Agriculturalists Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

ARIZONA Most Americans celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. Farmers and ranchers celebrate Earth Day every day. Agriculturalists grow and raise renewable commodities 365 days a year in a manner that protects the land and promotes conservation. "Farmers and ranchers are used to carefully considering all of their input costs in farming operations. This includes our energy costs," says Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers. "As a result, whatever we can do to minimize those costs helps us to improve our bottom line and conserve for the future. Because of this we preserve our land and promote conservation for future generations." Consider ¦ Geothermal and Water Conservation Gary Wood of Desert Sweet Shrimp in Gila Bend and an Arizona Farm Bureau member uses geothermal energy for his operation. "My use of geothermal energy is minimal because of the size of my operation," says Wood. "I have taken advantage of it for my nursery ponds from time to time and it works really well. If someone was dealing with only small ponds and they were covered, the use of geothermal energy could be put to use very effectively." Additionally, the Arizona shrimp farm, in conjunction with the University of Arizona, designed a plot of 120 olive trees, spaced along 10 rows. From the shrimp pond, they irrigated the olive saplings. Their research showed effluent-treated trees from the shrimp pond grew larger than well-watered trees, supplying saplings with 1.6 to 5.6 kilograms of nitrogen per row from the shrimp waste. In the second year, they met the full nitrogen recommendation for olive trees. They're using the nitrogen and phosphorus in the waste from the shrimp to replace the nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers that farmers would otherwise have to buy. The research project supplied close to 100 percent of nutrients needed for the trees. Wood, the shrimp farm's owner, continues to irrigate olive trees as well as durum wheat fields from his shrimp pond, which is fed by well water. Solar Another farmer, Farm Bureau member Paul Chambers and owner of Australian Outback, is trying to take advantage of one of Arizona's most plentiful assets, sunlight. Chambers grows eucalyptus trees on 240 acres of land in the west valley. He supplies zoos nationwide with eucalyptus for koalas and also provides specialized Australian trees and plants that thrive in Arizona's climate. "I have the land, I have the sunlight, I would be a fool not to pursue the advantages of solar power for my property," says Chambers. "Solar power is cleaner, quieter, and more efficient. I use it to power my farm, houses and pumps. I want other farmers and ranchers to know that it's possible to set up your own system and not have to rely on the grid." When asked about plans to expand his use and production of solar power that now produces about 45 kilowatts of energy, Chambers replies, "I've been doing a lot of research. The biggest hurdle for anyone to overcome when pursuing the use and production of solar power is, by far, the cost. There are programs and grants offered by the USDA and other organizations that can assist farmers and ranchers with their pursuit of solar plans." Eventually, Chambers would like to expand to the point to where he can sell energy back to the grid and make an enterprise out of it. Chambers recently received a $130,000 grant from the USDA to pursue his plans for a photovoltaic power system. More Solar Tim Crews, project director for Wolfberry Farm at Prescott College, uses a 32-panel Photovoltaic pumping system that fuels a drip irrigation system for the farm and powers greenhouse fans, classrooms and the caretaker's house. The nonprofit farm grows corn, tepary beans, winter squash, leafy greens, spinach that they then market to the college café and farmers' markets in the summer. Started in 1997, the farm is experimenting with the Wolfberry, a small red fruit similar to the tomato that was grown by ancient peoples and is very drought tolerant. They are also experimenting with growing perennial crops like natural prairie grains, sorghum, and prickly pear, mesquite and sunflowers. Since the farm generates extra power in off peak times of the year they're considering running farm equipment off of the extra energy. Currently producing about 4KW per hour, the farm is unable to sell back to the grid since at the time of set up that option was not available. One Farm's Quest to Use Renewable Energy Back in 2005, one of Arizona's most well-known farm operations went not only green but renewable. Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona began purchasing "renewable energy" to operate their business. In a partnership with SRP's EarthWise Energy program, Schnepf Farms in their news releases believed their effort to be "the first business in the state and one of the first farms in the country." Back then, Mark Schnepf, 3rd generation farmer and owner said, "We have been inviting people to visit our family farm for over 50 years, and now when they visit, they will know that everything we provide for them on the farm is either organically grown, operated by renewable energy and baked by power that is the cleanest for our environment. We wanted to take our operation a step further and invest in clean renewable energy." The purchase of renewable energy through the SRP EarthWise Energy Program comes from a diverse mix of local renewable energy sources including solar, wind, landfill gas, geothermal and low head hydro. The energy produced is sent to SRP's main system, where it becomes part of the primary energy supply for customers. Although purchasing of "green power" is more expensive, "it is worth it," says Carrie Schnepf, co-owner. Currently the Schnepf's purchase approximately 186-thousand kilowatt-hours of green power a month to operate their farm. This will increase this year with the addition of their Fresh from the Farm Country Restaurant and their ride area where they are installing a roller coaster. The stories above are just a few examples of the countless ways agriculturalists are celebrating Earth Day every day. For more stories, contact Julie Murphree at (480) 635-3607 or email her at juliemurphree@azfb.org. Some Environmental Farm Facts ¢ Farmers and ranchers are the first environmentalists, maintaining and improving the soil and natural resources to pass on to future generations. ¢ Farmers use reduced tillage practices on more than 72 million acres to prevent erosion. ¢ Farmers maintain over 1.3 million acres of grass waterways, allowing water to flow naturally from crops without eroding soil. ¢ Contour farming, planting crops on hillsides instead of up and down, keeps soil from washing away. About 26 million acres in the United States are managed this way. ¢ Cattle ranchers and others control water run-off with sod waterways and diversions, erosion control structures and catch basins. ¢ Just as urban families recycle grass, newspaper and aluminum, farm families have practiced recycling for a long time by applying manure to fields to replace nutrients in the soil. ¢ Agricultural land provides habitat for 75 percent of the nation's wildlife. About Arizona Farm Bureau The Arizona Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving and improving the Agriculture industry through member involvement in education, political activities, programs and services. As a member services organization, individuals can become a member by contacting the Farm Bureau. Go to www.azfb.org to learn more. For information on member benefits call 480.635.3606.