Farmers Conservation Alliance
Farmers Conservation Alliance is a nonprofit social enterprise that partners with irrigation districts, tribes, and water providers across the Western US to plan, fund, and implement irrigation modernization projects involving canal piping, fish screening, SCADA, and renewable energy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersHood River, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Farmers Conservation Alliance does
Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise founded in 2005 and headquartered in Hood River, Oregon. The organization partners with irrigation districts, ditch companies, and tribal nations throughout the Western United States (Oregon, Montana, Nevada, California, Colorado) to move irrigation modernization projects from concept through funding, permitting, and construction. Its core services span grant writing and capital planning, NEPA and environmental compliance, GIS and data management, SCADA system deployment, canal piping program management, renewable energy integration, and the proprietary Farmers Screen fish passage technology first installed in 2002.
FCA's revenue model is grant- and contract-driven rather than transactional. The organization captures professional services revenue via grants, cooperative agreements, and project administration fees (e.g., a $9.6M USDA award dated October 2024), while separately helping client communities secure "hundreds of millions of dollars" in federal, state, and philanthropic modernization capital. Service delivery is consultative and relationship-led, initiated through direct outreach via phone and email and executed on a project-by-project basis tailored to each district's infrastructure, regulatory, and funding profile.
The organization's underlying technology stack combines the registered Farmers Screen horizontal fish-screening method, SCADA telemetry for remote infrastructure control, GIS-based spatial and operational data management, in-conduit hydropower and floating solar systems, and battery storage integration. Notable project outcomes include a 0.8 MW floating solar array at Medford Irrigation District (Oregon's first), 625,000 MWh of cumulative renewable energy generated for Farmers Irrigation District, a 30 cfs water savings at Central Oregon Irrigation District unlocking $25M in PL-566 funds, and 60 of 65 miles of canal piped at Three Sisters Irrigation District.
Farmers Conservation Alliance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Farmers Conservation Alliance
- Legal name
- Farmers Conservation Alliance
- Website
- https://fcasolutions.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Farmers Conservation Alliance is a nonprofit social enterprise that partners with irrigation districts, tribes, and water providers across the Western US to plan, fund, and implement irrigation modernization projects involving canal piping, fish screening, SCADA, and renewable energy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Farmers Conservation Alliance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Irrigation Modernization Services
- NAICS
- Farm Management Services (115116), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Irrigation, Water & Energy Efficiency Operations Advisory (AFACAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)
Keywords
Where Farmers Conservation Alliance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hood River
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Farmers Conservation Alliance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Grant Writing and Funding Support: FCA helps irrigation communities identify, pursue, and manage irrigation modernization funding opportunities. They provide grant writing, capital planning, and financial reporting services to ensure project viability. FCA works with public and private sector partners that fund modernization planning, design, and construction.
- Project Development and Implementation Services: FCA offers comprehensive services including project planning and design, permitting, project management, contractor coordination, and implementation support. Services are tailored to meet each community's specific needs at each phase of a project.
- Technical Services: FCA delivers technical support including GIS mapping, data collection and management, water measurement, SCADA, energy assessment, NEPA compliance, and fish screen programs. These services help agricultural water providers and their partners better understand their systems and make data-informed decisions for modernization.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Farmers Conservation Alliance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA) is a nonprofit social enterprise that partners with Western US irrigation communities to move irrigation infrastructure projects from concept through funding, construction, and closeout. It delivers end-to-end project development services including planning, design, permitting, grant writing, NEPA compliance, and project management, alongside proprietary and integrated technologies such as the Farmers Screen fish screening system, SCADA telemetry, canal piping, floating solar arrays, in-conduit hydropower, and battery storage systems.
Product overview
Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA) is an irrigation modernization organization that partners with Western communities to move irrigation infrastructure from concept to construction. FCA offers a comprehensive suite of services organized around project development, technology, and implementation support. Their core offerings include Comprehensive Project Development, Financing, and Implementation services; GIS and Data Collection and Management; Water Measurement and Monitoring; SCADA Systems for remote infrastructure control; Grant Writing and Financial Planning; Renewable Energy Assessments including floating solar and in-conduit hydropower; Fish Screen Programs (Farmers Screen technology); Canal Piping services; and Watershed Planning with NEPA compliance. The organization works with irrigation districts, ditch companies, and tribes throughout the Western United States to modernize century-old water delivery systems. Their portfolio spans fish passage restoration (Derby Dam Farmers Screen), floating solar arrays (Medford and Ochoco Irrigation Districts), canal piping projects, hydropower installations, and battery storage systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Farmers Screen: An innovative fish-screening technology designed to protect fish while reducing maintenance at irrigation diversions.
