Some of your biggest customers might be in need of farm irrigation systems. Farm owners rely on these systems to ensure that their crops are healthy and are growing at the right pace to be ready for harvest. Farms can consist of hundreds of acres; if you can offer the right systems to your farm customers, you can really make a lot of money.

You may also have a few other types of clients that are interested in irrigation systems. Smaller growers that utilize greenhouses may also need a professional irrigation system. Last but not least, lawn irrigation is popular among residential customers who want their lawns to stay nice and green.

1. Install a drip irrigation pump and hose system for customers concerned about water waste. This type of system is one of the most efficient and works well for both small and large applications.

2. Keep your crop farmers happy by supplying them with movable spray irrigation systems, like the traveling gun.

3. Cater to homeowners, and even golf courses, by using sprinkler lawn irrigation systems. These systems have sprinkler heads that sit under the grass and pop up at certain intervals to provide the necessary water.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Maximize efficiency using drip irrigation

This kind of system slowly drips water onto crops and plants. While evaporation is a downfall of sprayer systems, very little water is lost to evaporation with a drip system. It also targets the plant roots and stems and avoids waste in this way as well.

I recommend: Create a custom drip system for a greenhouse using supplies from Chapin Watermatics. Check out the buzzing dripper from Ein-Tal; the vibrations reduce clogs due to salt and lime sediment.

Locate an irrigation manufacturer that makes portable systems

Sometimes it's not practical to install a permanent irrigation system. There are a variety of systems you can set up that can be moved from place to place. Some of these systems are intended for moving from one place to another to spray water, while others are set on a line and move while they spray crops.

I recommend: View the "Quick Tow" selections from T-L Irrigation. Consider a traveling gun irrigation system from Roberts Irrigation.

Offer something to homeowners: use landscape irrigation systems

Homeowners don't need elaborate drip systems or center-pivot irrigation systems for their lawn. But to avoid wasting water by hand-watering with a hose, offer your customers a pop-up sprinkler irrigation system that makes their lives much simpler (and their water bill cheaper). Golf courses also utilize these types of systems since watering the entire course by hand is just not practical.

I recommend: Check out the large selection of rotors and rotary sprinklers at Rain Bird. Buy sprinklers and nozzles in bulk from Irrigation Direct.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Although very low-tech, the furrow irrigation system is still used all over the world. It consists of digging trenches throughout crop fields and flowing water through them. It's an efficient system if you can minimize runoff from the edges of the fields.