NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD-TV) — In Arizona, where water scarcity shapes every planting decision, farmers are redefining what sustainability looks like in one of the driest regions on earth. An Arizona Farm Bureau commentary by Julie Murphree argues that growing food in the desert is not wasteful — it’s a strategic investment in food security, technology, and resilience.
Murphree notes that while agriculture once used up to 90 percent of Arizona’s water, today that figure has dropped to roughly 72 percent, driven by efficiency gains and widespread adoption of precision irrigation.
Many producers have cut water use by 20 to 50 percent through upgraded systems, lined ditches, surge irrigation, soil moisture sensors, and real-time data that enable water to be applied with pinpoint accuracy. Livestock and dairy operations increasingly reuse water for crops such as alfalfa, while conservation tillage helps trap moisture in the soil.
Arizona agriculture contributes about $31 billion annually to the economy, growing everything from leafy greens to forage for dairy and beef operations. Murphree argues that restricting or eliminating farming in arid states would weaken domestic food security at a time when global instability and supply-chain risks make local production critical.
“Agriculture isn’t the problem,” she writes. “It’s part of the solution.”
Farm-Level Takeaway: Arizona producers are proving that desert farming and water conservation can coexist through technology, reuse, and efficiency — reinforcing both food security and environmental stewardship.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Expert
Where the Food Comes From producer Donna Sanders takes us along on a behind-the-scenes look at filming the show’s newest episode, “Clemson Blue,” where university cheesemakers reveal how they put the “blue” in their award-winning blue cheese.
October 26, 2023 09:00 AM
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It is in there, the mold — those rich blue veins in creamy blue cheese that make you either love it or loathe it — but how does it get there? This bonus scene from “Clemson Dairy,” Season 4, Episode 4 of
Where the Food Comes From, explains how and why that happens.
October 25, 2023 09:00 AM
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No, it is not some new college course — Clemson has been making blue cheese since 1941, and the product has developed a worldwide following and won some pretty big awards. With good reason — it is fantastic stuff. It is also fascinating to see how it is made. Check out this sneak peek look at the latest episode of Where the Food Comes From, “Clemson Blue.”
October 24, 2023 11:32 AM
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The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, and the pampered cows get on-demand service. The team at Where the Food Comes From shares a special, behind-the-scenes account filming the show’s newest episode, Robot Dairy, premiering this Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at 9:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV!
October 19, 2023 09:00 AM
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How does a robot milk a cow?
October 18, 2023 09:00 AM
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The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, where the pampered cows get on-demand service. They make a premium cream line of milk you still have to shake. It is so good it is used to make the world-famous Clemson blue cheese.
October 17, 2023 01:55 PM
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