College of Agriculture, University of Arizona,
Arizona Land and People, Vol. 47, Number 2
Checkerboard FarmsThe Fort Mojave Indian Reservation Lands are set in a checkerboard pattern on all sides of the California-Arizona-Nevada borders, with blocks of farmland lying adjacent to urban areas. The tribe has to deal with the Environmental Protection Agency, and a variety of other federal and state agencies. "Sometimes it seems they all have different rules," says Del Wakimoto, Avi Kwa' Ame tribal farm manager. Mojave Valley farms are either tribally owned or leased out, growing basically cotton and forage crops. "The tribal goal is making a profit," he says. Sounds simple enough, but they face obstacles. The complications of a checkerboard-patterned farmland increase the possibility for rural/urban conflict, particularly since the urban population keeps increasing. Nearby residents have long been upset about pesticide-spraying, says Timothy Knowles, area extension agricultural agent. The recent two-year drought, plus the wind, also brought complaints about blowing dust, especially when farm machines were operating. Cover crops and soil amendments help reduce the problem. Complaints aren't always logical. Timothy says, "Agriculture took the blame for the drought, but not the credit for the rain." The more urban people know about farming, the better they'll understand the constraints farmers work under. Del works with the UA College of Agriculture to set up a three-day Arizona Farm & Ranch Ag Expo to help educate neighbors, from preschoolers to adults. The Expo includes farm machinery exhibits, educational exhibits from various farm organizations, and tours of integrated pest management field experiments. A recruiter from the UA is present. "The UA has been very helpful in reducing the typical rural/urban conflicts," Del says. "We could farm without the UA. We could fumble through, but it's easier for them to do research. Basically, farm decisions should be made based on science, which usually comes from the university. I would not want to do my job without the UA." He considers current weather information from AZMET, the Arizona Meteorological Network, vital. Updates from Timothy's newsletter, "Agriculture Today" take just a few minutes to read. "Then I know what's going on." Del, an economist by training, believes farmers have to "have a feel for what's going on" They need to be aware of trends in marketing, consumer preferences, and politics. Farm labor continues to be a problem, he says. Salaries aren't competitive; farmers need sufficient capital to buy equipment to replace workers. Del says farming will continue to change. For instance, consolidation in the agribusiness industry, marketing, and transportation will eliminate competition. "They couldn't care less about small individual farmers; for them, success means a profitable report to their stockholders. "We'll have to improve our ability to use computers. We need to be more sophisticated-to be able to exchange information with other managers and growers. But, taking the time to learn is a problem." Document part of 1999 Native American Programs in the College of Agriculture |