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Water, that vital life source the keeps us from offending our co-workers (by bathing) and also fills that succulent orange you ate. Water, next to land, is probably the number one commodity for farmers.
Animals, like people, need water to survive; plants need water to grow; and people need safe water to drink.
It seems like this past summer, all we heard about was water. Now we’re in the middle of winter and we’re still hearing about water as we’re surrounded by snow.
So what does this water issue have to do with farmers and why should you care?
Well, to dispel some myths, farming is not the sole cause of water issues. Keeping nutrients in the soil is one of the main goals farmers try to achieve because plants need those nutrients to grow strong and big.
However, weather changes, like those summer downpours that come and drop inches of water on fields, making it hard to keep nutrients in the ground. Farmers can only put in so many measures that will help, but at a certain point, the ground reaches a saturation level and water runs off.
This happens especially when it rains hard and fast and the ground cannot absorb it; when the water runs off, it carries away vital nutrients. Farmers then have to replenish these nutrients via fertilizers and cover crops for a successful harvest.
So back to water. Ohio actually ranks ninth according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the number of farms that call Ohio home and nearly 90 percent of those farms are run by families or individuals. Ohio is the number one producer of Swiss cheese, second-largest producer of eggs, the third-largest producer of pumpkins and tomatoes, fifth in bell peppers, sixth in sweet corn and cucumbers, and eighth in chickens.
In commodity crops, Ohio is the fifth-largest producer of soybeans, seventh-largest producer of corn, ninth-largest producer of pork, and fifth-largest producer of milk.
Ohio’s agriculture industry contributed $105 billion dollars to the economy and one in seven jobs are linked to agriculture.
All of that production needs water.
Now, let us take a quick flight over to California. California is the leading producer in agriculture. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, all commodities in California grossed $46.3 million, while Ohio pulled in $10.9 million.
California’s main sources of income are fruits and nuts ($20 million), vegetables and melons ($7.7 million) and dairy ($7.6) million.
Well, we’ve all seen those happy California cow commercials; soon they may not be so happy. In fact, they might be looking for a way to get to Ohio.
See, unlike Ohio, California has water problems – to get specific, a drought. Without water, farmers can’t farm. Agriculture takes a lot of water, especially vegetables, nut trees, fruits, melons, and cows. Not to mention the water consumed by people.
When it comes to water usage, people usage beats farm usage, which is understandable. However, farms produce food. Less food means fewer people. You get the picture.
Farmers in Ohio are beginning to improve their efforts even more by working with Ohio Farm Bureau to implement Healthy Water Ohio (www.healthywaterohio.org), a long-term sustainability plan to keep Ohio’s water safe.
I encourage you think about your water usage this year – runoff from lawn fertilizers, storm runoff and home usage also contribute to water quality issues.
As Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, the Nobel Prize winner, wrote, “Water is life’s mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” Water quality is everyone’s issue.
Clemson is a member of the Trumbull County Farm Bureau and working on her Ph.D. at The Pennsylvania State University. She and her family farm in Mecca.