Irrigation Training Series

There are almost 2800 Kroger Co grocery stores in the United States. That’s more stores from one grocery chain than all the SiteOnes, Ewings, and Horizons combined. Safeway has another 1,300 locations, and Whole Foods has 500 nationwide. That is a total of 4,600 store locations just from those three. There are more than 18,000 grocery stores in the nation. This compares to 2,300 Home Depots and 2,200 Lowes.

There were 16 million new gardeners in 2020. Every one of them goes to the grocery store, probably more than once a week. Grocery stores are looking to cash in on the gardening explosion by expanding their floral departments to include items like tools, seeds, plants, and yes, even irrigation equipment. Imagine shopper’s excitement when they see they can purchase a garden irrigation kit with their basil plants. This week will welcome Chris Sabbarese, Digital Marketing, and Communications for Corona Tools, to detail this emerging trend impacting the irrigation, gardening, and distribution markets we live and work in every day. In this session, you will learn:

What we’re seeing at the retail garden centers, 16M new gardeners in 2020

Special Guest: Chris Sabbarese.

Cannabis continues to be the most talked-about plant in amateur and professional growing circles. Even people who have no desire to grow cannabis or consume the products made with cannabis still talk about it and are fascinated with the subject.

Who thought growing weeds would be so exciting and so challenging. There are wide-ranging views on the subject as well. Is it the natural solution to pain management and the answer to sales tax revenue problems.

However, one thing everyone can agree on is cannabis is not so simple to grow well. Michael Derewenko, Irrigation Solutions Manager for Cannabis and Hemp, will take us through Jain’s indoor design guide and explain how best to use this guide to ensure growing success.

We’ll walk through the process from POC to flush valves, discussing design variables, growing efficiently, and ideal products for each project. Bring your questions and walk away with answers.

Special Guest: Michael Derewenko.

Properly designed, installed, and maintained irrigation systems save money and water. An understanding of basic irrigation hydraulics is necessary for any water manager.

Acquiring the knowledge of basic irrigation hydraulics is more complicated than it seems. Math, theory, water at rest, and water in motion are all part of the equation. As a result, the way hydraulics is taught might be more important than what is taught.

Dr. Franklin Gaudi, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo alumnus and a Project Manager for the Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC). Dr. Gaudi is skilled at making irrigation training interesting and will take us through the training. More importantly, he shares some stories about how he gets students to understand basic hydraulics. This will be educational and entertaining as well.

As a bonus, Dr. Peter Livingston will join us to discuss opportunities to learn more about irrigation by studying at Cal Poly. Dr. Livingston is the Department head for BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Department. Dr. Livingston is the BRAE Department Head.

He came to Cal Poly from the University of Arizona, Tucson, where he was Associate Professor of Practice in the Agricultural and Biosystem Engineering Department. Peter has more than 35 years of professional experience in agricultural and water resources engineering and natural resources planning. He will provide information on other areas of study at Cal Poly as well.

CDFA’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP)has just received $40 million for drought relief (AB 128, Chapter 21). Getting your share of the money at times can seem tedious and time-consuming. Our team on Wednesday will show you how to make this process manageable.

In this webinar, you will learn about financial assistance in the form of grants from the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) State Water Efficiency & Enhancement Program (SWEEP).

Significant grants are available for implementing irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gases and save water on California agricultural operations.

Some of the components you will hear about include soil moisture monitoring, drip systems, switching to low-pressure irrigation systems, pump retrofits, and variable frequency drives to reduce on-farm water use and energy consumption.

The application submission period is from October 1 – December 31, 2021, so don’t miss out on this informative webinar and your chance of a SWEEP grant.

Special Guest: David Lindsey.

Erik Wilson and Steve Malanca started My Job Depends on Ag to spread the word that everyone depends on agriculture whether they know it or not. Today with the drought in California combined with high temperatures across the country, the world of agriculture is changing rapidly, and we are all connected by and dependent on agriculture.

The cost of drought comes in a variety of forms. Examples of economic impacts include farmers who lose money because drought destroyed their crops or ranchers who may have to spend more money to feed and water their animals. Economic impacts can be both direct, such as decreases in dairy production, and indirect, as seen by increases in the price of cheese.

Special Guest: Erik Wilson.

