Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Grand Ballroom
Small, limited resource farmers are often the primary providers of fresh foods for rural communities. However, they often face insurmountable economic challenges in order to stay in business. The small and limited resource farmer has declined at an alarming rate. The reasons for the decline or disappearance of limited resource farmers and ranchers are a direct result of several barriers that hinder them from realizing production viability and economic success. Some of the major factors affecting small farmers and ranchers are poor management skills, inability to maintain cash flow, past racial discrimination and a lack of sufficient production information to make meaningful business decisions. While small farms have difficulty competing with large farms that supply most of the national and international food markets, they can compete at supplying local and regional food markets. In order for small farmers to survive in the fast changing farming industry, strategies are needed to identify and produce high value fruits and vegetable crops that will reward small farmers and ranchers for labor and management skills and enable them to improve their quality of life. This research was undertaken to identify potential yield improvements and economic return by implementing supplemental irrigation in vegetables using sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) as a case study. Information on costs of irrigation for both initial start-up expenses and within-season operating costs were incorporated into enterprise budgets. The potential return on investment was calculated to demonstrate the potential economic return by implementing an irrigation system in vegetable cropping systems. Improving vegetable crop productivity will benefit individual farmers by improving economic returns. It will also enhance rural communities by providing a better selection of vegetables. Implementing irrigation may be a simple tool that farmers can use to enhance their management practices and maximize profits.