Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply has partnered with multiple local and state environmental agencies in Oregon to bring growers, farms and nurseries more efficient irrigation designs at reduced costs.

Ewing’s partnerships with local, state and federal agencies help bring community farmers, growers and nursery owners sustainable irrigation systems to meet state specifications and help growers improve their watering systems.

To participate in one of the sustainable programs, local growers can reach out to their county, state or federal water or environmental agency to apply for an irrigation grant.

If approved, the agency works with Ewing to help design a more sustainable irrigation system tailored to the grower’s needs, and provides the necessary equipment at a reduced cost.

Dave Bower, agricultural specialist for Ewing.

Dave Bower, an agricultural specialist for Ewing in Medford, Ore., is a certified irrigation designer and agricultural drip/micro irrigation designer and has been helping design irrigation systems for growers participating in these programs for decades.

“It’s important to us because it helps customers get better systems on their budget. Design standards are very high, and this ensures they get irrigation designs that meet those standards,” he said. “Participating in these programs also helps the agriculture community see Ewing as part of the team. Overtime, people realize you’re a team player—we go to bat for growers. We have their backs.”

Last year, Wandering Roots Farm in Southern Oregon took advantage of an Oregon USDA-NRCS grant program to replace a 100-horsepower diesel engine pump with an electric pump. Bower worked with the local NRCS engineer to design the new pump’s irrigation system.

Jeff Boesch, owner of Wandering Roots Farm, said in addition to providing them more flexibility in their ability to water crops, the electric pump, coupled with a variable frequency drive (VFD), will save them money in the long term.

“Before, it was hard to pump different amounts of water,” Boesch said. “With the electric pump, we can pump different amounts. It gives us a range of gallons we can pump.”

In 2015, the Energy Trust of Oregon provided Straus Ranch with an incentive to upgrade their irrigation system.

Prior to receiving the grant, Straus Ranch relied on water from a local water district. Water amounts were irregular and not reliable, said Dalton Straus, owner of Straus Ranch.

“We would get water for two days and then we wouldn’t have it; and then we’d get it for a day and then we wouldn’t have it,” he said.

They started looking into ways they could increase their water supply by leasing it from a neighbor and building a mainline underground. Straus said they called in Bower to help them design the system and installed a 20-horsepower pump to pull water up from the nearby creek.

With the help of the Energy Trust of Oregon’s grant and design assistance from Ewing, Straus Ranch was able to reroute their irrigation system through the new pump, giving them a reliable water source. The pump also includes an automatic on/off valve, so they don’t have to manually shut off the water pump like before, leading to decreased energy costs down the road, said Straus.

“Overall I’m really pleased with the system, and I’m pleased with the way it works and the way it’s improved our management capabilities,” Straus said. “I don’t think we could have done it without Dave Bower’s involvement, his experience and his expertise.”

These are just two examples of the many farms, ranches and nurseries that have benefitted from sustainable grant programs.

Ewing’s participation in these programs shows the company’s dedication to the agricultural community, Bower said.

“These programs help growers design their irrigation systems that meet higher standards,” Bower said. “It also helps them afford a better system for their property.”

In the state of Oregon, Ewing’s irrigation system design partnerships include the local offices of the USDA-NRCS, Oregon Water Resources, Energy Trust of Oregon, local Water Conservation Districts and others.

For more information and to find out how you can participate in one of these programs, visit you local, state or national environmental agency or contact Dave Bower at dbower@ewingirrigation.com.