Against the backdrop of a changing agricultural landscape on the High Plains, the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation (TAWC) will host a Field Walk on Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Glenn Schur farm, located at County Road 65 and County Road BB near Plainview.
The event, which brings together producers, researchers, and ag industry innovators, will focus on the evolving role of irrigation technologies, the benefits of crop and cattle rotations, and the implications of pending legislation for cotton growers. Among the highlights of the morning will be a demonstration by Autonomous Pivot, a Wichita, Kansas-based company providing advanced irrigation solutions to TAWC cooperating producers.
Participants will also examine crop and cattle rotations currently in use at Schur’s farm, particularly how these strategies are shifting as once-irrigated acres convert to dryland. Schur, a long-time TAWC collaborator, offers a working example of how producers are adapting to declining water availability from the Ogallala Aquifer.
Additionally, representatives from Plains Cotton Growers will detail key provisions in coming federal legislation that could bring new incentives and support for cotton producers in the region.
Founded under a grant from the Texas Water Development Board, the TAWC unites farmers, university researchers, state agencies, and private-sector leaders around a common goal: to prolong the viability of the Ogallala Aquifer while sustaining agricultural profitability and the vitality of rural communities.
Central to the group’s work are its on-farm demonstration projects, which compare cropping and livestock systems, technologies, and management practices under real-world conditions. With more than 20 participating producers, all decisions from planting to harvest remain in the hands of the farmers themselves.
CONTACT: Samantha Borgstedt, Project Director, Texas Alliance for Water Conservation, Texas Tech University at (806) 789-4177 or samantha.borgstedt@ttu.edu
0808NM25