The state of Alabama averages 50 inches of rainfall per year.

Unfortunately for farmers, most of that precipitation occurs during winter, when few crops are planted. But legislation that is currently being discussed in the United States Senate and House of Representatives could help farmers take advantage of the off-season rainfall.

Rep. Terry Everett (R-AL) sponsored the legislation, H.R. 2088, in the House. The measure was adopted as part of a comprehensive farm bill that passed the House in July.

“Since I've been in Congress, we have given away several hundred million dollars worth of drought relief,” Everett said. “One thing that a lot of people who criticize us for doing that, what they don't realize, No. 1, drought relief never makes a farmer whole. It might make him break even, but if you don't make a profit for a year, that doesn't make you whole.

“Secondly, it occurred to me that we could drill a well for every farmer in the country and then not have to do drought relief. Then I found out that Alabama has more rainfall than a lot of states. Alabama gets about 50 inches per year. Š

“What occurred to me is that if we can capture this water, it would be a win/win situation. It would be a win for farmers in that they would have a pond they could capture this water in to use for irrigation purposes when they needed it for irrigation purposes, and it would be a win for tax payers in that they wouldn't have to pay for drought relief.”

The proposed plan would provide a match grant for farmers who were interested and met qualifications. Currently, most farmers can only qualify for low-interest loans, which may help in the short-run but must be paid back eventually.

Local farmer Curtis Renfroe, who owns numerous fields in Pike County, said he and many farmers are tired of only being able to get loans from the government.

“I think if they offered (help with irrigation) I would be interested, but it's according to what kind of help,” Renfroe said. “We can't all just keep spending this kind of money trying to pay back, and we don't need something else we have to pay interest on. Š I just hear most farmers say they don't need another loan that they have to pay back.”

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), who introduced the legislation in the Senate, said through providing grant money to eligible farmers, the government may be able to help farmers turn their farms around. The Senate's version of the legislation is known as the Regional Ground and Surface Water Enhancement Program Act of 2007.

“It's not going to transform Alabama agriculture overnight, but we need to move to irrigation,” Sessions said. “It's the difference between a total loss and a decent profit. When you consider the cost of planting, fertilizing and harvesting corn, for example, the cost of irrigation is not a lot, and it can produce a much higher yield. If we can maintain a good reservoir system, a lot of farmers can be certain they will end the year with a good profit rather than a loss or a small profit.”

If the Senate's version of the legislation passes, the Senate and House would come together to work on joint legislation; this would then go back to both branches for approval before being sent to the president. Eventually, this could mean that the U.S. government will pay for half the cost of reservoir systems and, Everett said, also cover some irrigation system costs. The farmer would pay half the cost, but the total cost would depend on the size of the field.

The grant program would be part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program but would be administered at the national level by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Another concern expressed by Renfroe was that the scale of the government's proposed system either will make many area farmers ineligible for grant money or will make it impractical for these farmers to try to place the system on their lands.

“You know, the irrigation - I think what's going to be the problem with that in Pike County, there are a lot of small fields,” Renfroe said. “A center pivot (irrigation system) is the best system, but it needs a large field to work right. Š The way fields are shaped, it would be hard to make a pivot work right.”

The smaller size of fields is an issue throughout the state and throughout the Southeast, Everett said, and this has been taken into account.

“The best way to say it, the acreage available to our farmers in any one location is fairly limited, as opposed to farms in other parts of the country,” Everett said. “This thing really limits itself to the Southeast. It's not something that Midwestern farmers could take advantage of.”

“It may not work for every farm, but for some folks it would work real well,” Sessions said.

Sessions said the government has worked with scientists from Auburn University and the University of Alabama Huntsville to put together a plan that would be most beneficial to the state and the region.

As of now, farmers would only have to meet two requirements to be eligible for the funding, Everett said.

“There would be some requirements, but the requirements would be, No. 1, that it's on a cost-share basis, and No. 2, that they have to agree to keep this in cultivation for agricultural purposes for at least five years after it's built,” Everett said.

If the legislation passes, it would come at a good time for many farmers in the Southeast who are reeling from back-to-back years of drought and low crop yield.

Pike County Extension Service Agent Tammy Powell said she thought the new legislation, if passed, would be more helpful to farmers than aid that has been offered in the past.

“If this is truly a grant program, that will be much better for our farmers than low-interest loans,” she said. “You have to pay loans back. With this, they would know how much money they would need up front, so it's easier to do financially.”

The irrigation system would also give farmers the freedom to make better choices and take a few chances, too, Powell said.