Well, it seems to me that there is simply not enough noise being made about the California water shortage situation. Not only is California an unsustainable region for further urban development, as is Nevada, but it appears that those living there are putting their heads in the sand and ignoring the facts in front of them. It has huge implications for Canada and this is why.
Water management officials have said that they will cut off water, at least temporarily, to thousands of California farms as a result of the deepening drought gripping the state. Water will be redirected to cities to ensure urban citizens, hospitals and emergency crews have enough water to meet minimum health and safety needs.
How bad could it be?
2009 will see the reservoir at their lowest level since 1992. Cities will be required to ration their usage by a minimum of 20%. But rationing in the cities is not the largest concern. It is VERY important, don’t misunderstand. We should all be rationing our water consumption. There should be legislated water conservation policies. The days of letting the garden hose run on the driveway are over! Most Canadians are still water wasters and it is shameful. But the largest concern in California is that water is being directed away from agricultural use to supply growing cities. Cities that are built in regions that are not able to support the population residing there.
In California, agriculture normally receives 80 percent of the water supply managed by the federal government in order to irrigate 755,000 acres of farmland. Most of the USA’s vegetables are grown in one region, the San Joaquin Valley. This region will receive only 15% of the normal supply of water. Reports indicate that many farms are simply shutting down, will not be growing produce this year or maybe ever again. Those farms that will continue may be forced to use well water to irrigate. The USDA is predicting that prices of produce will shoot-up this year, perhaps by 20%, and that the supply may not meet the demand.
Back to Canada. At the moment, Canadian agriculture supplies a minimal percentage of the fresh produce available in the grocery stores. Canadians get the majority of their food from the USA, and most of that comes from California. Do you see where I am going with this? It is not the fault of the Canadian farmer. Climate and US subsidies have made it difficult to make a profit growing produce in Canada. Consumers are accustomed to, no, demand low prices that Canadian farmers simply cannot provide. Well, that is all about to change.
If California is having a difficult time supplying the US domestic market, and the price of producing that food increases substantially, do you think that they will be trucking large quantities of cheap food up here? I don’t. So where is your food going to come from? All of a sudden “Buy Local” has a new significance.
Not to be apocalyptic about it, but the potential for food shortage is a reality. There was a lot of talk about it last year, but last year there was still a fairly plentiful supply in North America. Shortages did occur in developing countries, but most Canadians did not notice much of a difference in the grocery stores. If shortages of the nature the USDA is predicting do occur, I would say that most urban residents are ill equipped to deal with it.
What should you do? To start with, stop watering your bloody driveway. Have you ever heard of a broom? It works really well to remove dust, and seriously, does your driveway need to sparkle? Second, rip out your lawn, or a substantial portion of it, and plant some food for your family. Learn how to grow some basics, potatoes, a few carrots and some tomatoes. You won’t be able to supply all of your family’s food needs but it will make a difference. Next, make friends with a farmer. A real farmer!! Someone who is invested in agriculture and isn’t just doing it for a hobby (this is another rant, I will save for another day). Go to the Farmers Market, go to the Farm Gate, if you live in an urban area and can’t get to a Farmers Market, look for a community garden project and join.
My point is that Canadians need to start supporting Canadian Agriculture, stop looking for the cheapest price, and start looking for the highest nutritional value, i.e. FARM FRESH! And please, don’t try to barter for your vegetables with your iPod in one hand and your Gucci bag in the other – get your priorities in order. Consumers all over North America are about to get a wake up call.
Have a great day!
