Harsh Terrain Challenges Community Ingenuity

The dry, dusty northwestern corner of New Mexico and northeastern corner of Arizona are known for their harsh environment and growing conditions--tough places to grow much of anything.

Because of sparse returns from crops and livestock, agricultural land in those areas hasn't been used to produce non-traditional crops as a significant source of income; instead, many farmers have relied on traditional farming practices. And land that isn't being farmed, and soil that isn't being cared for often suffers soil erosion, water pollution and other environmental impacts.

A Four-Corners-area educational partnership is evaluating alternative cropping systems for the harsh terrain through a fruit tree project that uses drip irrigation. Diné College Shiprock Campus (AZ), the Navajo Nation, Colorado State University Extension, the Department of Sociology at Colorado State, and other supporting agencies, are working together on a project that focuses on water efficiency and protection of water quality while providing an alternative crop. Using a state-of-the-art irrigation system located at the Diné College farm allowed the Dine College staff and students, members of the Shiprock community and Extension agents opportunities to find alternative ways to improve agricultural profits while reducing labor and crop water use.

Diné College leaders including Dean Bernice Casaus, Extension agents Jan Sennhenn, Dan Fernandez and Kenny Smith, and John Wilkins-Wells, a Colorado State sociology assistant professor, have worked together to help local farmers explore different crops. Other participants in the demonstration project include the Bureau of Reclamation, and students from the Shiprock High School Vocational Agriculture program. Fruit trees were planted last spring both in a conventional row setting and on a high-density trellis system, with a drip irrigation system that includes a settling pond and filtration system.

"The hands-on learning that this project provided gave the community an opportunity to investigate some alternatives to traditional farming in that area," said Sennhenn. Colorado State University faculty suggested which fruit tree varieties would grow well in the area, and provided guidance to Navajo Nation and Diné College members about how to properly prune the fruit trees. The project also will provide educational programs such as orchard management, insect and disease control, soil fertility and weed management.

Casaus, dean of Diné College Shiprock campus, said that the project is moving along so smoothly that they have begun long-term planning to include markets for the fruit and project expansions that would contribute jobs to the area. She is pleased with how the project demonstrated to the community water conservation techniques and ways to protect water quality through use of drip irrigation as compared to traditional flood irrigation. "The project helped show the community that they can save as much as 50 percent of the water that they'd normally use on a crop," she said.

Casaus noted that the entire community has watched the project carefully; many people donated money and materials to keep the project going. Others, including the local high school agricultural teacher and his students, helped disk the soil and plant trees. "A lot of people are interested and want to see what happens," she said. The ideas behind the project--such as providing alternative crops, creating canning facilities, adding jobs--are to help the community. "It has truly been a community effort and it will depend on continued community involvement," Casaus said. That's an important element for a project headed by a community college.

--Dell Rae Moellenberg

For more information, contact your local Colorado State University Extension office.

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Uploaded Tuesday, September 25, 2007

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