Economic Case Study on the Benefits of Irrigation
An economic case study was conducted on the benefits of irrigation at Intervale Community Farm (ICF) in Vermont. In this case study the authors used the CSF Water Deficit Calculator, along with ICF records, to estimate when plant stress likely occurred due to soil water deficits over the past couple of decades at this farm. This study shows that irrigation is profitable despite ongoing setup costs and variable summer weather. Overall, the total net benefits per irrigated acre over 11 years was $33,121. The total farm benefits over all irrigated acres over 11 years were just over $500,000.