IMPERIAL, Continued from Page 1
SPECIAL REPORT | IMPERIAL VALLEY FARMING
the lettuce,” said Adelaida Ibarra, a former farmworker and lead advocate for Sure Helpline, a local nonprofit. For a hundred years, ever since engi- neers diverted water from the Colorado River, farming has shaped and sustained life in the valley. Imperial County’s $2.9 billion agriculture sector, wholly depen- dent on the Colorado River, accounts for a quarter of its economy, employing one- sixth of its workforce. Scientists warn the river could run dry within two years. As it dwindles, the region stands at a crossroads. “If agriculture goes away, so goes the community,” said Tina Shields, water man- ager for the Imperial Irrigation District. The Imperial Valley is home to 180,000 people. The largely Latino county has the state’s lowest median income and its highest jobless rate. Entitled to more than a third of all the water in the Colorado River’s Lower Basin, the region is both rich in water and uniquely reliant on it. “The main assets we have are water, ground and sunshine,” said Larry Cox, whose family has farmed in the Imperial Valley since 1952. For decades, locals have made their living from the river and planned their futures around it. Early last month, Roberto Mariscal re- paired equipment on a hay farm outside Calexico. Mariscal’s father worked for years as an IID irrigation supervisor, moving wa- ter from the All-American Canal into farm
After a day in the fields, farmwork- ers walk through
Calexico on their way home to Mexicali last month. Each year, an estimated 15,000 people cross the bor- der to work on farms in the Imperial Valley.
ditches. Mariscal, who works for farmer Tom Brundy, hopes to do the same. “This job is an opportunity for me to learn water movement and water pressure—and ag in general—to get the experience I need to be able to join the district,” he said. In the Imperial Valley, a large part of ir- rigators’ work is helping farmers manage water-saving irrigation systems so that farms can persevere with diminished water supplies. Since 2003, Imperial Valley farms
have transferred up to 18% of their water each year to cities in Southern California. Now, under California’s plan to address the Colorado River crisis, the farms must forfeit an additional 9% of their water. To save the river, the federal government may intervene and enforce steeper cuts. In recent years, the Imperial Valley has resisted fallowing farmland in order to prevent layoffs. But growers warn fur- ther water cuts would push them to the
brink. “Any more water transfers out of this valley will mean crop production losses,” Imperial County farmer Ronnie Leimgruber said. A blow to agriculture would touch lo- cal businesses far beyond farms. There are packinghouses and hay compres- sors, fertilizer and pesticide suppliers, and a service sector that caters to their
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JOIN US IN THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OF CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE.
Being part of the California Farm Bureau means adding to the combined strength of a membership of 29,000 farmers, ranchers and families throughout the agricultural community. Together, we work tirelessly to advocate and protect the future and quality of life for all California farmers and ranchers.
Membership benefits include: • Member discounts from over 25 partners offering services from vehicle rental to insurance and business services. • Subscriptions to Farm Bureau publications like AgAlert and California Bountiful. • Advocacy at the local, state and federal levels on your behalf. • Much more.
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10 Ag Alert April 5, 2023
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