Kennewick Irrigation District (KID), a central Washington irrigation district with roots that stretch back to the late 19th century, is lining its canal system. Irrigation Leader speaks with Jason McShane, KID’s engineering and operations manager, about how this initiative will save water and increase the district’s storage capacity. He also tells us about how an Irrigation Leader–sponsored trip to New Zealand gave him ideas for the design of a future reservoir for the district. 

Why did Shon Rae make a career change from an irrigation district to a whiskey maker? Because, as they say, “Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting.” While the former assistant manager of the Central Oregon Irrigation District (COID) now works in operations at Oregon Spirit Distillers, water still plays a key role in her work as an ingredient and input. 

"The technical level we have reached is formidable. The automated management of water resources is no longer optional—it is required—and thanks to our partnership with Rubicon Water, we are at the forefront of progress in this area.” These are the words of Fernando Rueda, the president of the Ñuble River Joint Board of Control, a water users’ organization located in the south-central area of Chile that began to implement Rubicon technology in 2017 and continues to add water solutions developed by the business today.  Rubicon specializes in the creation of technology to improve the management of water in open-canal irrigation networks. The company’s solutions consist of automated control gates with…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides price support, disaster support, conservation, and farm loan programs to agricultural producers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. To learn more about the agency’s current programs and its focus for the future, Irrigation Leader spoke with a leader who brings decades of policy and hands-on agricultural experience to the table: the new FSA executive director for Nebraska, John Berge. 

From the world’s first reversible electric-drive center pivot to the newest electronic swing arm used to improve precision irrigation on corners, Nebraska-based Reinke Manufacturing has been an irrigation innovator since 1954. In this interview, Reinke President Chris Roth tells Irrigation Leader about the company’s proud history and its innovative new irrigation solutions. 

They absorb storm water and transform heat traps into flourishing rooftop gardens. They create desirable green spaces in urban buildings where people live and work. What’s not to like about green roofs? Irrigation Leader spoke with John Scholten of LiveRoof about what it takes to design a green roof that thrives. 

Sure, students in Northeast Community College’s Horticulture and Golf Course Management program learn about soil science in the classroom. But they also get out in the field and get their hands in the dirt. The result? A pipeline of young people who are prepared to take jobs in fields such as landscaping and golf course maintenance. Irrigation Leader spoke with a horticulture and agriculture instructor, Dr. Trentee Bush, a horticulture adjunct instructor, Richard M. Wright, and the ag program director, Jill Heemstra, about the program’s curriculum and goals. 

Agrotonomy markets and builds vertical farming towers for clients around the world. Its simple technology drizzles a water-nutrient mixture over the roots of 20–50 plants per tower, allowing them to absorb exactly as much as they need. The towers can be deployed in commercial greenhouses, on rooftops, and outside. In this interview, Agrotonomy CEO Mathias Levarek tells Irrigation Leader about the benefits of Agrotonomy’s solution.