John Powell, farmer
By Joe Pomento
When
John Powell Jr.’s grandfather, Palmer Powell, settled in the Coachella
Valley in the early 1950s, farmers were just beginning to put in a delivery
system that would supplement the valley’s extensive groundwater
reserves with Colorado River water. Once the water system was in place,
valley farming blossomed as did growth.
“We are here because of the water,” said Powell, a third generation
Coachella Valley farmer whose 5,000-acre Peter Rabbit Farms produces primarily
carrots but also bell peppers, eggplant, green beans, green onions, leaf
and romaine lettuce. “The people, environment and farmers–everybody
wants their water. But the key is to figure how to fairly distribute it.”
Besides overseeing the family farm, Powell is a director with the Western
Growers Association and in 2005 will become its chairman. The organization
was founded in 1926 by farmers who grow, pack and ship half of the fresh
fruits and vegetables produced in the United States.
There are, however, concerns down on the farm. In the 1960s, about 55,000
people called the Coachella Valley home, compared with some 330,000 who
now live there permanently. The valley is expected to grow to more than
414,000 residents by 2020 and nearly 530,000 by 2035. While the issue
of water supply is often framed as an us-or-them or urban-versus-farms
question, farmers are working to resolve many of the same issues that
confront their urban counterparts—groundwater overdraft and growth.
Which puts Powell on the frontline of statewide water issues, alongside
his urban and environmental counterparts, working to make sure a limited
supply of water stretches to meet the needs of a growing population.
Sitting atop a massive groundwater basin estimated to hold some 30 million
acre-feet of water, the Coachella Valley historically was spared much
of the uncertainty over its water supplies. In recent decades, though,
the valley has begun to feel the pressure of development. In the 1980s,
groundwater levels began dropping once again and resulted in decreases
of 60 feet or more in some parts of the lower Coachella Valley.
To deal with growth and decreasing water levels in its aquifers, Powell
said, the Coachella Valley Water District adopted a water management plan
in 2002. To meet the water needs of the valley through 2035, the plan
proposes a comprehensive approach that incorporates conservation, additional
water resources and local resources. The goal is to preserve the valley’s
multibillion dollar farming and recreation-based economy.
“One of my fears is that Sacramento has this impression that a domestic
food supply is no big deal,” he said. “It doesn’t matter
to (legislators) where our food comes from. I have a different perception
of that. I think our food supply is as important to the nation as a fuel
supply.
“We need to work together,” Powell said. “It’s
not just agriculture taking the water. We need to reach an understanding
that fruits and vegetables don’t just come from the supermarket,
but from California’s farms. When we reach that level of understanding,
it will reduce the tensions between cities and farms.”
Historically, farmers developed most of California’s water supply.
Powell said that Coachella Valley farmers use water as efficiently as
possible. Today, Coachella Valley farmers plant nearly 75,000 acres, generating
per-acre crop yields that are some of the highest anywhere. Furthermore,
Powell said, many of the agricultural water conservation practices pioneered
by valley farmers have become models for other agricultural areas.
“So much that we have done has been copied in other areas,”
he said. “In the Coachella Valley, we have a penchant for conserving
water. We use drip irrigation for lettuce, bell peppers, table grapes
and lemons. This valley has spent a lot of money to save water. If we
want to continue farming, then we have to ensure that we all have the
resources we need to do this for a long time.
“We do our part not to squander water,” Powell added. “That’s
partly the bottom line and partly managing a precious resource.”
