Todd Allen walks his parched farm, which usually grows melons and wheat. Credit Peter DaSilva for The New York Times

By Stephanie Strom

This summer, Todd Allen’s only crop will be Pima cotton. He and his brother, Joel, usually also grow cantaloupes and, later in the season, winter wheat on about 600 acres or so. But this year, they and hundreds of others will get no water from the reservoirs that sustain farming in the Central Valley, where much of the nation’s fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables are grown.Mr. Allen says he will give his cotton crop just “one shot of water when it gets to a certain height.” So they will forgo melons. And a question mark hangs over winter wheat.

Heading into the third year of a prolonged drought, the Allens are among the many California farmers forced to make dire choices that could leave as much as 800,000 acres, or about 7 percent of the state’s cropland, fallow. While some think that estimate may be inflated so early in the planting season, the consensus is that drier and drier seasons are on the horizon. A recent report on prospective planting from the federal Department of Agriculture forecast a 20 percent decline in California’s rice crop and a 35 percent decline in cotton this year from last year’s crop. The decisions by farmers like the Allens will translate directly into higher prices at the grocery store.

Anywhere between one-third and one-half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables are grown in California, meaning Americans are facing higher prices on melons, broccoli, baby greens, almonds and other popular crops.

Last year, when growers struggled with low water allocations from the state’s two largest water systems, the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project, vegetable prices were 3 percent higher and fruits cost 2 percent more, according to the agricultural department. It expects similar price increases this year.

And while this is not the state’s worst drought on record (that was in the 1920s), there are greater demands today on what water there is. A booming population and a sharp increase in lucrative crops like berries and nuts that require more water strain the system. In addition, environmental laws put into effect after the last major drought, in the 1970s, to protect fish and wildlife habitats have reduced the amount of water going to farmers.

All told, more than three million acres of the nine million acres of irrigated farmland in the state will get no surface water this year other than rain, which has been scarce.

“So while we may have more water than we did in other droughts, it has to stretch further,” said Jay Lund, an engineering professor specializing in water resources and environmental planning and management at the University of California, Davis. He said this drought will rank somewhere between the third- to the sixth-worst on record. Rain did arrive at the end of last month, brightening fields and pastures along the coast and in the Central Valley and adding a few inches to the state’s depleted reservoirs.

“It’s been good for vegetation and kept the dust down, but it’s not enough to have a serious impact on our overall situation,” said Robert Roach, assistant commissioner of agriculture in Monterey County.

Farmers rely on a variety of sources depending on the location of their fields. In the Central Valley, most farmers contract to receive a specified amount of water from either the federal Central Valley Project or the State Water Project. But in drought years like this one, they may not receive a full allotment or even any water at all.

The state has already pledged $687 million to address the drought, with the federal government committing an additional $200 million. But much of that money will be used to improve the infrastructure for water collection and distribution — it cannot make rain. And on April 1, state and federal water and environmental officials announced that they would start pumping to capture some of the rain that had fallen recently in reservoirs, an attempt to respond to widespread criticism that environmental regulations aimed at protecting habitats and fish like salmon and smelt were allowing water to flow into the Pacific.

But officials said any captured water would most likely be put in storage in anticipation of a dry 2015. “Those that have a zero allocation applied to them right now, even if we have an improvement in the hydrology here in the near future, we don’t see that those numbers would go off zero,” said David Murillo, regional director of the United States Bureau of Reclamation.

Tensions have been high over the water allocations to farmers, with signs reading “Congress created this dust bowl” and “Politicians are responsible for the drought” lining Interstate 5 through the heart of the Central Valley.

“The fish are more important than our farms,” said Stephen F. Patricio, president of Westside Produce, which processes and markets melons.

The scarcity of water is driving up the price week to week. One grower who sold extra water for $1,500 an acre-foot about a month ago was offered $2,500 more recently. (An acre-foot is the amount it takes to cover one acre of ground a foot deep in water, or 325,851 gallons). “This sort of thing is causing some hard feelings because some of the families that have farmed here forever can’t afford to buy water while investors without any real ties to the land are driving up the price,” Mr. Patricio said.

Several insurance and pension funds have snapped up land in the Central and Pajaro Valleys and replaced traditional crops like spinach, melons and asparagus with ones requiring more water, like avocados, nuts and berries, which command premium prices thanks to soaring demand from baby boomers and the international market. The region produces twice as many almonds, roughly two billion pounds, as it did in 2006.

The boom in nut trees, water managers in the valleys say, has strained the state’s water resources even further. Brian Lockwood, senior hydrologist at the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, pointed to the strawberry fields that have largely displaced the apple orchards that used to be major producers in the Pajaro Valley.

