I admit with it's weather and growing season, as an advantage, California has become the king of agriculture, especially specialty crops. It is uses a vast amount of it's production internally, imports it's water, and has an inordinate amount of federal aid or farm subsidies to aid it. The figures are skewed, in that a lot of specialty crops, berries, apples, etc. are imported to the U.S. most through California ports, from Chile, and other destinations. While internal production might be 90+% of U.S. production, it is probably less than a small fraction of trade of these agricultural products used in the U.S. Believe it or not, outside the golden west, we can raise apples, carrots, etc. but without the subsidies for California commercial agriculture, we can not do it and compete market price wise. But need and demand are met with rapid free market response, both internally and import wise. I admit California can raise anything.....with water, but not at a real world cost. We are all sad to see it continue. just like the dust bowl days, the entire country will have to deal with this situation. Over use of the environment, addressing to many people, orchestrating demand on the natural resource. Last time relocation, and national grasslands reduced the demand. I will also say the Great Plains have never recovered. Maybe we can start in California at the Salton Sea? The 100 year cycle is predictedly drier climate out west, reverting to the previous hundred year cycle, making life more difficult and trying from the high plains on west. California is the currently the pressure point, soon Arizona, New Mexico, Texas Panhandle, Kansas and Colorado high plains all have drastic water issues. In all things political, we will wait to address this till the barn in on fire and we are in the fight of our lives.
