California Irrigated Agriculture Educational Needs
Ag/H2O’s Business Focus • AG/H2O was founded to provide Agricultural Producers with technological solutions to control the rising costs of water, energy and nutrients. • AG/H2O business principal is to provide a water, energy and nutrient cost reduction program and/or system that have less than a 2 year Return on Investment cost. • Training is a key component of the systems and services supplied by Ag/H20 to insure that Agricultural Producers continue to benefit from the technological solutions provided. • Both Class room and e-Learning
Educational Needs in California Ag Irrigation and the Magnitude
Irrigated Ag in California • Uses 80-85% of the water in California • Uses 10% of the electrical power in California • 75% of the electrical power is used for on farm pumps that deliver irrigation water
Irrigated Ag in California Appl e, Pe a r, Cherry, Pl um and Prune Pea ch, Ne cta ri ne s and Apri cots Al monds Wa l nuts Pi s ta chi o Mi s c. De ci duous Gra i n and Gra i n Ha y Ri ce Cotton Sa ffl owe r and Sunfl owe r Corn and Gra i n Sorghum Be a ns Mi s c. Fi e l d Crops Al pha l fa Ha y and Cl ove r Pa s ture and Mi s c. Grasse s Sma l l Ve ge ta bl e s Toma toe s and Peppe rs Pota toes , Suga r Be ets , turni p ect. Me l ons , Squa s h and Cucumbe rs Oni ons and Ga rlic Stra wbe rri e s Fl owers , Nurs ery and Chri s tma s Tre e Ci trus (no ground cover) Ava ca do Mi s c. Subtropi ca l Unknown Gra pe s Idl e Tota l
Al l Furrow 17,821 12,537 0 17,858 9,687 4,698 0 0 714,065 0 381,607 61,543 103,950 37,392 0 310,194 151,737 59,123 57,139 29,487 0 1,858 14,048 2,756 3,073 202,826 186,829 2,380,228
Al l Borde r Stri p and Ba s i n 56,111 38,256 211,994 62,346 21,079 13,309 681,963 379,989 0 173,096 0 0 0 643,093 357,439 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,486 11,407 2,205 2,549 0 0 2,656,322
Combination Spri nkl e r/Furrow Al l Spri nkl e r 0 30,930 0 21,367 0 94,704 0 32,192 0 14,714 0 7,858 0 227,321 0 0 143,244 224,428 0 57,699 72,452 113,515 17,215 42,615 35,144 108,687 0 226,828 0 119,146 109,952 355,057 46,141 127,432 19,865 61,071 18,567 55,200 10,834 36,064 21,362 849 0 372 0 2,641 0 551 0 524 0 8,291 0 0 494,776 1,970,056
Al l Drip/Micro 85,048 55,926 225,211 88,483 35,123 21,631 0 0 40,403 0 0 13,486 27,531 0 0 86,134 36,145 15,562 14,545 8,487 33,317 33,441 252,865 49,616 55,316 633,352 0 1,811,622
Tota l Acre a ge 189,910 128,086 531,909 200,879 80,603 47,496 909,284 379,989 1,122,140 230,795 567,574 134,859 275,312 907,313 476,585 861,337 361,455 155,621 145,451 84,872 55,528 37,157 280,961 55,128 61,462 844,469 186,829 9,313,004
Needed Educational Training Programs “Short List” for Drip/Micro Irrigation Systems • • • • • • • •
Irrigation Designers Irrigation Installers Irrigation System Operators Irrigation System Maintenance Technicians Irrigation System Troubleshooting and Repair Technicians Irrigation Schedulers Fertigation & Nitrate Management Irrigation System Evaluators
Example of an Issue Training Can Help to Address
Example of an Issue Training Can Help to Address
Example of Issue Training Can Help to Address
Irrigation Systems In California
Irrigation Systems In California
The above shows that we could easily see 1 million more acres converted to Drip/Micro (Low Volume) irrigation systems in the next 3 years!
Types of Jobs Needed Types of Jobs Needed by California Agriculture and Estimates of the Number needed over the next 3 Years
Irrigation Designers Irrigation System Installation Foremen Irrigation System Troubleshooting and Repair Technicians New Jobs Irrigation System Operators Irrigation System Maintenance Technicians Irrigation Schedulers Fertigation & Nitrate Management Technicians Irrigation System Evaluators
X X X
110 220 275
X X X X X
150 275 415
$75,000 $60,000 $45,000
1500 1000 300 300 250
$55,000 $35,000 $35,000 $40,000 $35,000
Opportunities in Irrigated Ag • 9.3 million Irrigated Acres Thousands of Acres
Number of Farms
1,000 – 2,000
2,194
2,000 – 5,000
1,382
5,000 +
875
Total
4,451
• 5 Major Manufacturers of Drip/Micro Irrigation Main Manufacturing Plants in the US are in California (3 in Fresno) • 55 Major Irrigation Distributors within a 250 mile radius of Fresno • Hundreds of Water Districts/Agencies, Government Offices, and Utility Companies
Employers • • • • • •
Manufacturers Dealers Growers Water Districts/Agencies Utility Companies Government
California’s Community Colleges The California Community College is the Clear Vehicle to Provide the Training and Education Needed
CCC Vice Chancellor’s Strategy The California Community College’s Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Framework for the Future
Education & e - Learning
Education & e - Learning
Education & e – Learning Developing in Cooperation with Reedley Community College