A few days ago, the Modesto Bee ran an op-ed penned by Karen Ross, California’s Secretary of Food & Agriculture, raising concerns about the tone and accusations being made about agricultural water use during the drought.
We commend Ross for publically voicing her support for farmers across the state, many of whom are fighting for their livelihoods right now and making difficult business decisions. Last year alone, water cuts fallowed 500,000 acres, erased 17,000 jobs and cost $1.5 billion.
At the end of her piece, Ross calls for “…California farmers and ranchers to tell their stories of water efficiency and conservation,” which we will continue to do in the coming months. Almond growers in particular are proud of the innovations we’ve researched and executed over the years. If you haven’t heard, over the past two decades, almond growers have reduced the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by 33 percent. And they continue research to do more.
But enough from us, we’ll let her words speak for themselves. We’ve pulled out some of the highlights below, but you can find the piece on the California Department of Food & Agriculture blog: http://plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov/wordpress/?p=8379
The Central Valley helps to feed America: “You might have heard the statement that roughly half the nation’s fruits, nuts and vegetables come from California – it’s also true that 25 percent of that comes from just eight counties in the Central Valley.”
Our region is uniquely suited to grow food: “Critics point to the Central Valley as a desert made artificially fertile by irrigation. Allow me to explain why that’s not true. Pulitzer Prize-winning author John McPhee wrote in his book “Annals of the Former World” that there are 10 types of soil on Earth, and that nine are in the Central Valley. Each soil is suited to different crops…McPhee called the Valley the “North American fruit forest,” and pointed out the only places on this planet possibly similar to it are in Chile and Pakistan.”
Farmers are experts in efficiency: “…farmers and ranchers must continue working with other state water interests to use every precious drop as carefully as possible. Agriculture has an impressive track record in that regard – using 5 percent less water with 96 percent more economic efficiency and a substantial increase in yield over the last 50 years.”
