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18 POTATO GROWER | JULY 2019 The Irrigation Association's Smart Irrigation Month is a perfect opportunity to promote the importance and value of smart irrigation practices. Smart Irrigation By John Farner, IA Government and Public Affairs Director L Leonardo da Vinci once said, "Water is the driver of nature." While this statement holds true even in the 21st century, water is now the driver of a lot more, including politics, policy and conflicts. While water is, in fact, all around us, only a small per- centage of it is available for us to use for drinking and other uses, including irrigation. This ever-increasing focus on water use is just one of the many reasons we celebrate July as Smart Irrigation Month. In fact, this July is the 15th celebration of Smart Irrigation Month. Each year, the irrigation industry and those who support smart irrigation practices, technologies and their benefits come together to celebrate smart irrigation and promote just how essential smart irrigation is to our environment, economy and society. Fortunately, the benefits of smart irrigation are all around us. They are in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the rivers we cherish and the roar of a crowd under the Friday night lights at your local high school. Though we are often unable to see smart irrigation in action, we trust that it's doing its job, without wast- ing one of our nation's most precious resources: water. Unfortu- nately, not everyone understands these roles irrigation plays in our daily lives. We need to do a better job of telling our story and showcasing smart irrigation in action. So, what exactly is smart irrigation in action? It can be any- thing from the center pivots over the fields in Nebraska to drip irrigation in a vineyard to the cloud-based control systems that allow irrigation managers to control an irrigation system from anywhere in the world with their cell phone or tablet. Smart irri- gation in action can also be the people making sure the drip lines are running smoothly or the sprinklers are distributing the water uniformly around the crop circle. Smart irrigation in action is all of us working together to make sure we have the food we need and the landscapes we enjoy. With all this talk of action, how can you get involved and partici- pate in Smart Irrigation Month? First, you don't have to be a member of the Irrigation Association (though you really should be). Smart Irrigation Month is for everyone to participate in and celebrate. Here are just a few of the ways: Be a leader of smart irrigation. Using the tools available on www.smartirrigationmonth.org, be a leader among your peers in showcasing smart practices, smart technologies and smart products and what they all can mean. This can be anything from using social media to tell and show your story, to featuring your farm practices along with the Smart Irrigation Month logo.