[Vision2020] Palouse Farming: was Hemp...

[Garrett Clevenger]

Ellen writes:

"I thought all the farmers around here relied on rainfall and snowpack for moisture."


Most farmers around here are dryland farmers because we have enough annual precipitation, so they don't need supplemental water to grow wheat, barley, peas and lentils, though they probably would get higher yields if more water were added.

I have a vegetable farm in Moscow, which requires irrigation. Our well is about 60 feet deep, so more than likely it is water that is replenished each year by rain and snowpack. I consider that a more sustainable use of water than that which will be sold to Hawkins, which from what I know is drawn from the deeper aquifer, which is not replenished much.

If we could grow hemp here, we'd probably have to irrigate. But then again, most farms that grow our food rely on irrigation systems, particularly in the desert regions of south Idaho, and the Columbia basin in Washington.

If anybody wants to read a good book on the history of reliance on federal subsidies to develop irrigation districts in our country (of which there are probably more than most people realize), check out "Cadilac Desert" by Marc Reisner. Pretty much no matter what, irrigation is crucial to farmimg, and tax-payers have built those systems. Add that on top of the ecological consequences of water diversion (and transportation and pesticide use!) and it's obvious what we pay for food at the store is a lot less than its true cost.

The Palouse is lucky to have enough precip to grow crops dryland, but then again, most of the wheat is exported, and that doesn't provide us vegetables. If you eat meat, you need water to care for livestock, too.

So it seems to me, if you like a diverse diet, it's better to grow that food locally to reduce the other impacts transporting food long distances causes. That being the case, it seems that since water is the limiting factor, it makes sense to use that water wisely. Since we all need to eat, I'd rather use that water to grow food than using it for the Hawkins mega-mall...

gclev