Some Alabama producers will soon have the opportunity to add irrigation systems to their farms thanks to funding from the new Alabama Irrigation Initiative. The initiative will provide cost-share funding to farmers for installation of new irrigation systems.

The Alabama Soil and Water Conservation committee is working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other institutions in the state, including the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and also Auburn University, to identify which watersheds will have funding priority.

In response to this initiative, Alabama Extension will host free irrigation workshops for producers, Jan. 22 in Decatur and Jan. 23 in Dothan. These workshops will include trainings as well as on-farm demonstrations of the best irrigation practices and technologies.

Dr. Brenda Ortiz, an Alabama Extension precision agriculture specialist, said there will be several speakers at the workshop to discuss a variety of topics.

“We have invited a group of speakers with extensive experience on irrigation to share their knowledge with farmers and crop consultants,” Ortiz said.

Speakers include faculty, specialists and agents from Alabama Extension and Auburn University, as well as the University of Georgia, Kansas State University and the USDA.

The workshop will cover various aspects of center pivot and also drip irrigation systems. Speakers topics will include:

In addition to speakers, several agricultural companies will be present to speak with producers about their services and demonstrate their products.

January 22nd – Irrigation Workshop

Place: Aerospace Training Center – Calhoun Community College

6250 US-31, Decatur, AL 35609

Time: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Register for the Decatur workshop online.

January 23rd – Irrigation Workshop

Place: Houston County Farm Center – Dothan, Alabama.

1701 E Cottonwood Rd, Dothan, AL 36301

Time: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Register for the Dothan workshop online.

For more information, contact Brenda Ortiz ([email protected]), Chris Becker (cmb0034@ aces.edu), Brandon Dillard ([email protected]) or Tyler Sandlin ([email protected]).

Source: Alabama Extension Service.