EQIP works in priority areas where there are significant natural resource concerns such as soil erosion, water quality and quantity, wildlife habitat, wetlands, forest and grazing lands. The Matsumura's farm is a family run vegetable enterprise started in 1912 by his grandfather Buntaro, then his father Kaoru and now Ron. The farm is located on the Yakama Indian Reservation just west of Wapato Washington.
Soils are loam and gravely sand.
The intensive labor demands of surface irrigating required the full attention of Ron's father. Time was at a premium since there were also numerous other farming tasks that needed to be done as well. Ron decided a futuristic change was needed. Drip Irrigation and Plastic Mulch on Vegetable Crops Technical assistance from NRCS in developing a Resource Management System and cost share from EQIP facilitated the Matsumuras to convert their surface system to drip irrigation. The increased water saving now allows all 70 acres to be in production this allows Ron's father to retire from irrigating, as monitoring the drip irrigation system requires little time.