By Frank Giles
The 2022 Florida legislative session had a lot to do with water rules and regulations. For the most part, the legislation that passed was favorable for agriculture and now awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature.
In a state of 21 million people, the number of people involved in and able to speak on behalf of agriculture is small. When these debates occur, it is critical that growers make their voices heard.
In February, as the water debates in the legislature were in full swing, Alan Jones penned a guest editorial that was published in the Tampa Times. He grows potatoes, green beans and citrus. His farm is based in Parrish, not far from Tampa Bay.
Jones has been recognized as a leader in water stewardship and nutrient management. In his editorial, he reminded readers that being careless with water and fertilizer applications doesn’t make sense for the environment, nor does it make sense from a business standpoint. Applying unnecessary water and nutrition to crops is a waste of money, something farmers want to avoid.
He noted he participates in the state’s best management practices (BMPs) program and said: “But a farmer’s participation in BMPs is one part of the multifaceted solution. In addition to BMPs, we use GPS precision agricultural practices, which have reduced our fertilizer use by 30%.
“In cooperation with Southwest Florida Water Management District, we have also implemented water management strategies to lessen water use and minimize irrigation runoff to nearby lakes, rivers and streams. In fact, in our first year of using low-volume center pivot irrigation, we saved 70% of our water use. This practice helps us conserve more than 1 million gallons of water daily just on our farm.”
One wonders how many Tampa Bay Times readers have any idea how much water they use in their day-to-day lives or their contribution to nutrient loading. Jones offered one example: “Did you know that the average person produces 15 pounds of nitrogen per year? That is up to 22 million pounds of wasted nitrogen that gets introduced back into Florida’s environment in Hillsborough County alone.”
Jones added that the water problems we are experiencing in Florida are not just a farmer’s problem; they are everybody’s problem. This requires everyone doing their part to address it. Passing off blame to the next person or sector will not fix anything.