2022 Irrigation Farmer Of The Year

   Tommy Young, Tuckerman, Arkansas, has been named the 2022 Irrigation Farmer of the Year at the 25th Annual National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference, Delta States Irrigation Conference, the Southern Corn and Soybean Conference and the Southern Precision Ag Conference.

   Jackson County Farm Family of the year in 2019, and Northeast Arkansas District Farm Family of the year, owner/partner of Young’s Irrigation Service, Tommy Young started farming young, moving from mini farming between the rows at six or seven years old to today farming about 7000 acres. Currently, Young in partnership with his family, growing rice, soybean, corn and wheat. Nearly 95 percent of his farming operation is irrigated.

   A participant in the University of Arkansas verification program, Young has offered his farms as demonstrations to several specialists over the years. Young is a proponent of improving irrigation water use in corn. He is always looking for ways to improve his operation through new technology.

   Young has been passionate about irrigation since the 1980’s and has set a goal of improving his irrigation efforts every year. He stresses the importance of an efficient system. He checks the efficiency of every unit yearly. Each well is calibrated annually. Nozzle inspections are conducted yearly. Some center pivot inspections are conducted using drones. Making sure each center pivot is putting out the same volume.

   Young pays particular attention to topsoil and subsoil moisture to avoid breaks in moisture levels and avoiding unnecessary stress on his crops. Using proven research on crop needs, Young is committed to using technology such as soil sensors to make sure his operation has the capacity to meet his crops needs and thrive. Using the University of Arkansas Irrigation Scheduler as a predictor, Young can use his mobile moisture meter to ensure he is triggering his irrigation system and irrigating when needed based on actual data his system has collected on his crop and his particular soil type.

   Conserving water, labor and energy are his goal. Starting with proper installation to avoid bad data, Young can use his phone to ensure everything is running properly whereever he may be and avoiding any stress lines.

   Young is a member of the Jackson County Farm Bureau and Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Promotion Board. ∆