IA awards Q&A: Jack Buzzard

In this Q&A series highlighting 2022 IA awards winners, learn more about Jack Buzzard, the recipient of the industry achievement award.
Get to know the recipients of the 2022 IA awards program, including their involvement within the irrigation industry and inspiration behind their accomplishments.
In this Q&A series highlighting 2022 IA awards winners, learn more about Jack Buzzard, the recipient of the industry achievement award.

Every year, the Irrigation Association, Fairfax, Virginia, honors those who have made a significant contribution to the irrigation industry through the IA awards program. Sponsored by Hunter Industries, the 2022 IA awards program celebrated three individuals and one irrigation project.

Jack Buzzard received the 2022 Industry Achievement Award for his 40-year career with Rain Bird, Azusa, California. As vice president and director of the Rain Bird international strategic business unit, Buzzard introduced Europe and parts of South America to the concept of automatic irrigation systems as we know them today. He also served as president of the IA in 1995.

Jack Buzzard, retired

2022 Industry Achievement Award

What does receiving the Industry Achievement Award mean to you?

The award is a nice reminder of the value of the Irrigation Association and brings back the memories of some wonderful experiences that I had in my career in international. I guess we all also like validation of those things that we have achieved, ones that we felt were important, in our careers.

What does irrigation mean to you?

Many of our villages and cities were built around rivers and lakes that fed into oceans. Irrigation was the basis of their growth and survival: It provided food and materials for shelter. Irrigation with today’s technology provides a basis for reclaiming larger areas of land for food and landscapes very effectively with minimal losses or waste.

What motivated you to make an impact in the irrigation industry?

Timing. Rain Bird had great irrigation product lines in agriculture, golf, commercial turf, residential turf and hose-end products. These products had not been introduced significantly in the international marketplace. We had to develop literature and technical training in multiple languages. We had to have products that were with metric threads and we had to have the products in-country ready for immediate delivery. Lastly, we had to have a specification effort, especially in commercial turf, so that municipalities would budget for irrigation on new projects.

What would you consider to be your greatest accomplishment within your irrigation work?

We (my team) established a global business for Rain Bird. We hired great people, helped them analyze opportunities (develop a strategic plan), supported their choices (built their commitment) in solving challenges. Then we provided resources and fine-tuned actions as the situation changed or more information became available.

What tips do you have for today’s irrigation professionals?

Global water use is even a greater issue than in the past and will increasingly be an issue. Provide products that are highly efficient, easy to use and that require minimal maintenance. Be much more proactive in using desalination and processing wastewater for agricultural use. Take your answers to the poorer parts of the world.

Read more about the other 2022 IA awards program recipients in agriculture irrigation and landscape irrigation.

In This Category

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Bisconer has served on the IA Board since 2018 and took over for Randy Wood, who served as the 2023 IA president. 
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The Census Bureau reported that privately owned housing starts in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,331,000.
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This year’s event culminated in an in-person certification exam on March 15 at the IA headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia. 

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