“Apples need about a half acre-foot of water per acre, whereas strawberries take two or more acre-feet,” Mr. Lockwood said. “You can’t blame growers for seeking better-paying crops, but it has quadrupled water use per acreThus, strawberry farmers like Miguel Ramos are working to use water “reclaimed” from municipal waste water for their plants, which are just beginning to produce fruit. Mr. Ramos also is experimenting with growing strawberry plants in a medium derived from coconut fiber, which requires much less water.

Nut farmers defend their use of water, pointing out that they have a decades-long investment. “I am not a water hog,” said Ron Fisher, founder and chief executive of the Fisher Nut Company in Modesto, one of the 10 largest nut businesses in the country.

He will get three-quarters of his normal allotment from a water district, plus more from a contract he bought four years ago. “I lost money on it in the first two years, but last year and this year, it’s paying off,” Mr. Fisher said.He also has wells on the 1,000 acres of almond trees he owns. The company also processes and markets nuts from other growers. The well water, however, is higher in sodium and boron than is ideal. The trees “will tolerate it, but we may see some stunting and reduction in productivity,” he said.

Applications to drill new, deeper wells have increased tremendously, according to water district managers. But wells, which can cost from $500,000 to $1 million to drill, are only a stopgap measure, as Greg Beccio, owner of Happy Boy Farms, an organic business, knows.Last year, he got a reduced allocation of water from the Chowchilla Water District, which supplies several parcels he farms, so he began relying more heavily on wells. One, however, ran dry, in part because his neighbors were punching deeper wells into the ground. A crop of butternut squash on 15 acres yielded only half what it should have, he said.

This year, he plans instead to plant some tomatoes, melons and other crops in the Pajaro, which is a little less dry.

But he will still rely heavily on his wells — which means higher expenses. “Each well has its own P.G. & E. bill, remember,” Rod Braga, chief executive of Braga Fresh Family Farms, said, referring to Pacific Gas & Electric company.

Braga is a large grower of crops traditional to the Salinas Valley like celery, spinach, broccoli and iceberg lettuce, as well as things like chard, kale and beets. All of its water comes from wells that are fed by aquifers, which in turn are fed by two reservoirs that are county projects.

Those reservoirs, which rely on rainwater and snow melt for replenishment, were depleted completely last year, and they are not fully recharged now. And so, Mr. Braga has noticed that his well level has dropped a bit. “We rely on rainwater and two little reservoirs,” he said. “This year, we’re doing all right, but next year is going to be bleak.”

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I wish to offer my congratulations to my colleague and friend Craig McNamara for being named Agriculturalist of the Year by the California State Fair. Craig is a uniquely visionary leader – someone who is highly deserving of this prestigious award.  Beyond his deep commitment as a farmer and as president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, Craig has a passion to bring disparate parties together to focus on the big challenges of our time. He has demonstrated his understanding of the need to reach our next generation through the great work of his groundbreaking Center for Land Based Learning in Winters, which connects students to nature and agriculture and, in the process, helps to groom our future farmers and leaders. Again, my heartfelt congratulations to Craig. He’s an agriculturist for all-time.

By Lauren Sommer

With California’s reservoirs running low, many Central Valley farmers are struggling to keep their trees and crops alive this year.

In the southern San Joaquin Valley, some are getting extra water from an unlikely source: the oil industry.

California is the third largest oil-producing state in the country, extracting roughly 200 million barrels a year. But in the process of getting oil, companies also produce massive volumes of water, found naturally in the same underground formations.

“To produce one barrel of oil, we produce about nine barrels of water,” says Chevron’s Thep Smith, walking around the company’s Kern River oil field, east of Bakersfield. Almost 10,000 pump jacks cover the hills. The field is more than a century old, but is still the second-most productive in the state.

The rock formations that bear oil in California are also full of briny, brackish water, leading to an old saying about oil companies in California: they’re actually water companies that get oil as a byproduct. “This is really a water plant that skims oil,” Smith says.

During this year’s drought, it’s the district’s only reliable supply, since water deliveries from state and federal water projects have been cut completely.

“It’s going to be very tough,” Ansolabehere says. “We’re looking at just making sure the landowners can keep their trees alive this year.”

Other Central Valley water districts are in the same boat right now, which is why Ansolabehere says there’s been a lot of interest in this recycling project.

“Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of phone calls,” he says, “meeting with people that want to do the same type of thing.”

Oil Industry as Water Source, Not Sink

Oil and agriculture have long been neighbors in Kern County. And it hasn’t been lost on farmers that while their water supplies are going dry this year, the industry next door is swimming in billions of gallons.

It’s especially true on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, where many water districts rely almost entirely on tenuous supplies imported from elsewhere in the state.

After the oil is separated, Chevron handles millions of gallons of water a day. The company uses about a quarter of it to enhance oil production, turning the water into steam and injecting it back into the rock formation to boost oil flow.

“It’s very conceivable that in the very near future,” Hull says, “oil production could be a net provider of water for California ag and other purposes, as opposed to a consumer.”

