Farmworker shortage raises worries grapes will go unpicked [Bakersfield Californian]
The signs first appeared last fall when Central Valley table grape growers couldn’t find enough workers to prune their vines. Now, a month into the harvest, it’s become clear California doesn’t have enough farmworkers for the harvest. Work crew sizes are reportedly down a quarter to 40 percent amid what may be the first year-round labor shortage in decades. People familiar with the situation rank the lack of workers as the industry’s biggest challenge, ahead of even the drought. During the recent shortage of workers across many industries, the lack of qualified grape workers is unique. Growers’ costs are up across the board, including from the state’s regulatory shortening of the number of hours farmworkers put in per week before overtime kicks in, from 60 to 45 (later, the trigger will become 40 hours). This year’s crop is by all accounts high in quality, about as abundant as last year’s and enjoying historically average prices. But some of it’s probably going to rot on the vine because there aren’t enough people available to pick it all. “The (worker) shortage is real this year, so growers will make a decision to harvest their most profitable varieties,” said Ian LeMay, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association trade group. “Ultimately you might see some fruit left in the orchard. That’s just a reality.”
Drought has farmworkers dreaming of escape from California’s breadbasket [Los Angeles Times]
For decades, farm labor has kept unincorporated communities alive throughout the Central Valley. But the drought is making it hard to stay. The dearth of essential resources — clean water, adequate housing and fair employment wages — has crippled towns that are easily overlooked and triggered a slow exodus to bigger places. It can be seen in the dwindling number of people attending nonprofit-led workshops and meetings on agricultural worker rights, said Chucho Mendoza, an environmental and public health advocate who has worked with migrants and small farming families in the Central Valley for 25 years. The pandemic further hollowed out rural life. In the Cantua Creek area, where pistachio and almond crops reign, some families are grappling with what’s next. Faced with a confluence of challenges, some are leaving; others are arguing over whether they should. Still others are determined to make it work here. “They don’t know what to pinpoint but they’ll say, ‘We know something is wrong, but we don’t know what it is,’” Mendoza said. “Those who leave move to the next town but don’t realize hell is a lot bigger.”
California’s lucrative almond orchards face a reckoning with drought, climate change [Sacramento Bee]
First came the asparagus field. Then came the melons. And now Joe Del Bosque is considering the unthinkable: tearing out a sprawling almond orchard bursting with healthy, nut-producing trees. “It’s a tough decision to pull out these orchards,” said Del Bosque, who farms on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. “But what do you do? We’re thinking of ways to survive.” Two decades of almost unrelenting growth vaulted almonds into the upper ranks of California agriculture. Now, though, the state’s $6 billion-a-year industry is being humbled by a devastating drought. Farmers have slowed the pace of new orchard plantings and, in a few cases, have plowed up trees still capable of bearing almonds. Almonds are among the thirstiest of the 400-plus commodities grown in California. They’re expensive investments: Planting an acre of almond trees can cost $8,500, compared to $4,500 for an acre of tomatoes. And unlike that tomato field, almond trees must be watered and can’t be left fallow for a year because of water problems. That means farmers are extremely reluctant to let trees go without water — and it makes California’s adjustment to the drought harder. The problem is likely to worsen as climate change intensifies and the state’s groundwater law, designed to gradually curtail the amount of pumping from aquifers, takes hold.
https://www.sacbee.com/article253146318.html
As California restricts water use for farmers, low supply levels add to drought’s harsh reality [PBS News Hour]
California’s re-emerging drought is placing unprecedented strain on the state’s intricate water system, threatening mass agricultural production and basic drinking water in a way experts say is more severe than in years past. ater use from farmers and communities is exceeding the delta’s supply; some reservoirs that feed it have dropped to historic low storage levels, with one dropping to as little as 13 percent. The state has directed households and businesses to cut water use by 15 percent during the drought emergency. Gov. Gavin Newsom has signaled mandatory water restrictions could be coming some time in September, depending on the forecast for both the drought and the anticipated rainy season that begins in October. But whether voluntary or mandatory, there are questions about whether water restriction orders would do enough, after decades of major water overuse and a dwindling supply. “The only way to become sustainable is to lower the water demand until it matches supply,” David Cehrs, a Fresno County citrus farmer, said. “But nobody wants to do it because it will hurt their economy. Well, the economy is the same thing. You can’t have infinite growth on the economy on a resource that is finite. That resource is water.”
Opinion: Why California needs to build Sites Reservoir project [San Jose Mercury News]
From Valerie Pryor of Zone 7 Water Agency and Adrian Covert of Bay Area Council: As reservoirs across California meet historic lows, we are again faced with the reality of not enough water for the environment, farms and people. It is peak summer and hot, dry conditions are to be expected in California, but we are beyond hot and dry – we are now in drought territory. As our climate continues to change, we can expect more of the same, and possibly worse if we don’t make some meaningful changes to how we manage water in California. We need to advance water recycling projects, increase conservation and develop more capacity to store water. One key part of the solution is the construction of Sites Reservoir. Sites is designed to help the environment, as well as people and farms. A large portion of the water saved in Sites will be available for fisheries during dry years when it’s most needed. 2021 is the type of year Sites Reservoir is designed for.
Opinion: Central Valley farmers need to know plan for future water usage [Fresno Bee]
From Ian LeMay, California Fresh Fruit Association: Right now, California’s agricultural industry needs to hear from our state’s leader, Gov. Gavin Newsom, regarding his vision for the future of water and agriculture in the Golden State. From where we stand, the future of California as America’s Salad Bowl is far from certain. As California’s growers, farmworkers and farming communities continue to be gripped by historic drought, and with the impact of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act looming, we deserve answers to the tough questions. What is the plan for the future of Central Valley communities? As The Sacramento Bee reported earlier this year, the Central Valley is one of the fastest growing regions in the state, and cities are already failing to meet the demands for drinking water in the region. How will SGMA affect farmers throughout our state? Nobody contests that groundwater practices in our state must become sustainable, but we need to know how many acres will be removed from production, especially in the Central Valley, where agriculture accounts for 20% of the economic output and where nearly 1 in 5 people is employed in the industry.
https://www.fresnobee.com/article253556789.html
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