Entry Details

About the Entry

Category: 
All Content > Innovation Article > Heartland

Title of entry: 
Mark Smith’s Tenacity is Transforming Yuma

Issue or Publication date:
Aug/Sep 2024

Publication name: 
American Vegetable Grower

View Website home page:
https://www.growingproduce.com/

Links to entry URLs

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Entry URL(s), if applicable:
Please enter a URL that will direct judges to the entry: 
https://www.growingproduce.com/vegetables/grower-achievement-award/how-smith-farms-company-and-its-leader-win-big-by-being-water-wise/

Links to Uploaded Entry Files

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Entry Essay: 
American Vegetable Grower offers strategies and tips to commercial vegetable farmers across the U.S. to help them improve their operations. The audience includes farms of all sizes, from less than 25 acres to more than 10,000 acres, with the typical farm growing a wide array of crops.

American agriculture is facing a water crisis. Some of the best growing areas in the world are located in the American West, where extreme drought conditions grow more frequent. Rich soil with easy access to water without a high rainfall count allows crops to thrive without high disease loads. As a result, more than 80% of all American vegetable crops are grown in California and Arizona.

Mark Smith, who owns a farm in Yuma, AZ, has had an outsized impact on water use among growers. His passion for water use has spanned 40 years and has led to remarkable breakthroughs. Not only has he helmed water boards, been an advisor to two Arizona administrations (typical high impact positions for visionaries like Smith), he has spearheaded projects that are making the future much stronger for growers.

One such project recognized how important technology is to more conservation-oriented practices. As a result, he led the charge in bringing high-speed broadband to the Yuma Valley, making it the first growing region capable of having simultaneous transmissions in and out of field.

He also helped found a unique research group that marries industry, university, and the government in solving issues unique to the growing area, of which water conservation has been a frequent focus. The resulting innovations makes the region producing the most “crop per drop” in the country.

Smith's story has resonated with fellow growers. He spoke at an event we host in November 2024, gaining universal high praise from fellow growers who are now researching how to orchestrate similar programs in their regions.

Due to his efforts, Smith earned our highest honor, the Grower Achievement Award. Winners must be nominated by someone within the industry. Our editorial team sifts through the 50 or so nominations, vetting finalists, then selecting three regional winners. A panel of past winners then selects the national winner from among the three regional winners.