What would you do if you had no water for your crops or livestock because of a multi-year drought that has dried up most surface water sources? Some farmers in California are trying to get water through pumping groundwater, but as more people pump, the water tables get lower and it becomes too expensive to run the pumps, even if there is water there. At the same time, the land is sinking because so much water is being removed. Farmers are being forced to make tough choices, plowing up almond trees or culling cattle they can’t afford to feed or water.

In the Southeast in our worst droughts, we have not had such severe shortages as the producers in California because we are located close to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, which provide a good source of moisture although there are certainly periods when it does not rain enough for our crops. As production declines in California, it may increase elsewhere in the US to provide the food we need, and the Southeast is one place that has the potential to help produce that food, although at higher cost than in California because of the extra chemicals needed to deal with our humid climate. This article from Yahoo News provides some insight into the struggles that California farmers are dealing with due to the drought.

The view from Marine One en route to Firebaugh, Calif., February 14, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)