California—where more than half of the fruits and vegetables in the US come from—is in the fourth growing season of a severe drought. And yet, last year, both farm employment and farm revenue increased slightly. As it turns out, Californian farmers are beating the drought. More efficient drip irrigation is rapidly replacing old-fashioned, flood irrigation. Example: Using drip irrigation tomato growers now use 35 percent less water while producing 70 percent more tomatoes. There are more examples in this in-depth analysis from The New York Times. It’s not all good news for California, but that necessity is the mother of invention rings true once more.
California is beating the severe drought with innovation
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