For Our Dixon Farmers: Rain is Good; More is Better
Jan 07, 2021 12:00AM ● By By Debra Dingman
Rain is coming and going and coming again which is making local farmers happy although they are still needing more water for their crops like this one on East A Street. Photo by Debra Dingman
DIXON, CA (MPG) - Ten days of clouds and every other day of rain forecast for Dixon might add some more reason to stay home but Dixon farmers are happy and hoping for more.
"I don't care who you are in farming, we need the rain," said Tom Nishimura who farms hay and alfalfa. "I don't do much farming anymore but we're way behind in rain."
The first rainfall last month and then a series of small storms have provided much-welcome moisture to Dixon grounds but more is needed.
"We don't have enough but it's a good sign and especially good in doses that don't overwhelm the drainage systems," said Kelly Huff, Manager at the Dixon Resource Conservation District. That organization was founded to provide leadership and make available technical, financial, and educational resources to local land users for drainage, water quality, and habitat management. "It's a good start but we are definitely not there yet. For sure, we need more," she said.
Although most inside the city limits can see puddles developing, the problem is that the moisture hasn't penetrated into the ground enough, explained Nishimura.
"Five or six inches down, the ground is still dry. There's no run off yet," he said. "There's been no soakers. We need soakers. It's already considered a dry year." Dixon storms used to force Nishimura indoors for paperwork. "I used to farm a couple thousand acres and had employees but now I just come in to stay warm and dry," he said with a chuckle.
Dixon's farm lands are part of the Dixon Ridge known for its combination of good soils, climate, and access to water via Lake Berryessa so is seen as one of Solano County's most important farming areas.
The 63,000-acre flat land near Dixon generates $64 million each year, 33 percent of the county’s annual farming total according to a 2018 Solano County study on agriculture. But this year, everyone needs their water reserves to fill up especially after the last two not-so-wet years. Unfortunately, no matter how ingenious water-saving irrigation systems become, the farming industry is always at the mercy of Mother Nature.
