Deputy USDA Secretary Tours Area Farm, Discusses Drought and Water

United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small was in Fallon this week for a short visit and tour of Abe's Hay and Feed. The secretary arrived on Monday, August 26, to meet with local water users in the Truckee Carson Irrigation District and discuss new initiatives for water conservation in the region. 

Abe's Hay and Feed is owned by Abram Schank and his family, including his business partner and father, Ernie Schank. Ernie, also a farmer, served on the TCID Board for 28 years and is considered by many to be an expert in all things water in the Lahontan Valley and surrounding Carson River Watershed.

Abe and his family have been farming in Fallon for decades, with the Austin Highway dividing a large section of their farm ground. Presently, the Shanks are farming between 900-1000 acres. Like every farmer, rancher, and dairyman in the valley, irrigation is a primary concern for continued production and the future of their farms. "Water is king," said Abe, who is also on the TCID board and believes that improved irrigation, farming methods, and conservation efforts are essential to the future of farming in Nevada and the West.

Abe, who returned to Fallon to run the farm after graduating from college, understands the highly volatile dairy and meat markets supported by farming. Drought, inefficient or potentially outdated irrigation and water distribution methods, and dropping water tables can all negatively impact farming at any given time. TCID General Manager Ben Shawcroft can attest to this, as can several TCID board members who are also farmers, who attended the secretary's visit while taking care to avoid a quorum.

According to Torres Small, the Biden-Harris Administration is working to address drought concerns across the West and touring areas continually facing water instability and drought. "Secretary Vilsack [USDA Secretary] recently announced $300 million of investments across the West, 12 states, and 18 irrigation districts to support water-saving commodities," she said. The Truckee Carson District is the only Nevada district included in the initiative.

Abe and the Shanks took Torres Small, Nevada USDA Rural Development Director Lucas Ingvoldstad, and other state officials on a farm tour to show her first-hand the canal that supplies their many fields, which were coincidentally flood-irrigated at the time.

The administration sought out regions most impacted by recent drought years. "USDA selected irrigation districts…where drought is occurring," Torres Small explained, who said they were also looking at other statistics. "The program focuses on areas with a significant number of irrigated lands and its ability to realize savings through water-saving commodities. Further, the USDA wanted to partner with irrigation districts interested in the program with a willingness to find innovative solutions to support their farmers." 

According to Torres Small, the planned investments are part of the Western water framework that identifies resources to support farmers fighting drought throughout the US that includes bread and butter programs like NRCS's EQIP program, for example, as well as this new program which draws from the Commodity Credit Corporation. "Here, we're focusing specifically on water-saving commodities to support farmers as they find ways in years where there's low water, they build out stronger irrigation systems or work with water deficit farming or increased precision agriculture."  

"It was really clear for me at Abe's Feed farm that they're looking for every possible way to save water," Torres Small said, which might be achieved in various ways. This USDA initiative focuses on finding solutions that work for farmers. "USDA is now working with the irrigation districts to identify what practices they're going to put in place so that we can fund those." 

Presently, USDA is only looking at 18 districts. "It was all based on a series of data analyses in terms of the experience and the level of drought." After the tour, Torres Small and her team headed to TCID to learn more about water and farming in the Lahontan district, which will hopefully receive project funds to improve irrigation in the valley.

"All of these different tools that might work for their specific area that then allows them to be more resilient and flexible in times of drought, "explained Torres Small. "I know that if you know the specifics of water and all of the laws that govern that water in one area, you know it in just one area, and that's why we're working directly with irrigation districts." Pictured right, Abe gives Secretary Torres Small, her press assistance Alexis Posel, and Ben Shawcroft a tour. 

While no funding projects are yet underway, Abe and the farming community hope for more efficient water conservation and irrigation practices. Having previously worked with water as the USDA Rural Development undersecretary, Torres Small plans to help bring long-term improvement to drought-affected areas like the Lahontan Valley.   Pictured left, Torres Small with TCID General Manager Ben Shawcroft at canal that feeds much of Schank's farm ground near the cemetery.