{"id":5814,"date":"2014-02-24T12:16:08","date_gmt":"2014-02-24T19:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/?p=5814"},"modified":"2014-02-24T12:16:26","modified_gmt":"2014-02-24T19:16:26","slug":"california-almond-farmers-face-tough-choices-due-to-drought","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/index.php\/2014\/02\/24\/california-almond-farmers-face-tough-choices-due-to-drought\/","title":{"rendered":"California almond farmers face tough choices due to drought – From the Associated Press"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Alan<\/em> Thompson of G&F Agri Service LLC looks at a tree as he manages a crew of heavy equipment operators that removed an almond orchard at Baker Farming Company in Firebaugh, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 3, 2014. The state\u2019s drought has forced farmers to remove some almond orchards earlier than they normally would because they don\u2019t expect to have enough irrigation water.\u00a0AP Photo \u2014 Scott Smith<\/em><\/p>\n

By Scott Smith\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

With California\u2019s agricultural heartland entrenched in drought, almond farmers are letting orchards dry up and in some cases making the tough call to have their trees torn out of the ground, leaving behind empty fields.<\/p>\n

In California\u2019s Central Valley, Barry Baker is one of many who hired a crew that brought in large rumbling equipment to perform the grim task in a cloud of dust.<\/p>\n

A tractor operator drove heavy steel shanks into the ground to loosen the roots and knock the trees over. Another operator, driving a brush loader equipped with a fork-like implement on the front, scooped up the trees and root balls and pushed them into a pile, where an excavator driver grabbed them up in clusters with a clawing grapple. The trees were fed into a grinder that spit wood chips into piles to be hauled away by the truckload and burned as fuel in a power plant.<\/p>\n

Baker, 54, of Baker Farming Company, has decided to remove 20 percent of his trees before they have passed their prime. There\u2019s simply not enough water to satisfy all 5,000 acres of almonds, he said. \u201cHopefully, I don\u2019t have to pull out another 20 percent,\u201d Baker said, adding that sooner or later neighboring farmers will come to the same conclusion. \u201cThey\u2019re hoping for the best. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are no figures yet available to show an exact number of orchards being removed, but the economic stakes and risks facing growers are clear. Almonds and other nuts are among the most high-value crops in the Central Valley \u2014 the biggest producer of such crops in the country. In 2012, California\u2019s almond crop had an annual value of $5 billion. This year farmers say the dry conditions are forcing them to make difficult decisions.<\/p>\n

Gov. Jerry Brown last month declared a drought emergency after the state\u2019s driest year in recorded history.<\/p>\n

The thirst for water has sparked political battles in Washington, D.C., over use of the state\u2019s rivers and reservoirs. This month President Barack Obama visited the Central Valley, announcing millions of dollars in relief aid that in part will help the state\u2019s ranchers and farmers better conserve and manage water.<\/p>\n

Baker, who favors farming over politics, explained the math leading to his decision. Between now and the summer almond harvest, he would need to irrigate his orchards with scarce, expensive water and pay to have the trees pruned and sprayed. Bringing in bee hives to pollinate the blossoms costs nearly $500 an acre.<\/p>\n

That all would amount to a $2.5 million gamble, without knowing if the next couple of months will bring significant rain to the valley floor and snow to the mountains. \u201cYou\u2019d have wrapped a lot of money up in those trees to see what happens,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Removing old trees is common practice. Almond trees remain productive for about 25 years, growers said. The state\u2019s almond farmers removed over 10,000 acres of trees in 2012, according to a report by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Most were past their prime. No figures are available on how many orchards farmers are removing today, said department spokesman Steve Lyle.<\/p>\n

But Alan Thompson of G&F Agri Service LLC, who leads the crew ripping out Baker\u2019s orchards, said the drought spiked his business by 75 percent. This time of year is typically slow, but Thompson, 31, said his heavy equipment operators start at dawn each day and works until sundown, removing orchards in short order.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t even mess around with cutting them up with chain saws,\u201d he said. \u201cThat grinder is the way to do it right there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryan Jacobsen, executive director of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, said he expects that almond growers will be removing trees through the spring and summer because of the drought. \u201cI have no doubt permanent crops will be taken out because of this,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Tim Lynch of Agra Marketing Group said power plants in the state nearly have more wood chips from almond trees than they can handle. Lynch\u2019s firm acts as the middle man between growers getting rid of their trees and the power plants that need bio fuel to burn. The dry weather this winter has allowed growers to work in their orchards that are typically soggy, and the drought pushed them to take out trees earlier than normal, he said.<\/p>\n

The high value of almonds has caught the eye of investors in recent years, who paid top-dollar for land to plant almond orchards and cash in on the bonanza. Their value remains strong, making the decision for farmers to remove orchards difficult.<\/p>\n

William Bourdeau, executive vice president of Harris Farms in Coalinga, said he and his colleagues within the next 30 days will have to confront the hard decision about scaling back their almond orchards. They\u2019ve already decided not to plant 9,000 acres of vegetables \u2014 including 3,000 acres of lettuce that would have produced 72 million heads and generated 700,000 hours of work.<\/p>\n

Next, they may rip out 1,000 acres of almonds, a permanent crop, Bourdeau said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hesitate to use a number that big. Unfortunately, it\u2019s going to that big or bigger,\u201d he said, still holding out hope the season will turn wet. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to limp along as long as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaving the orchards un-watered and expecting they\u2019ll somehow survive the drought is no option, Bourdeau said, because insects infest the dying trees and multiply, spreading to other orchards.<\/p>\n

Drawing well water is a bad option, he said. Their wells sink 2,400 feet below ground in his region of the Central Valley, providing water that\u2019s unhealthy and compromises the crops for years, if the trees survive at all, he said.<\/p>\n

They have considered blending well and surface water to minimize the harm. Or they can remove some almonds to direct their limited water to fewer orchards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of what-ifs,\u201d Bourdeau said. \u201cThere\u2019s no good decision. It\u2019s what\u2019s the least worse option.\u201d<\/p>\n

Link to article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alan Thompson of G&F Agri Service LLC looks at a tree as he manages a crew of heavy equipment operators that removed an almond orchard at Baker Farming Company in Firebaugh, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 3, 2014. 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