Scanning a field of flowering pumpkin plants in the early morning is more than just a beautiful moment for one Millard County farmer – It’s a reminder of what’s possible when hard work meets innovation. John Willoughby of Willoughby Farms and Produce operates 400 acres across several fields in Delta, Utah. If he had his way, the family farm would have all of it covered in pumpkins. “We’ve grown pumpkins for about 20 years, it’s our main deal,” John said during an August field visit with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Utah. 

Varieties of jack-o-lanterns and decorative pumpkins currently span 70 acres of the family operation. Tomatoes are another big crop, with a dozen high tunnels growing an assortment of cherry and full-sized tomatoes. Depending on the year, another 5-10 acres produce watermelon, winter squash, and a mix of Picasso and canary melons. The rest of the land they’ve operated for 27 years rotates between alfalfa, corn, and a cover crop mix to feed nutrients back into the soil. 

John first applied for assistance from NRCS Utah in 2017. Funding from the Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) assisted with the high tunnels. Other efforts focused on implementing conservation practices to improve soil health and water management. Especially in Millard County, where 68% of the area is in severe drought, every drop of water counts. 

Stretching Water in Delta

Along one 40-acre field of pumpkins, crisp white drip irrigation tape installed in 2025 through the EQIP program delivers water via emitters spaced every foot. The water feeding the field is first cleaned and pressurized at a nearby pump and filtration system. When activated, the flat tape inflates like a slender PVC pipe, channeling moisture directly to the pumpkin rows. Plastic mulch is another addition through EQIP, suppressing weeds and helping John to eliminate the need for pesticides or herbicides. “The mulch works as a weed barrier for John as well as a blanket to keep as much moisture in the soil as possible, reducing the evaporation from the sun and wind,” said Derrick Rowley, range management specialist for NRCS Utah.   

Much of the Delta area uses a level basin method of flood irrigation, pushing water over a flat area to water and flush any accumulating salts below the root zone. “You’ve got to flood to wash the salt down” is a phrase repeated by many Utah producers in the Delta area. “My dad farmed his whole life, and when I started using drip he was pretty adamant that I was doing it wrong,” John said.

Concerns about salt, gophers, and upfront costs are what John most often hears from other area farmers. “For the salt, we just put a little acid down and it’s taken care of, and the gophers – everyone has gophers,” John said, “You just take care of them.” Regarding the investment in the drip system, financial assistance from NRCS combined with water savings has made a world of difference. The 40-acre field that would normally need 100 feet of water has used just 16 feet of water so far. With only a few waterings left in the season, John estimates the drip system will save approximately 80 feet of water. “In one year, with the help from NRCS and what you’re saving in water – there’s your system cost right there,” John said.
 

Moving Conservation Forward

Success in one field makes for a stark contrast to a second field three miles away.  Weeds spring out of the heavy clay ground to break through the green canopy of pumpkin plants. John estimates the crop in this 30-acre field to be about ten days behind. Once the pumpkins are done, the goal will be to put down cover crops to help recharge the soil and increase organic matter, then put down plastic mulch for next season’s pumpkin crop. Tyrell Belnap, NRCS Utah District Conservationist for Millard and Juab Counties, views John’s work to grow conservation at Willoughby Farms as an inspiration for other farmers in Delta, and across Utah. “There is so much opportunity all over the state to implement a high efficiency drip system like this,” Tyrell said.  

John recently signed up for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) with NRCS to increase water efficiency through soil moisture monitoring. A weather station will collect data through soil probes placed in the field, measuring moisture levels to help John fine-tune his drip irrigation system. Next steps in his conservation planning include moving his pumpkin field still in flood to drip and continuing to talk to producers about drip irrigation in Delta. “There’s not many farms in this valley that have all the water they need,” John said, “I’m doing this to show people this will work here.”

The result is evident at the end of the season when boxes spread out every ten feet down a row are filled with picked pumpkins ready for eager customers. For John and his family, that’s when it’s all worth it.

By Sarah Welliver, State Public Affairs Specialist, NRCS Utah