Meet the TAPS team: Raenette Martin
The TAPS program is about building networks to support sustainable, economically viable irrigation management. We are nothing without our people. Our TAPS farmer contestants, colleagues in academia, industry partners, and the TAPS community we are building drive our work forward.
We'd like to introduce our K-State TAPS team to celebrate Smart Irrigation Month this July, themed "We Are Smart Irrigation". First up—Raenette Martin!
Raenette, what's your role in TAPS? I'm a senior ag tech working with the TAPS team in Colby.
Why are you excited about TAPS? The exciting thing about TAPS is that we are bringing a new cutting-edge, relevant farmer research program to the Northwest Kansas Research Center-Colby. It is exciting to see farmers and the agriculture industry partners at the station, exploring the plots, building connections, taking home research tips they can use, and building new networks.
Farmers are an interesting bunch (and I say that as a farmer). We can never do the same thing twice. Mother nature does not allow us to become creatures of habit. Each year is different, so every year, we want to learn, explore, and see what tools will work best for them. Farmers love learning, and the TAPS program will allow them to try "different" without costing them personally.
Everyone needs to be aware of the decline of our valuable resource, Water. Conservation and sustainability should start with each one of us. Irrigation will never be the same, and farmers must adapt to doing more with less. We have many tools and technology to help us adapt to this challenge. Hopefully, drought-stress crop varieties will be hitting the market very soon. We need these varieties to be high-yielding and require very little precipitation.
What does Smart Irrigation mean to you? Farmers, known for their resilience and adaptability, are used to being very successful. The research, focused on crop production that requires little to no moisture, needs to continue to evolve. The success of corn farmers in the future will be dictated by how we can innovate and adapt to this new irrigatoin normal—with better hybrids, more efficient technology, and smarter irrigation management. With the potential of smart irrigation, there is hope that this technology will allow farmers to stay in the game a little bit longer, fostering a sense of optimism and hope for the future.
The TAPS program is not just another initiative. It's a platform that will allow farmers to see what works and what doesn't work right here in Northwest KS. This hands-on experience is invaluable, making the TAPS program a significant and integral part of the agricultural community.
Last question, what's an unknown or interesting fact about you? I have purposefully walked every single day since February 16, 2008!