IRRIGATION ON THE SMALL SIDE: Small-field irrigation systems hit home runs with growers

摘要

Buddy Rivers wouldn't be farming the way he does without pivot irrigation rigs. During the past 30 years, he and his father, Bud, installed pivots on the larger fields of Rivers Farms, near Sumter, S.C Now, Rivers and his son J.T. "John" Rivers IV areinstalling small-field pivots on highly productive fields of less than 60 acres. "Irrigation is the best thing to happen in my farming career," Buddy says. "Years ago, we gave up cotton and peanuts, and switched to a corn, wheat and soybean rotation. Wecan't grow profitable grain crops year in and year out without irrigation."