the Irrigator Pro program, developed by the National Peanut Research Lab in Dawson, to determine when he needs to irrigate his crops and how much water he needs to apply based on factors such as the soil type of his fields, soil temperatures and rain received. “If I can get another bale [of cotton] by irrigating I’d rather bank on irrigated yields rather than dryland,” Lucas explained. “It costs about $12 an acre to put out an inch of water, so I don’t just randomly decide to irrigate.” Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Conservationist Danny Bennett and Bleckley County farmers Kevin and Chuck Williams told Barnes the benefits of farmers having ponds to capture rainwater and runoff from surrounding watersheds. Donald Chase explained how he relies on water he pumps out of the Flint River to irrigate almost 300 acres of peanuts. Chase said he installed drop nozzles on his irrigation pivots so he could distribute the irrigation water more efficiently on his fields. David Holton described the variable rate irrigation system he uses, which allows him to water different zones of his fields varying amounts depending on the topography and soil composition of the zone. Mitchell County pecan producers Lanair Worsham Sr. and his son, Lanair Jr., showed Barnes the drip irrigation system they use to water their pecan orchards and the water sensors that turn off the system once the needed amount of water is applied. At Monrovia Nurseries in Grady County, Jerry Lee and Stewart Chandler discussed how they reuse water collected in a holding pond to irrigate their plants. “Agriculture is the largest industry in the state of Georgia and there are challenges dealing with water,” Barnes said. “The best way to get information is to get out and talk with the farmers who are using it every day and hear about what they are doing.”