With an apparently water-short irrigation season approaching, I can’t help but think of how much irrigation water should mean to all of us, whether we are farmers or not. I just had the privilege of visiting Japanese irrigation districts and meeting with the managers of six of those districts.
The Japanese government is concerned about water policies in their country and was seeking input and knowledge from the US and Australia. While Japan receives plenty of rain, they are feeling the pressures of increasing municipal and industrial demands, environmental needs and growing pollution. The government wants to increase awareness about the value of water, especially in its agricultural sector.
While fielding questions from the participants in this symposium, and reflecting on the water-short spring we are experiencing, it made me examine my own personal values attached to water.
Since 9/11 I have felt it is increasingly important that we protect our local food supplies in the United States, so we don’t become dependent on foods from countries that don’t necessarily have our best interest at heart! And of course, that food supply requires adequate water.
Japan also is worried about sustainability of their food supply. Since their major food product is rice, they also have clean water as a main source of worry.
They are teaching their children to have pride in their agrarian heritage, and how to protect it for future generations, thus building in a concern for the value of water in their lives.
The long plane ride home gave me a lot of time to think over these similarities, as well as our differences, and reflect on how the entire central valley of California is dependent on water. The value of that water can’t begin to be measured in dollars and cents, though we often attempt to do just that! It is our very life’s blood in the Great Central Valley, and I hope one day every Californian will recognize its value as well as the value of our agricultural community, so it becomes as important to all parts of our state as it is becoming in Japan.
Sandy Denn and her husband Wally own and operate Snow Goose Farms near Willows in Glenn County. She holds a law degree and has served on numerous boards and committees dealing with water in the North State. Sandy and Wally have six grown children. Her passions include hunting and fishing, and she used to fly a hot air balloon and a stunt plane for relaxation.
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