May 2022 - 6

CARZALIA
from other farming, except onion fields
along the border wall are surveilled 24
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
its crops' nutritional needs. " The
improvement in the end product is
important to us, " said Johnson. " For
us, it's more about looking at every
application and the effect it has on
the total ecology, which includes the
microbiome of the soil, the ecology of
the wildlife and the overall soil quality. "
To more efficiently use water, Carzalia
uses new tools and methods, including
satellite imagery and soil moisture
sensors, to examine and correlate leaf
temperatures. With an inch of applied
water costing $10, any savings multiplied
across large acreage helps keep a lid on
escalating farm costs, said Johnson.
" You don't have to go very far in any
direction in the West, " he said. " West of
the Mississippi, it seems like moisture
and water are the most important things
for all of us. "
Previously relying on furrow irrigation,
Carzalia in 1999 transitioned to
subsurface drip irrigation. Watching a
neighbor's adoption of the technology
prompted the Johnsons to increase its drip
irrigation which today waters all crops.
Slashing inputs
The Johnsons monitor plant nutrition
via sap analysis. Leaf samples are analyzed
through data points that balance plant
nitrogen use and help reduce inputs.
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Machines harvest 80% of Carzalia Valley's
onions. Photo: Kris Crookham
" The pumpkin and watermelon
business is cutthroat, " said Johnson. " A
lot of people are willing to do it at break
even pricing. We were not willing to do
that anymore, not for the risk. "
In terms of inputs and risk, onions are
Carzalia's most expensive crop. An acre
of onions can exceed $10,000 compared
to $1,000 for an acre of cotton.
" It's just an intense and high amount of
money needed to get onions to that point, "
said Johnson. " Cash flows are harder on
onions compared to most row crops. "
Machine harvesting helps paprika
harvesting efficiencies. However,
a barrage of lower-priced imports
challenges growers, said Johnson.
Desert risks
Despite myths, farming along the
U.S.-Mexican border isn't much different
hours a day by the U.S. Border Patrol.
" Border farming has had its challenges
in the past, " said Johnson. " Living here
104 years, a lot has happened. There's no
fear living on the border. "
The Johnsons still cross the border to
eat lunch. While illegal crossings in the
immediate area are low, one doesn't have
Carzalia Valley uses technology to trim water use and input costs. Photos: Kris Crookham
The first year, Carzalia consumed
60% of its normal nitrogen volume
and dropped to 50% the second. This
year, it is looking at applying only 25%.
The farm hasn't applied phosphate
since 2019.
" The rising and skyrocketing costs of
phosphorus fertilizers haven't affected
us, " said Johnson. " Since we have been
doing this and balancing our nutrition
in plants, we have gone two entire crop
seasons with no applied insecticides or
fungicides. We're talking hundreds of
thousands of dollars in savings. "
For two years, Carzalia has been beta
testing onion laser weeding technology.
It cooperates with Carbon Robotics in
development of an autonomous weeder.
" It's been fantastic to watch the
technology grow, to watch an engineering
team that had no agricultural background
pour their entire collective education
and knowledge into improving soil and
plant health, " said Johnson. " We had
a front seat in the development and
passion that came from it. These guys
are trying to do better for the world. "
Organic venture
In 2021, the Johnsons decided they
could convert some of their farm to
organic. Because some ground laid fallow
for several years, it was immediately
certified as organic.
About 10% of Carzalia's acreage
is organic with onions and cotton
accounting for the bulk of acreage. In
2022, the Johnsons plan to harvest their
first organic onion crop.
" We want to improve on the concept
and then ramp up as quickly as we can, "
said Johnson. " The problem is, most of
the damage done to the soil was not done
overnight and can't be fixed overnight.
It's a process. We have to pay our dues to
get more of the ground certified organic. "
Machines harvest 80% of Carzalia's
onions. In the packing shed, Carzalia
this past season was always short by 20
workers. New packing equipment helped
ease the labor shortfall.
Soaring input costs and unable to
Equipment that makes dollars & 'sense'
control powdery mildew, Carzalia in
2011 discontinued growing pumpkins
and watermelons, focusing on cotton
and onions.
to go far to see many.
" While there have been issues in the
past, currently, for us, it's been pretty
calm, " said Johnson. " Where we are
is really intense with border patrol
technology. When outsiders come in,
they sometimes want to make it a little
more Wild West than it is. "
Immigrating from Wales and Ireland,
the Johnsons' forebears settled in
Virginia in the 1700s. In 1918, shortly
after New Mexico had gained statehood,
cattleman W. R. Johnson Sr., James'
great-grandfather, moved from the San
Antonio, Texas, area, to Columbus,
which Pancho Villa raided and burned
two years prior. Johnson saw southern
New Mexico's beautiful Carzalia Valley
possessing potential.
During a 1950 drought, the Johnsons
were approached about growing
tomatoes for canning, if water could be
located. To save the ranch, the Johnsons
sold part of it to develop into farmland.
Water was discovered in 1951.
Family heritage
William Ralph Johnson III, " Big Bill, "
is president and father of James and Bill
" Little Bill " Johnson. Bill is treasurer
and manages tree crops. James' sons,
Taylor and Walker, assist the company's
agronomist. Both test tissue samples while
Walker interns with Carbon Robotics.
" There has never been a Johnson son
(and that includes cousins) who hasn't
come back to the farm, " said Johnson.
After attending college and realizing
they weren't cut out for academia, the
fourth generation of Johnsons returned
to the farm. Bill returned in 1989 while
James came home in 1995.
" It's funny because when I left home, I
swore I wouldn't come back. But after I got
to school, all I could think about was how I
wanted to be on the farm, " said James.
Making the next generation feel valued
makes it easier for them to return to the
farm.
" You have to give the next generation
some responsibility and let them run with
it, " said Johnson. " You can't have the older
generation micromanaging the younger.
You have to let them spread their wings
and start expressing themselves. Let them
give some input and let them know their
input matters. Make it so they don't feel
like hired hands, but feel like they're a part
of the process. "
Constantly adapting is key to future
success.
" If anything, the last two years and this
pandemic have proven tomorrow is not
guaranteed, " said Johnson. " You have to
be adaptable, like in bringing in the new
generation into the farm and making
them part of the operation. We always
have to look at alternatives and adapt,
to evolve and always be ready for the
changes. " VGN
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May 2022

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