Agriculture Industry Cleaning

by Diane M. Calabrese | Published August 2026

 

 

The beauty of a patchwork of fields, cows in pastures, and barns and silos belies the hard work of farming.

Part of that work involves keeping animals and structures clean and crops free of pests. Agriculture spans a huge spectrum of activities, such as planting, monitoring, harvesting, shipping, etc.

But across the breadth of activities, high-pressure water tools make much of the work easier. In fact, the sprayers that farmers first used to apply chemicals inspired some retooling. Adapting sprayers, many farmers configured devices to use in cleaning (spraying water) before the official advent of pressure washers last century.

Dairy farmers, hog farmers, orchard owners, ranchers—choose any starting point for food that will move to tables—all benefit from the way that water under pressure simplifies the tasks that fill a day. Whether the water serves as the primary contact or is enhanced with chemical or is used to clean up following a foam application, speed and accuracy both get a boost from state-of-the-art high-pressure equipment.

What is it like meeting the needs of businesses anchored in some part of agriculture? It is a lot like meeting the needs of businesses anchored in other sectors. Ryan Recker, the major account manager, OEM, at Mi-T-M Corporation in Peosta, IA, gives us an overview.

“Diversification of product helps us to serve the industry,” says Recker of the ways in which his company meets the needs of those in agriculture. “We manufacture many of the key items that are needed for the day-to-day use in the ag sector.”

Serving agriculture begins with understanding the priorities for an owner/operator of a business in the sector, and no slowdowns in operation is a priority.

“It’s not necessarily a unique need, but one of the things that any operator in the ag sector dreads is downtime,” explains Recker. “Since a large part of the ag sector is related to crop production, their equipment needs are very important.”

An automotive detailer may be able to wait for a piece of equipment to be repaired. But waiting is not a great option in most parts of agriculture.

“Sometimes you get a very short window of time to plant or harvest a crop based on factors out of their control, such as the weather,” says Recker. “When they see that short window, they need to make sure their equipment is up and running, but if they come across an unforeseen breakdown, they need to be able to react quickly and efficiently.”

Quick response—how can it be enhanced? “That’s where our diversified product offerings come into play,” says Recker. “By providing many different products, we are helping them with the ability to make repairs in the field versus waiting for an open time a technician can get to them.”

A fast turnaround could not be more significant. “This allows the operator to get back to running and finishing their job in that short window of time,” explains Recker.

As for what’s most challenging about service to agriculture, that, too, overlaps with other sectors. “At this moment and over the last couple years, the biggest challenges have been tied to the economy,” says Recker.

“The agriculture sector has been dealing with low commodity prices, high interest rates, and higher input and operation costs,” explains Recker. “No formal farm bill in place and the tariff discussion have also played a part in the challenges the ag sector has faced.”

There are many factors to consider. “The competitive market from South America has influenced different commodities as well,” says Recker. “With these challenges it has made customers become more particular in their purchasing decisions and where their dollars are being spent.”

Of course, when customers are more exacting in their choices, there is opportunity too. Distributor networks and customized solutions give manufacturers of equipment that’s used in agriculture the chance to work more closely with customers to the benefit of all.

 

Contractor’s View

The San Joaquin Valley of California is synonymous with agriculture, and rightly so given the upwards of 300 crops grown there and the enormous contribution it makes to the agricultural output of the Golden State.

With so many crops and so much activity, there is plenty going on that involves members of our industry. Trevor Shamblin owns Shamblin Softwash & Pressure Washing in Manteca, CA. He is also a member of the board of directors of PWNA [Power Washers of North America].

Shamblin’s experience in serving businesses in agriculture takes many forms. It is versatility that mirrors the myriad activities that fill the agricultural spectrum.

“One of the most interesting ways we serve the industry is by handling specialized cleaning projects that most people never think about but which are critical to keeping facilities operating efficiently,” says Shamblin. “We clean cooling towers, solar panels, commercial buildings, and manufacturing machinery.”

Agriculture is about much more than planting and harvesting. Its products must be stored, moved, processed, etc., and every component involved in the endeavor is an asset to the business situated in agriculture.

The cooling towers, solar arrays, and machinery are all part of the effort. “These assets directly impact production, energy efficiency, and equipment lifespan, so proper cleaning is often more than just appearance—it’s an important part of facility maintenance and operations,” says Shamblin.

There are challenges for contractors working in the sector. They include perhaps a surprising one.

“One of the biggest challenges is keeping up with the ever-growing list of safety training, licensing requirements, and compliance standards,” says Shamblin. “In addition, each industrial client often has its own site-specific policies, procedures, and best practices that contractors must follow.”

With the many requirements for contractors, the commitment to being versatile helps. “Successfully serving the industry requires continuous training, adaptability, and a strong commitment to safety and regulatory compliance,” says Shamblin.

The needs of customers in agriculture are anything but static, and contractors must be ready to respond to problems that differ each day.

“We had a long-time refrigerated warehouse customer who was experiencing significant issues due to hundreds of feet of clogged evaporator drainage lines throughout their facility,” says Shamblin. “The blocked lines were causing operational problems, and their refrigeration service contractor was unable to determine an effective solution.”

Fortunately, Shamblin’s company was able to respond. “They contacted us, and we were able to successfully clear the drainage system and restore proper flow,” he explains.

The work for the customer also led to a longer-term arrangement following the cleaning of the drainage line. “Since then we have implemented a preventative maintenance program and return every six months to clean the lines, helping them avoid future disruptions and costly downtime,” says Shamblin.

Does Shamblin enjoy the type of work his company handles? For instance, with agriculture very much an industry, it’s quite a different niche than commercial work.

“Industrial cleaning is my favorite type of work,” says Shamblin. “It’s challenging; requires creative problem-solving; and involves working closely with facility managers, maintenance teams, and engineers to achieve a common goal.”

Experiences vary widely, but Shamblin shares his perception of working with customers in the agricultural industry. “The communication is generally more straightforward, and it feels like a true partnership rather than simply completing a cleaning service for a customer,” says Shamblin. “While the financial rewards can be greater than traditional commercial cleaning, the risks and responsibilities are also higher, which means you must maintain a strong focus on safety, training, and professionalism.”

 

Fewer farms, but…

There were 6.8 million farms in the United States in 1935. Today, there are approximately 1.87 million. The numbers provided here and in the following paragraph come from the USDA Economic Research Service.

There are approximately 876 million acres of farmland in the United States, and the average farm size has hovered around 450 acres since the early 1970s.

The complex world of farming in 2026 is illustrated by a look at the efforts being made by the current administration to offer some support for financial stability. The account of the Farmers First effort by the administration from the USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture] website provides a quick immersion in what farmers are facing.

Whether an infusion of federal cash—$12 billion in one-time bridge payments that began early this year—will make things more stable for the agriculture sector is not certain. But what is certain is that anything the members of our industry can do to alleviate some of the difficulties members of the agricultural sector confront will be well received.

Reliable equipment and a readiness to tackle issues like drainage problems and all the other services our industry provides will be welcomed. Pressure and water meet across the agricultural sector to ease the days of those doing the work that keeps the nation and a good part of the world fed.

Just how do water and pressure meet to serve? They meet in produce washers, tailored washers for hog barns, and even customized pressure washers for removing red scale (insect) from citrus fruit, to cite just a few examples. And there’s all the cleaning and sanitation to be done on a regular basis.

It is clear that pressure washing serves the agricultural industry and helps it move forward with confidence in more efficient sanitation and more reliable, properly maintained equipment.