Products and services
- Comprehensive Project Development, Financing, and Implementation Services End-to-end project development, financing, and implementation service that takes irrigation modernization projects from concept through funding, construction, and closeout for irrigation districts, tribes, and ditch companies throughout the Western US.
- Farmers Screen (Fish Screen Programs) Innovative horizontal fish screening technology pioneered by FCA that protects fish while reducing maintenance needs at irrigation diversions. Passive, self-cleaning design passes fish and debris back to the creek while protecting irrigation diversions.
- SCADA Systems Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems that help irrigation communities use water more efficiently, reduce operations costs, and better track system performance through remote monitoring and control of irrigation infrastructure.
- Floating Solar Arrays Floating photovoltaic solar installations on irrigation reservoirs that generate renewable energy while reducing evaporation and algae growth. The Medford Irrigation District project is a 0.8 MW installation of 1,776 panels on a 1.8-acre floating array.
- In-Conduit Hydropower Generating electricity from falling water within irrigation pipelines and canals, creating revenue streams for irrigation districts while producing renewable energy.
- Canal Piping Services Converting open canals to pressurized pipelines to reduce water loss through seepage and evaporation, improve delivery reliability, and enable pressurization for farmers.
- Battery Storage Systems On-site battery storage installations to enhance energy resilience for irrigation districts, enabling participation in utility demand-response programs.
- Grant Writing Services Works with partners to identify funding opportunities and prepare competitive proposals, budgets, and narratives to secure external funding for irrigation modernization projects.
- Financial Assessments, Capital Planning and Development Evaluation of costs, funding sources, and lifecycle economics to build practical capital plans and phasing for irrigation modernization projects.
- NEPA Services Leads environmental review under NEPA, coordinating studies and preparing required EA/EIS documents to maintain compliance for irrigation modernization projects.
- Watershed Planning Comprehensive watershed planning services including NEPA compliance, environmental assessments, and strategic conservation planning for irrigation communities.
- GIS and Data Collection and Management Services Collects, maps, and maintains spatial and operational data to inform planning, design, permitting, and reporting for irrigation systems.
- Renewable Energy Assessments Assesses the feasibility, output, and costs of integrating solar or in-conduit hydropower with existing irrigation infrastructure.
- Water Measurement and Monitoring Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Water loss reduction up to 70% in some systems
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Farmers Conservation Alliance
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Farmers Conservation Alliance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Farmers Conservation Alliance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreNRCS is a key federal agency partner for FCA. FCA completed Watershed Plan-EA documents for irrigation districts that enabled access to over $25 million in PL-566 funds for Central Oregon Irrigation District. NRCS also partnered with Farmers Irrigation District for their modernization project authorized in April 2025.
- Bureau of ReclamationcoreFederal agency partner on major infrastructure projects including the Derby Dam Farmers Screen project in Nevada. Reclamation selected horizontal fish screen technology and entered into cooperative agreement with FCA for design, construction, and commissioning of the screen. Also a funding partner for Collbran Conservancy District modernization.
- Energy Trust of OregoncorePartner providing funding and support for renewable energy projects including floating solar installations and energy efficiency improvements for irrigation districts. FCA co-hosted webinar with Energy Trust on predevelopment capital.
- Oregon Department of Environmental QualitysupportingState agency partner for environmental compliance and permitting of irrigation modernization projects including floating solar installations.
- Ute Mountain Ute TribecoreFCA is working with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to complete installation of 10 micro-hydro power plants along water delivery pipelines, construct an overflow reservoir for drought resiliency, and install floating solar. The tribe operates the Farm & Ranch Enterprise growing alfalfa, corn, wheat, and raising cattle on 7,700 acres.
- Bonneville Environmental FoundationsupportingPartner for Oregon's Community Solar program managing subscriber credits for the Medford floating solar installation. Helps distribute renewable energy benefits to businesses and residents.
- Imagine EnergysupportingSolar installation contractor for the Medford Irrigation District floating solar project. Installed 1,776 panels on the 1.8 acre floating solar array.
- Hood River Watershed GroupsupportingCommunity partner in the Hood River Basin working on watershed restoration and conservation projects including the Pollinator Pipeline Corridor Project.
- Oregon State UniversitysupportingAcademic partner for the Pollinator Pipeline Corridor Project in the Hood River Valley, contributing research and best practices for pollinator habitat restoration alongside irrigation modernization.
