The Irrigation Association is excited to announce that the Precision Irrigation Access Program has been named the recipient of the 2026 Vanguard Award – Agriculture. The IA’s Vanguard Award honors innovative projects in the irrigation industry executed by a team of individuals, companies, organizations or other group entities. Projects chosen for this award exemplify the IA’s mission of promoting innovation in efficient irrigation and supporting industry growth and sustainability.
The Precision Irrigation Access Program is a collaborative initiative led by Netafim, Orbia Precision Agriculture that brings together farmers, corporate partners and implementation organizations to accelerate irrigation modernization in water-stressed regions. Designed to address long-standing barriers to adoption, the program connects growers with corporate cost-share funding to support the transition from inefficient irrigation and nutrient application to advanced, precision technologies that optimize water, fertilizer, labor and natural resources. By combining on-farm expertise with digital tools, the program enables real-time monitoring, data-driven management, and verified water benefit reporting. This integrated approach improves irrigation performance and creates a scalable model for aligning agricultural needs with corporate water stewardship goals.
“The Precision Irrigation Access Program shows what can happen when growers, corporate partners and irrigation professionals work together to remove practical barriers to modernization,” said IA CEO Natasha Rankin. “By pairing cost-share support with precision irrigation technology and measurable water benefits, this program is helping growers upgrade their irrigation systems and use water more efficiently. It is a strong example of the irrigation industry turning collaboration into results.”
Since its public launch in 2024, the program has advanced irrigation modernization across thousands of acres, delivering significant, data-backed water savings while introducing a collaborative model for co-investment using standardized measurement and reporting. By expanding access to capital, increasing adoption of precision irrigation technologies and supporting long-term water resilience goals, it is reshaping how irrigation modernization is funded, implemented and scaled in the United States and globally.
“We are deeply honored to receive the 2026 Irrigation Association Vanguard Award for our Precision Irrigation Access Program,” said Melissa Lilze, SVP, Netafim North America. “This recognition reflects a shared commitment among growers, corporate partners, irrigation professionals, implementation organizations and the Netafim team to expand access to efficient irrigation solutions and advance more sustainable agriculture. Together, we are helping farmers adopt modern irrigation technologies that improve productivity, conserve water resources and strengthen resilience for generations to come. We are especially grateful for the leadership of Val Fishman, whose vision and dedication were instrumental in developing this program. We thank the Irrigation Association for recognizing this important work and look forward to expanding its impact in the years ahead.”
Additional corporate partners for this project include Keurig Dr Pepper; Swire Coca-Cola, USA; Chipotle; PepsiCo; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; General Mills; Niagara Cares; and Meta, as well as others. The project also included the following implementation partners: Kilimo, BEF, LimnoTech, Blue Diamond Growers, Earth Finance, California Water Resilience Initiative and The Water Resilience Coalition, DLL, Central Irrigation, Water Right LLC, Landmark Irrigation Inc., Tri-Est Ag Group, Alsco Geyer, Waterford Irrigation, Watson Ag, and NutraDrip, as well as others.
The 2026 IA Award recipients will be honored at the 2026 Irrigation Show and Education Week in Las Vegas, Dec. 7-10. More information about this and other IA awards and past recipients can be found at irrigation.org/awards.
