Fall is here, and it’s a great time in Yuma!
Warm days and cool nights, no storms and the potential of a great winter produce season, fall is wonderful! What a great time to be in Yuma. It is also time to review some of the activities that are going on that affect those urban and rural residents. For those who live in the country but aren’t farmers, they may be upset by the sounds, smells, people, equipment, noise and traffic that accompany our agricultural industry and understand that they made the choice to move to rural acreage, for better or worse. Winter visitors who choose to live in more rural areas will also encounter unfamiliar situations.
One of the first evidences of the winter season is the watering of county roads and field edges. As the crops in the field become more visible from the road, many folks want to drive around and play “what do you think that is?” The first rule of field etiquette, do not enter the farm field. Food safety is a critical component in the success of our multi-billion dollar industry that provides more than 50 percent of the income for Yuma County and employs thousands of residents. One in four jobs in Yuma County is related to the agricultural industry. No one is allowed in the farm fields without the permission of the grower and food safety regulations must be followed.
Dust is a contaminant in produce and for food safety. Reducing the unnecessary trips on the unpaved county roads will reduce the wear and tear on the roads and the number of times the roads need to be watered. Driving in Yuma County during the winter produce season also has its hazards. The public needs to realize they are sharing the roads with tractors, farm implements, harvest aids, sprinkler pipes on trailers and worker buses. Farm equipment is almost always moving more slowly than it appears and it is necessary to change lanes in advance when approaching equipment. The equipment is also often wider than other vehicles. Drivers need to be aware of signs, telephone poles along roadways, narrow lanes and bridges where the equipment needs to encroach on the adjacent lane to get by. Visibility can also be a problem.
The wonderful weather is encouraging those who hibernated during the summer to get out and exercise. It is not too early to start to find alternative places to walk your dog, ride your horse or bike that does not compromise the safety of the crops being grown. You also do not want to put yourself in a dangerous situation near to equipment activity. It is important that animal droppings and litter be picked up and properly disposed of. The water in the irrigation canals, whether large or small, is going to irrigate the winter crops. Water is tested on a weekly basis to verify that contaminants are not present. Throwing animal waste and garbage in the canals increases problems for the entire agricultural industry. Litter, animal droppings, human intrusion and careless behavior around fields all cost growers time, labor and money. If an area is fenced or posted with signs, it means stay out. The food safety program of Yuma growers is the model of success for agriculture.
With the damage from the severe weather events in Texas and Florida, Arizona may have more winter visitors that have never been here before. This may be a good time for the Yuma agricultural community to increase communication to these new folks by distributing informational pamphlets to all the RV parks, restaurants and the visitors explaining how they can help our agricultural industry.
Bobbi Stevenson-McDermott is a soil and water conservationist. She can be reached at rjsm09@msn.com.