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Input: The top recipient has been Fisher Ranch LLC  the family company of Bart Fisher  a board member and the valleyâs second-largest landowner after Metropolitan. The records show his company has received $27.6 million in annual payments since 2005 for land left fallow.
 Fisher  and other board members say theyâve had no conflicts of interest in these decisions  and their attorney has backed them up. They say the fact that theyâve benefited from the program is the nature of their agencyâs structure as a landowner-voting district. All of the board members are landowners  and theyâre elected by landowners under a voting system in which the largest property owners can cast the largest numbers of votes.
 Fisher  was a leading proponent of the agreement in the early 2000s.  He  said  he  supported it because  he  strongly believed it was in the best long-term interests of landowners and the community.
âThe financial interests of the board were the same as the financial interests of our electorate â  Fisher  said.  He  recalled that Palo Verdeâs attorney advised the board ahead of the vote that they were fine to proceed with the decision.
âThereâs no conflict at PVID at all  because of how we are constituted â  Fisher  said. âOur electorate is whom we serve  and our electorate are landowners.â
Standing beside hay bales on his farm  Palo Verde Irrigation District board member Bart Fisher talks about the agency's lawsuit against the Metropolitan Water District. (Photo: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun)
When they negotiated the terms of the deal   Fisher  said  the overarching purpose was helping California meet its water needs âwithout diminishing agriculture or our community in the process.â
âI have a vested interest and so do all the landowners in Palo Verde  especially those who participate in the program â  Fisher  said.
Participating farmers received an initial signup bonus of $3 170 per acre. In  Fisher âs case  the records show  his family entities received $6.3 million in initial signup payments.
Having those regular payments can function as a âsafety netâ for farming businesses during hard times and can provide a guarantee to help in getting credit from banks   Fisher  said. That doesnât mean it always pays more than farming  though. Looking back at some years   Fisher  said  farmers would have earned more selling crops than having unplanted fields.
 Fisher  is a third-generation farmer whose family started farming in the Palo Verde Valley in 1917.  He  said the fact that Fisher Ranch has received more from Metropolitan than any other business simply reflects the fact that  his  family has been farming for a century and has gradually expanded its landholdings.
 Fisher  farms more than 11 000 acres  growing hay  wheat  broccoli  cantaloupes and honeydew melons.
 He  said while  his  business receives large sums based on that acreage  it takes a lot of money to run the operation.  Fisher  pointed out that  he  and other growers make huge investments in tractors â which can cost roughly $300 000 each â as well as other equipment. They take out big loans and have large payrolls.
âJust to be in agriculture requires access to vast amounts of capital â  Fisher  said. âNobodyâs getting rich on this program.â
Palo Verde Irrigation District officials â from left  Board Member Jack Seiler   General Manager Ned Hyduke and President Bart Fisher â  talk about why  they  decided to sue Metropolitan Water District. (Photo: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun)
While considering whether to sue   Fisher  said Palo Verdeâs board members discussed the fact that under the agreement  Metropolitan has the ability to cancel the entire program.

Desert farmers reap millions selling water to California cities