Cultivating a narrative

In the face of increasing water scarcity, agricultural professionals are under immense pressure to not only use water wisely but also communicate their practices to a public that may not fully understand the complexities of farming. Tina Shields, water department manager at the Imperial Irrigation District in Southern California, has spent decades at the forefront of these challenges. Her experience managing IID’s water resources, particularly the Colorado River supply, gives her a unique perspective on the intersection of water management and public engagement. In this Q&A, Shields shares her insights into how farmers can better connect with the public, the challenges they face in changing perspectives on water use and the importance of smart irrigation in today’s agricultural landscape.

Luke Reynolds: When it comes to communicating about water use, how do agricultural professionals, both growers and those working in related fields, get their message out to the public?

Tina Shields: Well, I think it’s one of those areas that needs improvement because most farmers aren’t big into PR and messaging. They’re just out there trying to grow their crops, make ends meet and get their irrigations done. I’m continually shocked by the disconnect. People don’t seem to know where their food comes from. They want to complain about alfalfa, but then they’ll order a pizza and not see the problem. They don’t understand that food comes from somewhere, and it’s attached to a piece of ground and sun and water. It’s like they value the farmer, but they don’t value the farming practice.

Reynolds: And how do you think growers can frame those practices in a way that resonates with the general public?

Shields: I think we need to make more of those direct connections. I get so frustrated when I hear people say things like, “Ag uses 70% of the water,” or, “Ag uses 80% of the water.” No, they don’t. They’re using it to grow the crops that feed the people in the cities. So, to characterize it as ag versus urban is missing the point, because those people in the cities eat, too. We have to do a better job of making that connection, of helping people understand that when they walk into a grocery store, that food has a history before it gets there. You can’t just complain about the water usage without understanding that farmers are growing what people buy. If you want them to farm differently, you’ve got to buy different products to make that happen.

Reynolds: You touched on the challenge of urban water use as well. How do you think this plays into the broader narrative?

Shields: There’s always frustration when so much of the focus is on urban water use and efficiency. But you see, the downside of getting more efficient is that your water costs go up because they have to spread those costs over smaller sales. It’s a little backwards. I always tell people, “I like your front lawn, too, but I like eating dinner more.” And a lot of times, when I’m working with our partners, I joke — well, not really joking — that I expect everybody to have dead backyards before we start fallowing fields. Now, I even go so far as to say, “I want to see the front yards dead, too.” It’s an optics issue, but you have to think about the ripple effects. When you take an acre of farmland out of production, you’re not just losing the crops. There’s a whole network of service providers, workers and families that rely on that land for their livelihood. And then you compare that to an acre of lawn that, frankly, people aren’t even using. Most folks are inside, on their phones.

Reynolds: What role does smart irrigation play in making sure water is used effectively in agriculture?

Shields: Irrigation is essential in getting the right amount of water in the right place at the right time. Traditionally, everything here was flood irrigated, but over the years, we’ve made a shift. We started with system improvements — lining canals with concrete, building reservoirs — and then moved to on-farm conservation programs. Our growers have broad flexibility in what they do, but they need to show an improvement in efficiency. Things like precision leveling, where they tilt the field just right to slow the water down, or investing in drip irrigation or sprinklers to apply water more precisely. It’s about giving farmers the tools to use less water and hopefully increase their yields at the same time.

Reynolds: The collaboration piece really stands out in your work. How do you manage relationships with stakeholders who have differing viewpoints?

Shields: I joke about our “frenemies,” but it’s a real struggle. It’s not popular to transfer water to urban areas, but that money allows us to do things we couldn’t otherwise, like fix our system or help growers implement new technologies. Droughts tend to force people to come together, because you don’t have a choice. And over time, you get this begrudging mindset where maybe you don’t like what you’re doing, but you find ways to make the best of it. For us, it’s about finding those little wins, the programs that satisfy the most people. And our growers — they’re creative, and they help us make our programs better by pointing out the flaws.

Reynolds: Has IID done any public outreach campaigns that help tell the story of smart irrigation and water use?

Shields: We have a long history of working on these issues, but I don’t think we’ve done a great job with messaging. We’re getting better, though. We just established a new public relations department, and they’ve been working on improving our messaging locally. We’ve also started creating videos that highlight the work of our growers. For example, we had a grower who got a middle-of-the-night call from a Sriracha producer asking if he could grow some chili peppers to help with the shortage. We did a video on that, and it showcased some of the innovative things he’s doing on his farm. So, we’re hoping to do more of that moving forward.

Shields is clear: the work farmers do goes far beyond growing crops. It’s about navigating a complicated landscape of water conservation, market demands and public perception. Farmers are doing their part, but there’s still a disconnect between what they’re doing in the fields and how people understand it. Shields sees the real challenge as closing that gap and helping people understand the true value of what farmers do every day.

Luke Reynolds is the associate director, government & public affairs for the Irrigation Association.