Ag Alert June 9, 2021

Farmers describe drought impact on crops, jobs ByKevinHecteman

“We can fallow land, and we will, be- cause drought impacts every sector of society, and we must do our part to help others,” Fresno County farmer Joe Del Bosque toldtheboard. “However, doingso incommunities likeminehasdangerously real consequences to people.” What he finds ironic, Del Bosque said, “is that less than a year ago, these same peoplewere facingpotential of contracting COVIDandwereconsideredessential.We

are no less essential today.” Del Bosque, who farms on thewest side of the San Joaquin Valley, said he’s had to fallow a third of his land this year and has sacrificedsomecrops for thesakeofothers. Hetoldtheboardthathe’s tryingtoholdhis team together. Some employees, he said, have beenwithhimfor 20 years or longer. “In prior droughts, we saw unemploy- ment rates as high as 40% in towns like Mendota, wheremany of our teammem-

bers live,”hesaid. “Most of these folkshave no safetynet like youor I, and limitedhelp from the inevitable hardships caused by the lack of water.” Inresponse toquestions fromtheboard, Del Bosque saidother farms inhis areaare cutting back on rowcrop acreage. “Row crops is usually where a lot of la- bor is involved, andso that’swherewe lose jobs,” he said, adding that onemotivation forkeepinghisworkforceas intact aspossi- ble is that his employees arewell versed in his farm’s workmethods and safety rules. Evenso, hemayhave toreduceemployees’ hours, he added. Cannon Michael, a diversified farmer in Merced County, told the board water supplies remain uncertain, because the federal Bureau of Reclamationmay leave more water behind Shasta Dam—which feeds the Central Valley Project—to help winter-run chinook salmon. “There’s still some moving pieces that are out there that could have significant impacts to water supply for folks who are counting on some amount of surface wa- ter, even if it’sminimal,”Michael said. To deal with the uncertainty, “a lot of us are working together,” he added, com- mending Northern California farmers for trying tomakewater available for transfer. But, Michael said, with the temperature targets at Shasta Lake and other variables, “it’s not clear howmuch transfer water is going to be able tomove.” In Mendocino County, one of the first for which a drought emergency was de- clared, Devon Jones, executive director of the Mendocino County Farm Bureau, said weeklymeetings are being held with the StateWater Resources Control Board. She said the area features “many colors of water” in the systemfromthePotterValley Project to those holding senior, or pre- 1914, and junior (post-1914) rights, along with riparian rights and licensedwells. “We have the full gamut of water in this system,” Jones said. “Really un- derstanding the color of the water and how to allocate that during times of low availability is something we’re going to continue to work on, especially for the agricultural community.” She said recent voluntary-curtailment notices sent to nearly a thousand post- 1914water-rights holders had been antic- ipated for a fewmonths. “Most of our members were prepared asmuch as possible for that action,” Jones said. “We are being told that emergency regulations are expected to come to the state water board at their June 15meeting for the upper RussianRiver.” Jones said she’d ultimately like to find projects that can address the needs of ag- riculture,municipalities, theenvironment, recreation and fire suppression. “That last one’s important,” Jones said. “We’re not happy with this title, but MendocinoCounty nowholds the title for the first- and second-largest wildfires in the state of California’s history.” California FarmBureau Senior Counsel

The drought that has California in its grip is causing reservoirs, farmland and jobs todryup, accordingtospeakersbefore the State Board of Food andAgriculture. At an online meeting last week, the board heard from farmers and agricultur- al advocates about the ongoing drought and how lack of water imperils not only the food supply but people’s livelihoods as well.

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6 Ag Alert June 9, 2021