At 80 years old, C.M. Stripling gave up 133 acres of his family
land, strictly with an eye to the future. “Most folks, when
they get to be 80, feel like their time is over,” he said.
“But I don’t.”
Stripling donated his land to Mitchell County so scientists
could
use it for research studies on irrigation. “We’ve got to
have irrigation,” he said. “If you don’t have it, (farming)
will break you.”
Mitchell County will lease the Stripling land, near Camilla,
Ga.,
to the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences. The university will use it to create an
irrigation research and education center.
The state is committed to responsible water management, said
Georgia Rep. Richard Royal of Camilla. Data from the research
park could help resolve the water dispute between Georgia,
Florida and Alabama. It could help find more efficient ways
farmers can water crops.
“This research park will help develop future water policies
and especially give us the scientific knowledge to convince
others of our (state’s) concern and stewardship,” Royal said.
C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research
Park
The research park is in the heart of the state’s heaviest
agricultural
water use: the Dougherty Plain. The site provides a high-profile
place to focus the new research and outreach of the UGA
agricultural
water initiative, said Gale Buchanan, dean and director of the
UGA CAES.
“A community-based advisory committee will assist UGA
faculty
and staff with a development plan for the park and offer
guidance
on relevant research and education programs,” Buchanan
said.
Researchers hope data from the facility will answer key
agricultural
questions:
- Will the research lead to reduced water use and better
returns on
irrigation investments? - Will the returns be high enough and fast enough for the
farmers
and their financial backers to risk investment? - How will this lead to new production opportunities for
Georgia
farmers or reduce economic risks in existing farms? - What new service and manufacturing opportunities will be
created
because of improved margins for producers and new products on
the market?
The answers could help Georgia farmers stay in business.
Jim Hook, a UGA professor of crop and soil sciences, said the
overriding question is fundamental: “How little water can
we get by with and keep the production and profitability where
it needs to be?”
“We need scientific data to see what we’re really
doing,”
Royal said.
Farm Advocate
Buchanan said it’s appropriate that the park is on Stripling’s
land.
“C. M. Stripling is a leader in modern irrigation farming
in Georgia and has also been recognized as Forester of the Year
in Georgia and in the country,” he said.
“His modern agriculture and forestry practices are at the
heart of his desire to protect our land, water and plant
resources,”
he said, “while developing the most advanced irrigation
systems
feasible for Georgia, and especially Dougherty Plain
conditions.”
“This gift of land so close to his heart and home is a
lasting
tribute to his desire to help his community and the farmers who
have been the backbone of the region’s economy and
community,”
Buchanan said. “It’s his gift of gratitude to a way of life
that has supported him and his family through the
years.”
