February 2020 - 23

IRRIGATION & WATER MANAGEMENT
can set a temperature threshold to turn
on automatically.
" In the pre-automation era, you'd
probably have a small army of guys in
pickup trucks at 2 a.m. (monitoring the
temperature and pumps), " said Paul
Oparowski of IAS, who worked with
Robbie to set up the system. " There is a
temp radio that monitors conditions. The
grower will have a threshold set and when
it reached that, it connects to the engine
and sends an alert to your phone.
" For growers that have fields many
Irving Farms Marketing, a division of the
operation led by Jeff Irving, makes Caribou
russet and Maine branding a big focus.
Photo: Jessica McNamara
aplenty, accounts for nearly 22% of
Maine's land acreage, but just 5% of the
state's population. Like growers in many
rural regions of the U.S. can relate to,
finding enough manpower during peak
seasons, like harvest and the winter
packing, is a struggle.
" Labor, " Robbie Irving said without
hesitation when asked about the farm's
biggest challenge. He said automation in
packing is something they're eyeing to
alleviate the problem.
" We need to get up to speed on
automation, " Irving said. " I was
fortunate enough to be part of the PILI
(Potato Industry Leadership Institute)
in 2015 and went out to Washington
to see some of the operations there.
Like Easterday Farms, their level of
automation was amazing. "
One area Irving Farms is ahead of
the curve is irrigation. Robbie spoke of
changing weather patterns in the region
in recent years, which have resulted
in extremely dry summer months.
Fortunately for Irving Farms, there is an
infrastructure in place from when Bob
Irving ran the operation.
" My grandfather built pond after pond
after pond, " Robbie said.
The need for irrigation water
continues to grow, however. Although
there are numerous manmade ponds on
the Irvings' property, they added another
in 2019 - their first since 2004. They also
have access to a 115-acre lake - fittingly
called Caribou Lake.
Access to water is necessary, but so is
getting it to the fields, and that's where the
Irvings have made significant upgrades in
recent years. They include underground
piping, which alleviates the need to " lay
pipe every day all summer, " as well as an
automated irrigation system that allows
pumps to be controlled remotely. Irving
Farms owns nine center pivots, seven of
which were in use in 2019.
Irving Farms opted for Irrigation
Automation Systems, a Massachusettsbased
company, for its system. The
operation began using IAS's XR-3000
in 2018. It monitors field temperature,
water pressure and oil pressure to
maximize efficiency. For an operation
like Irving Farms, which has plots of
land spread out across the region, it helps
eliminate a lot of headaches. Robbie
and Scott control the pumps manually
through a smartphone or computer, and
CATALYST XR
miles or even hours apart, that's a big
labor saver and a safety feature. If say a
wheel falls off your pivot, you're able to
shut it off even when you don't have the
ability to get up there quickly. "
Robbie said the farm's irrigation
infrastructure gets attention from
neighboring growers.
" When we get all those pivots going, I
tend to get a lot of text messages, " Irving
said, with a chuckle. " It's funny, I'm
working the same land my dad (Steve,
now retired) worked and his dad worked,
but only I'm doing it using GPS. "
In addition to the irrigation system,
Irving Farms is in the process of adding
a 110-by-140-foot supplemental storage
shed, which the owners hoped would be
ready to store spuds this fall.
Although relatively young to be coowner
of a farming operation, Robbie
Irving - who won the Maine Potato
Board's 2014 Young Farmer of the Year
award - hasn't been shy about getting
involved beyond his own acres. He's a
current state potato board member and a
National Potato Council voting delegate.
The Irvings are proud of their
product and their family's extensive
farming history, but also of their close
relationship with their fellow Maine
potato growers. Robbie said that's
common in agriculture, however.
" Farmers go above and beyond to help
each other, " he said. VGN
RAISING THE BAR
Catalyst XR is the earliest supersweet on the
market. It has admirable ear size, strong tip
fill, as well as outstanding kernel color and
sweetness. This IFSI variety is perfect for early
fresh market and shipping.
DESPERADO
EASTERN CROWN
Desperado from Syngenta
is a robust variety that produces
high yields of high-quality
straight pods, quick to mature.
Well adapted for heat and
stress tolerance with strong
consumer appeal.
Eastern Crown is an outstanding
Sakata variety with small beads,
a blue-green head color and
excellent heat tolerance.
Perfect for the crown cut/short
trim market (Asian cut).
Performs well in long day
length and moderate heat.
BLONDE BEAUTY
Blonde Beauty is a
spineless yellow squash that
makes harvest less painful.
This is a Rupp exclusive has
the standard commercial shape
with an open plant.
RAISING THE BAR
IN QUALITY, FLAVOR, AND YIELD
Bringing you the best products in partnership with
IFSI, Sakata, and Syngenta.
Visit ruppseeds.com to request or download your copy
of our 2020 catalog including 38 new products.
800-700-1199 * ruppseeds.com
VGN | FEBRUARY 2020 | 21
http://www.ruppseeds.com http://www.ruppseeds.com
February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2020
