Get to know the IA Board: Mike Hemman

In this series introducing readers to the Irrigation Association’s board members, get to know Mike Hemman, director of the IA Board and President and CEO of Netafim USA in Clovis, California.

How did you get involved with the irrigation industry?

I became involved with the irrigation industry in college through my agronomy studies. The majority of my career has been spent in the crop protection and seed industry, but I recently made the switch to the irrigation industry. As our population grows, the land available for farming decreases, and we are challenged with water scarcity, the importance of efficient irrigation will grow exponentially. This need and opportunity drew me to the irrigation industry and I’m excited to help solve the water challenges the ag industry is facing.

Why is smart irrigation important to you?

As a native of California, I’ve seen first-hand the challenges that farmers face due to drought. Over the last few decades, I’ve witnessed cropping changes and the fallowing of thousands of productive acres due to water scarcity. This issue is being compounded due to the regulatory constraints on our surface water and the new regulation focused on ground water. In order to protect farming in California, we’re going to have to adopt smart irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation, automation and AI-driven irrigation scheduling.

What’s the most important thing an irrigation professional needs to know to be good at what they do?

My advice would be to build your network and always reach out for help. We have some incredible professionals with vast knowledge in our industry. Tap into their expertise and utilize the educational resources available from the Irrigation Association to stay on the cutting-edge of technology. Our industry is evolving quickly and we need to all focus on continuing education, or we’ll find ourselves left behind.