Farmers not planting in CA- lack of water

This article from the Associate Press should encourage us to plant our own tomatoes tomatoes in Big Stone Area and then have a big canning party next fall to put them up for next winter!


Farmers Slash Planting Due to Drought


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28808767/


SAN FRANCISCO - Some of the nation's largest farms plan to cut back on planting this spring over concerns that federal water supplies will dry up as officials deal with the drought plaguing California.

Farmers in the Central Valley said Thursday they would forego planting thousands of acres of water-thirsty canning tomatoes and already have started slashing acreage for lettuce and melons.

As growers in Fresno and Kings counties prepared to sow their dry fields with tomato seeds this week, the giant water district that supplies the irrigation for their sprinklers warned them to think again.

In another thread someone mentioned that the grade school is sitting empty in Milbank and they have a commercial kitchen. Loss of Population Thread.

At the meeting in Clinton last summer there was talk of trying to find a commercial kitchen for farmers to be able to use for resale at farmers markets.

Could the Milbank grade school kitchen be used for such a thing?

Lady Hawk

Community kitchens are a good idea for those who would like to be able to sell some processed foods- like baked goods, etc... Minnesota has a "Pickle Bill" that allows acidic foods like pickles, saurkraut, jams to be prepared in home kitchens and sold.

There is a person in Big Stone County who has been looking into commercial kitchens around the area. I'll ask her to post on the forum.

This news story about farmers in CA not planting lettuce and tomatoes was broadcast nationally over the weekend. The national news talked about it in terms of higher prices for tomatoes and greens this coming spring.

More reasons to grow our own! I really need to freeze more spinach this year.

Snow study shows California faces historic drought

Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:00pm EST


Full article at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE50S7NK20090130

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A new survey of California winter snows on Thursday showed the most populous state is facing one of the worst droughts in its history, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said.
The state, which produces about half the United States' vegetables and fruit, is in its third year of drought and its main system supplying water to cities and farms may only be able to fulfill 15 percent of requests, scientists said.
The snowpack on California's mountains is carrying only 61 percent of the water of normal years, according to the survey by the state Department of Water Resources. Last year the snowpack held 111 percent of the normal amount of water, but spring was the driest ever recorded.