Hemp is quickly becoming one of the most popular crops to grow, and also one of the most challenging.  

Reference information for growing hemp is not very plentiful today and making hemp growing a little more challenging. Fortunately, Jain Irrigation developed a comprehensive design guide for irrigating hemp.  Making the irrigation challenge for hemp a little less challenging. 

This Wednesday, August 18th we will cover some popular topics from our Hemp Irrigation Design Guide while fielding any questions attendees may have. 

Special Guest: Michael Derewenko.

AgTech is evolving rapidly as well as the number of farms adopting AgTech. This evolution is driven by increased labor costs, decreased labor availability, increased input costs, strict regulations, and growers looking for a competitive advantage.

If you are considering purchasing agtech irrigation products or have purchased some and are looking to buy more, this webinar is a must-see for you. We will review ten questions to ask so you can be comfortable making the best decision for your farm, ranch, or property.

There are many products to choose from and many promises made. The questions were developed in conjunction with the irrigation bill of rights to help consumers get the truth.

During this webinar, you will learn the right questions to ask to:

Determine what products match your use

Special Guests: Cory Broad and Jeff Tuel.

Dr. Dave Goldhamer suggests for high yields next almond season ensure your almonds are not stressed during September. Be sure to eliminate stress on the tree as soon as the nuts are off, which means do not turn off your irrigation. In his trial, he discovered cutting off post-harvest irrigation resulted in an 800lb/ac yield loss the following year.

After harvest, cutting off irrigation to your almonds trees may be the most significant contributing factor for creating low yields next year. Dave Goldhamer has conducted some excellent research on the positive effects of post-harvest irrigation on almonds.

In this webinar, you will hear what the experts have to say about post-harvest irrigation requirements for permanent crops with an emphasis on almonds, pistachios, and vineyards. Harvest practices for these crops require a significant dry-down period with minimal irrigation water applied leading up to harvest. Although necessary, the practice leads to tremendous stress on the plants making post-harvest irrigation critical to restoring plant health and preparing the plants for winter and next year’s crop. You will learn how Jain Logic™ is an integral tool to ensure you apply the right amount of irrigation water after your harvest.

During this webinar, you will learn:

What the University of California and Almond Board recommend for post-harvest irrigation

Special Guest: Connor Cunningham.

Mark Arax is one of the foremost authorities on California’s water. Two of his most recognized works about water are The King Of California: J.G. Boswell and the Making of A Secret American Empire, and most recently The Dreamt Land. Both these books deal with water and agriculture in California and do not shy away from any controversy. Mark’s strength in telling the story of California water comes from deep and unbiased reporting. He sees the situation for what it is and this helps him find solutions.

The Dreamt Land weaves reportage, history, and memoir to confront the “Golden State” myth in riveting fashion. No other chronicler of the West has so profoundly delved into the empires of agriculture that drink so much of the water. The nation’s most prominent farmers—the nut king, grape king, and citrus queen—tell their story here for the first time.

We are fortunate to be joined by Mark for an in-depth conversation about California water. We will explore the current water situation in California and possible changes needed to ensure success for California agriculture.

We look forward to you joining us for this discussion, and we will be giving away free copies of his books for the best questions during the webinar.

You can check out Mark’s books here – https://mark-arax.com/

Summer is the most stressful time for landscape plants. Mix a drought into the equation, and you have a recipe for disaster in your landscape. Without enough moisture, plants can’t function normally and are predisposed to damage by pests or diseases. Drought also makes plants less winter-hardy, especially if the drought occurs in fall as plants go dormant. The hot, dry conditions have a lasting effect, too—trees and shrubs, in particular, can take several years to recover from drought fully.

Fortunately for us, we have Stacey Sturnot, Executive Operations Manager for Landscapes USA, joining us to teach us how to take the best care possible of our plants during drought. Stacey served for over nine years on the Board for San Diego Chapter California Landscape Contractors Association and was President for two years. Stacey holds multiple landscape and irrigation certifications, including Landscape Industry Certified Manager. In addition, she is a self-proclaimed “plant nerd” and a consistent solid reference for many plant lovers needing help and advice with their plants.

During this presentation, you will learn:

What is native plant material

Special Guest: Stacey Sturnot.