tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899138381040273260.post6924759988189253583..comments2024-02-28T19:00:38.544-08:00Comments on RVino: Where does your food come from?...Yuma!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899138381040273260.post-79266042818719288442015-06-14T10:48:20.777-07:002015-06-14T10:48:20.777-07:00The US has a treaty with Mexico specifying how muc...The US has a treaty with Mexico specifying how much water needs to flow from the US to Mexico in the Colorado River. The agricultural water rights in the Yuma area allow basically as much water as needed to be pulled from the river. They largely "replace" that water with ground water to meet the requirements of what has to flow into Mexico. Of course, that groundwater isn't of the same quality as what is pulled out of the river for ag use, but it does seem to meet the requirements of the agreement. There is plenty of groundwater (and very close to the surface) in the Yuma area, but it is salty and has more ag runoff in it than the water coming out of the river. <br /><br />There are also plans for a desalination facility in the Yuma area. That may be in anticipation of the future flow of the Colorado and the possible need to use more ground water for irrigation in the future.jevowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06437538736431866131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899138381040273260.post-10133049907966990342015-06-13T19:58:56.969-07:002015-06-13T19:58:56.969-07:00John:
What's your understanding of their rig...John: <br />What's your understanding of their rights to the Colorado's water and how that ever decreasing supply plans into their future?<br />JohnJohn W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01448510840675520313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899138381040273260.post-49077759226082877382015-01-25T09:43:04.676-08:002015-01-25T09:43:04.676-08:00There are three major growing regions (Yuma Valley...There are three major growing regions (Yuma Valley, Dome Valley, Bard Valley) in the Yuma ag region. There is always a harvest going on somewhere in the region. So the labor load of harvest is spread pretty evenly throughout the year. This is an advantage because it makes planning for labor needs much easier than it is in regions where the harvest happens once a year and the high demand results in labor shortages. During the summer when harvest labor is less in demand, they'll keep crews busy with irrigation related projects.<br /><br />The farmers keep each parcel of land productive throughout the year. Rather than land leaving a field fallow, they'll plant alfalfa, durum wheat, or cotton when the hot weather won't allow for vegetables. They'll rotate vegetable crops constantly during the winter season based largely on consumer demand. That area you cycled through in Dome Valley will probably be full of trucks and mud once again a month from now (unless they've already rotated to wheat or hay). Once you see a field planted to wheat or hay, you'll know the vegetable season is over for that parcel and the road will be clean and empty for biking for a while.John Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05172268733968579101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899138381040273260.post-52051971085498846342015-01-24T16:13:12.058-08:002015-01-24T16:13:12.058-08:00Do you think they plant crops on a schedule so tha...Do you think they plant crops on a schedule so that the picking is done in the whole valley, a few days apart? That would seem to make economic sense.<br /><br />Today I bicycled through Dome Valley, along the Gila River, upstream of Yuma. The road was clean and empty. I have been there during picking and the road is full of trucks and mud.<br /><br />How could a person find the picking schedule a month in advance?kaBLOOnie Boonsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05845667016536890886noreply@blogger.com