- Trout UnlimitedsupportingConservation partner working with Ladder Ranch and FCA on irrigation modernization to conserve water and augment late-season stream flows. Collaborative effort between agricultural producers and conservationists.
- Granite ConstructionsupportingConstruction partner for the Derby Dam Farmers Screen project in Nevada. Major infrastructure contractor for fish passage and screening projects.
- McMillen Jacob AssociatessupportingEngineering partner for the Derby Dam Farmers Screen project providing design services for the fish screening infrastructure.
- Deschutes River ConservancysupportingPartner for Central Oregon Irrigation District modernization projects, working to improve water conservation and instream flows in the Deschutes Basin.
- Deschutes Basin Board of ControlsupportingPartner for COID projects coordinating water management and conservation efforts across the Deschutes Basin irrigation districts.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Farmers Conservation Alliance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Federal agency that funds and operates Western US irrigation and water projects. A direct partner and primary funding counterparty for FCA; relevant comparable for understanding FCA's federal contracting environment.
- Environmental Defense Fund: Large national environmental NGO with major programs on agricultural water efficiency, irrigation modernization, and ecosystem-services funding. Operates at much greater scale than FCA across the same thematic space.
Others
- American Rivers: National river-conservation nonprofit advocating for healthy rivers and water infrastructure. Compares thematically on water restoration and dam/screening modernization work that overlaps with FCA's mission.
Direct peers
- Western Resource Advocates: Regional nonprofit driving water-policy and on-the-ground solutions across Western states. Comparable as a Western US-focused organization working on water conservation, irrigation, and drought resilience with funding and policy expertise.
- Trout Unlimited: National coldwater conservation nonprofit that works with irrigators and irrigation districts on fish passage, screening, and water deals. Direct partner of FCA and a peer in agricultural-water / fish-habitat intersection.
- Bonneville Environmental Foundation: Portland-based nonprofit running water restoration and community solar programs. Direct partner of FCA on Medford floating solar and a peer operating at the intersection of water infrastructure and renewable energy.
- Water Foundation: Philanthropic intermediary that funds collaborative water projects in the Western US. Comparable as a nonprofit orchestrating funding flows for water/irrigation projects with overlapping foundation and agency relationships.
- The Freshwater Trust: Portland-based nonprofit focused on streamflow restoration and irrigation efficiency in the Pacific Northwest. Highly comparable to FCA as a nonprofit delivering water-resource project development with similar funder and agency relationships.
- Sustainable Conservation: California-based nonprofit advancing sustainable agriculture through on-farm water management, dust reduction, and habitat protection. Closely analogous operating model to FCA, focused on agricultural water stewardship via public-private partnerships.
Emerging players
- McMillen Jacobs Associates: Engineering consultancy specializing in water resources, dams, and fish-passage design. Engineering partner on FCA's Derby Dam project and a credible for-profit competitor for modernization engineering work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Farmers Conservation Alliance social profiles
Digital presenceFarmers Conservation Alliance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Farmers Conservation Alliance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Farmers Conservation Alliance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Farmers Conservation Alliance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Farmers Conservation Alliance
What does Farmers Conservation Alliance do?
Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA) is a nonprofit social enterprise that partners with Western US irrigation communities to move irrigation infrastructure projects from concept through funding, construction, and closeout. It delivers end-to-end project development services including planning, design, permitting, grant writing, NEPA compliance, and project management, alongside proprietary and integrated technologies such as the Farmers Screen fish screening system, SCADA telemetry, canal piping, floating solar arrays, in-conduit hydropower, and battery storage systems.
Is Farmers Conservation Alliance a public or private company?
Farmers Conservation Alliance is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Farmers Conservation Alliance founded?
Farmers Conservation Alliance was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Farmers Conservation Alliance based?
Farmers Conservation Alliance is headquartered in Hood River, United States, in the North America region.
How does Farmers Conservation Alliance make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grant Writing and Funding Support is the primary driver. The others are project Development and Implementation Services and technical Services.
Who are Farmers Conservation Alliance's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Environmental Defense Fund. American Rivers is listed as an others. Direct peers are Western Resource Advocates, Trout Unlimited, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Water Foundation, The Freshwater Trust and Sustainable Conservation. McMillen Jacobs Associates is listed as an emerging player.
Does Farmers Conservation Alliance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Farmers Conservation Alliance.
What industry is Farmers Conservation Alliance in?
Farmers Conservation Alliance's product category is Irrigation Modernization Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFACAJAM, Irrigation, Water & Energy Efficiency Operations Advisory, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAI, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems. Its NAICS code is 115116 and its SIC code is 700.