Opinion: California’s Farms Face a Reckoning [New York Times]
California has become the No. 1 agricultural state in the U.S. Thanks to extensive irrigation, it produces a third of the nation’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts, and ranks first in dairy and wine, among other products. But now that the abundant processed water that made this cornucopia possible is no longer so abundant, will some of California’s agriculture need to shift to wetter states? It’s a painful question that Californians can no longer avoid. The good news is that California’s farms use so much water that fallowing even a relatively small portion of the fields would free up enough water to make plenty available for all the other things water goes for: fish, wild rivers, chip-making, household use. This isn’t to throw shade on California’s farmers, who deserve gratitude for feeding the nation and the world. But it does seem as though current production patterns are a relic of a wetter time. The California Farm Bureau Federation argues that shrinking the farm sector isn’t necessary because capturing water and using it more efficiently will solve the problem. Danny Merkley, the federation’s director of water resources, says: “There is enough water. We’re managing it poorly.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/08/opinion/californias-drought-farms.html?searchResultPosition=3
Opinion: State’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions harmful to farmers [Redding Record Searchlight]
Jamie Johansson, California Farm Bureau: Our member-farmers strive to be good partners and stewards of the earth to combat climate change, leading our industry to make significant advances to grow more with less water, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and limiting the environmental impact of growing enough food so people can eat. We have also increased carbon capture on natural and working farmland by using better soil and tillage practices; that helps offset the amount of carbon emitted in the atmosphere every year. In fact, the most successful greenhouse reduction program on a dollar per ton basis is the Dairy Digester program that traps methane and turns it into electricity or renewable natural gas. Unfortunately, California’s administration and legislative leadership’s approach to setting mandates to cut greenhouse gas emissions has left agriculture to become collateral damage rather than a meaningful partner in meeting them. Sacramento leadership continues to be hyper-focused on cutting greenhouse gases rather than furthering other means of reducing carbon, like carbon capture. Every tool and technology available to us to combat climate change must be on the table, we can’t afford otherwise.
After a disastrous summer of fire, California braces for a potentially worse fall [Los Angeles Times]
With more than 2 million acres burned so far this year, California’s already destructive wildfire season may worsen this fall, with long-term forecasts showing little signs of relief. Fall is almost always a race between intense seasonal winds and the arrival of rain. Officials say the next few months look considerably dry and dangerous. “Last year was seen as an insane year in California,” UCLA climate and fire scientist Park Williams said. “It may have been easy to say, ‘That’s a one-off event. We’re not going to see another year like 2020 for quite some time.’ And now, the very next year, we’re seeing a year similar.” What’s more, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting at least a weak La Niña in 2021 — a weather pattern that could block storms and moisture from hitting the southwestern U.S. A La Niña would set the stage for another devastating fire season in 2022.
UC SAREP webinars help farmers, ranchers pivot to direct sales during pandemic [Imperial Valley Press]
The COVID-19 pandemic hit farmers hard. Supply chains were disrupted and even non-traditional agritourism revenue streams such as hay mazes and on-farm events had to be canceled due to shelter-in-place mandates. On the other hand, demand for local farm products skyrocketed, and thus many farmers and ranchers needed a quick pivot strategy and a set of new skills. UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) was well-positioned to support this shift toward direct sales, pulling in trusted community partners and experienced farmers and ranchers to put together a comprehensive webinar series, “Agritourism and Direct Sales: Best Practices in COVID Times and Beyond.” Funded by a USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant, the webinar series is part of a three-year project, Strengthening California Local Food Networks with Agritourism and Direct Sales, which provides trainings and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers on how to diversify their revenue streams.
Federal judge blocks ban on water deliveries for Asian pot farmers in Northern California [Sacramento Bee]
A federal judge has blocked a Northern California county’s ban on trucks delivering water to Hmong cannabis farmers, saying it raises “serious questions” about racial discrimination and leaves the growers without a source of water for basic sanitation, vegetable gardens and livestock. On Friday, Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller issued a temporary injunction against Siskiyou County’s prohibition on trucked-in water deliveries to Hmong farmers growing marijuana in the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision in the Big Springs area north of Weed. The expansion of pot greenhouses led to complaints that local residential wells were going dry. At the same time, county law enforcement officials cited a rise in violent crime as well as illegal pesticides and fertilizers, piles of trash and raw sewage spills at the grows. This spring, citing the need to protect residential wells and cut off the supply to the illegal grows, the county approved ordinances that prohibit selling well water without permits as well as water trucks on the roads leading to the subdivision. Deputies were aggressively pulling over anyone suspected of hauling water.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article254058083.html
One of California’s most influential modern wineries, Dirty & Rowdy, is ending after 11 years [San Francisco Chronicle]
One of California’s most cutting-edge wine brands is dissolving. Napa’s Dirty & Rowdy Wine Co., which has developed a devoted following for its experimental, genre-defying Mourvedres, is shutting down after 11 years. Winemaker Hardy Wallace said that he had ended his partnership with co-founder Matt Richardson as of Wednesday. There are no physical assets to split up: The wine is produced at a shared facility, and the business never owned any vineyards or land. In certain years, Dirty & Rowdy produced over 6,000 cases of wine, Wallace said, and by the end they were selling about 90% directly to their wine club, with only 10% of their volume going to restaurants or stores. As his next act, Wallace is partnering with his wife Kate Graham to launch their own wine label, called Extradimensional Wine Co.
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