Over the past week we have had a lot of folks come in wishing for the rain to stop. We understand that plans with friends and families have to change due to the rain and folks are anxious to get out on the lake, but with a little perspective, those folks will see just how incredibly fortunate we are. Across the country and across the globe there are regions that are in severe draught that has led to crop-failure and famine.
Folks have been wondering why certain citrus and exotic fruits are missing or why nut prices are going up exponentially. Did you know that they are having to rip almond trees from the ground to conserve water for other trees? One article reads:
"Christine Gemperle is about to do what almond farmers fear the most: rip out her trees early.
Water is so scarce on her orchard in California’s Central Valley that she’s been forced to let a third of her acreage go dry. In the irrigated areas, the lush, supple trees are dewy in the early morning, providing some relief from the extreme heat. Walking over to the dry side, you can actually feel the temperature start to go up as you’re surrounded by the brittle, lifeless branches that look like they could crumble into dust.
“Farming’s very risky,” said Gemperle, who will undertake the arduous process of pulling out all her trees on the orchard this fall, replacing them with younger ones that don’t need as much moisture. It’s a tough decision. Almond trees are typically a 25-year investment, and if it weren’t for the drought, these trees could’ve made it through at least another growing season, if not two. Now, they’ll be ground up into mulch.
“I don’t think a lot of people understand just how risky this business is, and it’s a risk that’s associated with something you can’t control at all: The weather,” she said."
"It’s a stark reminder of the devastating toll that the drought gripping the West will take on U.S. agriculture, bringing with it the risk of food inflation. Dairy farms are sending cows to slaughter as they run short of feed and water. Fields are sitting bare, because it’s too costly to irrigate the rows of cauliflower, strawberries and lettuce that usually flourish in abundance. Meanwhile, fieldworkers are being put into life-threatening conditions as the brutal temperatures increase the risk of heat stroke and dehydration."
-Elizabeth Elkin, Bloomberg Green
It's important for us all to learn just how lucky we are to live where we do. We do not have tornadoes, hurricanes, wild fires, monsoons, tidal waves...nothing. We've had 4 beautiful seasons since last summer and the sun will come out again soon!