Water Drop (Photo credit: Isolino)
California's Central Valley, sometimes referred to as the "salad bowl", produces a majority of the vegetables, fruits, and nuts grown in America. Obviously, in order to make this happen, a critical ingredient must be provided: water. Although the soils in Central Valley are rich, water is in short supply, and must be diverted from Northern California to allow the lands to achieve maximal productivity.
Much of that water comes from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, but environmeddlists have sued under the Endangered Species Act to "protect" the three-inch Delta smelt; as a result, the feds are witholding water. CV farmers this year can expect to receive less than 1/3 of their promised allotments this year. Barry and his wife admonish you to "eat your peas".
Kida of hard to do when there aren't any.
They've been short of water for at least a decade. Senators Boxer and Feinstein have been in a position to get them more (by which we mean, almost enough) water, but they've refused.
The San Joaquin valley is one of the most fertile places in the country.
But, as signs in Tulare County point out, it takes water to grow food.
Posted by: ZZMike | February 24, 2012 at 03:12 PM
True, they've been short of water for a decade or more, but that was a 20% reduction. This year, they're looking at a 68% reduction - and in an area that already has something like 40% unemployment. As for growing food: how do you do that with less than 1/3 the allotment? Can't you folks compost Boxer & Feinstein?
Posted by: Max | February 24, 2012 at 05:15 PM
You overlook the totally unobvious: Boxer and Feinstein are out to drive away illegal immigrant farm workers, the raaaaaacists!
Posted by: Sam L. | February 24, 2012 at 07:42 PM
Never gonna happen - doing so would reduce demand for social services, which are the lifeblood for democrats.
Posted by: Max | February 25, 2012 at 01:20 PM