Opponents have criticized the oil industry’s use of water, largely because the controversial oil extraction technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, consumes freshwater. Recycling water would offset that use, but to duplicate Chevron’s project in other parts of the state, the industry would face significant hurdles.

High Water Treatment Costs

“One of the problems they’ve seen at that project is very high arsenic levels in the water,” says Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy group.

Until a few years ago, Chevron released water from the Kern River field into a local creek during the winter, when demand from farmers was low. The water wasn’t diluted and the company was fined by the regional water quality control board for violating limits on arsenic.

“It just shows again that there’s no safe way to deal with the oil and gas wastewater,” Siegel says. “Every single method that has been proposed and used has real risks and health harms associated with it.”

Dealing with contaminants could be even tougher in other oil fields. “The water that’s here at Kern River field is at an almost near freshwater quality,” says Chevron’s Abby Auffant, “and that is different from water elsewhere.”

Water produced in the company’s other fields is significantly saltier and would need to go through a treatment process like reverse osmosis, which adds cost.

“If we were able to identify a cost-effective manner in which to treat the water,” Auffant says, “it’s certainly something that we would be interested in.”

The economic case improves in drought years when water prices are sky-high, but drought economics only last so long.

“Normally the water’s going for $30-40 an acre-foot,” says Ansolabehere. “When it costs you $500 to treat it, there’s not really a market except for years like this and then you can’t get the treatment in place in time to really make any effect. So you have to think a couple years ahead.”

As technology advances and reduces those costs, he adds, it becomes more likely that water recycling projects would come together.

For many, the drought has added new urgency, as a reminder of the state’s limited water resources. “I think as the resource becomes more strained, people look to these other sources as a solution,” says Harry Starkey, general manager of the West Kern Water District, west of Bakersfield.

“That conversation is happening on the west side,” Starkey says. “It’ll be interesting to see if you can get oil companies, that tend to be very private, to engage. Getting those two to partner up in those regards – they’re different classmates. It’s a matter of building trust.”

It’s something many farmers are watching closely, as they face the long, dry summer ahead.

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While most people have a mental image of research that involves scientists in lab coats, test tubes and beakers, and technical language that can seem complex, much of the groundbreaking research conducted by USDA scientists actually ends up on your plate, in your home, or on your back. Their discoveries in the lab truly translate into science you can see.

For example, many of us make a conscious effort to eat healthier and cut calories, but it can be tough when faced with a favorite snack, like French fries. USDA scientists have figured out a way to make French fries healthier. Before frying, scientists exposed potato strips to a few minutes of infrared heat. This forms a crispy outer shell on the outside of the fries, which helps to reduce their oil uptake and ultimately reduces calories per serving. If adopted commercially, this method is great news for both food processors and our waistlines.

Or maybe you’re a healthy snack lover and looking for a way to make your snacks pack an even healthier punch. USDA scientists have found a way to add oat fiber to yogurt without affecting its flavor or texture. Yogurt is already a pretty healthy snack, and adding addition fiber can only help—studies have indicated that oat fiber can help to improve heart health.

If you are lactose-intolerant, you may use Lactaid™ so you can still enjoy dairy products. USDA scientists helped to develop the basis for that product, too. USDA scientists also conducted the core research behind ChoiceBatter, a gluten-free rice flour batter that is now being marketed and sold by CrispTek, LLC.

For those who’ve ever woken up late before a big work meeting, USDA scientists have got your back here, too. They helped to develop cotton fabric that is wrinkle-free and fire-resistant.

If you’re a cat person, you may someday see USDA science impact your pet. USDA scientists have developed a kitty litter product that’s nearly 100 percent biodegradable and made from spent grains, often referred to as dried distiller’s grains (DDGs), leftover from the process of making corn ethanol. DDGs are often used as cattle feed, but this new product may provide a higher-value market for the tons of DDGs leftover after ethanol production.

And, to the delight of farmers and people with noses everywhere, USDA scientists are part of a team of researchers investigating ways to combat the brown marmorated stink bug, which in addition to having a distinct odor, can also cause serious damage to valuable agricultural crops.

These are just some of the ways that research conducted by USDA scientists and partner research institutions touch your daily life. Beyond that, agricultural research also helps to boost the economy. Studies have shown that every dollar invested in agricultural research returns $20 to the economy. In the past five years alone, research by USDA scientists has led to award of 215 patents covering a wide range of topics and discoveries. One of its research agencies, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), currently has 380 active licenses of ARS-developed technology that are supporting new businesses and job opportunities across the country.

The recently-signed 2014 Farm Bill will help to build on these accomplishments by establishing a new research foundation that leverages private sector funding to support groundbreaking agricultural research. You can follow the USDA’s progress in implementing the new farm bill and establishing the research foundation at www.usda.gov/farmbill.

Thanks to the new Farm Bill, the USDA can continue the vital research and innovation that that have enhanced food safety and nutrition, made farming and ranching more efficient, and improved quality of life for millions of people in the United States and around the world.

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