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Cab Conversations: Get Growing No. 1

Brownfield’s spring series, Cab Conversations returns with a diverse group of farmers.  To kick off the series, Indiana Farm Director, Meghan Grebner is joined by:

Cannon Michael, Los Banos, California
Jay Hill, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Adam Casner, Carrollton, Missouri

Show Notes:

The conversation, water:

Meghan Grebner: Asks farmers to talk about the struggles they’ve had and continue to have with water.
Cannon Michael: He says a lot less work is available and less purchases are being made. He says a lot less products will be produced.
Jay Hill: Says New Mexico is in its 17th year of drought. He talks about finding new and innovative ways to be efficient with water usage.
Adam Casner: In Missouri there are currently no drought problems.
Meghan: How can farmers in different geographies share information about new technologies?
Adam Casner: Says that those at the forefront of the technologies will lead the way for others.
Meghan: How has water utilization technology impacted efforts?
Cannon Michael: Suggests that in addition to utilizing available technology there needs to be some effort in education consumers away from false information.
Jay Hill: He says modern day farmers are from the image that the public still has, from a traditional image. He says farmers use more technology and bioscience than ever before. He says farmers have to be transparent because people want to know where their food comes from.
Meghan: What questions do you have for each other?
Jay Hill: Asks Adam about where he sends the water when flooding occurs.
Adam Casner: He explains that there’s limited diversion opportunities and that fish and wildlife group agendas are having a major impact on the water channel use for farming.
Jay Hill: He says his regions markets are impacted by what’s going on in California, and asks Cannon what is going to be happening there.
Cannon Michael: He says a lot of farmers have abandoned their row crops to put what they can into their trees.  He says a lot of guys are relying on well water but that the quality isn’t good.
Adam Casner: Shares his opinion on the importance of farmers sharing their story.
Cannon Michael: Shares a personal story about how important it is to prepare people with facts to be able to speak intelligently about agriculture.
Jay Hill: He says it’s easy for people to judge what a farmer is doing, but until you’re educated you don’t know.
Meghan: Concludes