Farm to Fork
The future of farming in California
By Victor Martino
Despite a host of serious challenges, including drought and irrigation water availability, labor shortages, frequent political indifference, and the reality that the state’s majority urban population has become increasingly detached from farming, California remains the nation’s leading agriculture-producing state by a wide margin over all the others.
According to the latest data from USDA, California had $45-plus billion in gross agriculture sales in 2017, making it the top farm state in the U.S., out producing number two Iowa ($29 billion) by $16 billion. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) put the state’s 2017 agriculture sales even higher at $50 billion, a 6% increase over 2016. California accounts for over 13 percent of the nation’s total agricultural value, according to the CDFA .
The Golden State also leads the nation in the diversity of agriculture crops grown, producing more than 400 crops and commodities, including over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts, according to USDA and CDFA.
These impressive numbers can make it hard to believe – and to communicate – that serious challenges do exist for the future of farming in the Golden State. They do though. But with challenges also comes opportunities. The 6% growth in agricultural sales from 2016 to 2017 shows the inherent strength and resilience of the state’s farmers and agriculture industry, for example.
These are four big challenges that in my analysis and opinion the future of farming (and farmers) in California face. Californians both in and out of agriculture need to think about and discuss these challenges because although they may not realize it, every resident that eats is a stakeholder in the business of agriculture in the Golden State.
Generational succession
The average age of a California farmer rose from 56.8 years in 2002 to 60.1 in 2012, according to CDFA. Since 95 percent of California’s 77,400 farms are family-owned, this poses a real problem for the future of farming in California. That problem: Who will take over the family farm?
In general, younger members of farm families – the children and grandchildren of these 60-year-old farmers – are less likely to go into farming than previous generations were, instead preferring to pursue other occupations, ranging from technology and finance to business services. Absent a son or daughter to take over the family farm, most baby boomer generation farmers will opt to sell their farms, maybe to another farmer, but just a likely to a land developer, which means less available farmland in California.
We need to think seriously about this generational issue. One positive approach would be to create formal and informal mentorship programs designed to groom a new generation of family farmers. Another idea is to create trusts and co-ops that can buy these family farms and operate them with professional management. It’s a serious issue that needs far more attention and discussion than it’s currently receiving.
Labor
There’s a shortage of farm labor in California, particularly when it comes to high-value fresh produce crops, and it’s not improving. Immigration reform is needed, along with the creation of a guest farm worker program. Both the Federal government, Governor Newsom and the state legislature must step up to the political plate and address this issue soon because it has the potential to stunt the future growth of California agriculture.
Technology will play an important role in addressing the labor shortage but it will take time. The field of AgTech, also called precision agriculture, is booming, thanks to innovative entrepreneurs backed by bushels of money from venture capital firms and others. However, getting the important labor-saving technologies like crop- picking robots and sophisticated “smart” weeders from concept to actually doing the job in the fields, orchards and vineyards is going to take a number of years to happen in any significant way. Additionally, machines, even “smart” ones, can’t solve the labor shortage completely. Human workers will still be needed on the farms in California.
Water
There’s no more contentious issue in California than water. And along with the labor shortage it tops the list of challenges for farmers and farming in the Golden State.
This winter’s heavy rains and snows haven’t even solved the water battle on a short-term basis. For example, farmers in the Central Valley recently learned the state would allocate an additional 10% – from 65% to 75% (of normal) – of irrigation water to them. An improvement. But in contrast, the state is allocating 85% for industrial and outdoor ornamental watering uses.
State government needs to rethink its priorities when it comes to water allocation in California. Agriculture should be right near the top of the list. It isn’t. The state also needs to create additional water storage facilities. Most of the precipitation from this winter was wasted. Down the drain. Out to sea. The drought will return. There’s no bigger challenge to the future of farming in California than drought and the availability of irrigation water.
Urbanization-suburbanization
California has become a majority urban-suburban state. According to the USDA, from 1980 to today, the state’s population has grown from 23.7 million to more than 39 million, an increase of 65% – and the vast majority of those folks are in urban and suburban areas. California’s rural population (where the crops are grown and the animals for meat are raised) remains well under one million.
The urbanization and suburbanization of California has resulted today in an increased detachment by the average Californian in farming and agriculture. When asked where the food they’re eating comes from, city kids have been know the answer with, the supermarket.
Farming is in the back of the mind of the majority of residents of the Golden State, in part because California agriculture has been so successful that how the food we eat is grown is simply taken for granted by many people.
This reality needs to be addressed by farmers themselves, agriculture trade associations, agribusiness, grocery retailers and the state itself, in terms of working together to better educate urban and suburban residents about the realities and challenges of farming in California. Better coordinated education programs, farm visits, education at the point-of-sale in grocery stores, agritourism, these are all ways we can improve the “farm knowledge gap” that exists today in California. It’s a long term proposition. But so then is the future of farming in the Golden State.
My mission in this column isn’t to solve the future of farming in California. Rather, it’s to identify what I believe are some of the key challenges facing that future as we go forward. I want to stimulate discussion and debate on these issues and on the future of farming in the Golden State.
California is on the path to becoming an even more majority urban-suburban state. Among other things this means that political and legislative power in the state will increasingly be controlled by those legislators who represent urban and suburban districts because that’s where the votes are. Therefore, the future of farming in California needs support not just from the minority of residents and elected officials from rural farm states. Instead, farming in the Golden State must have the support of those who live in our cities and suburbs. That’s the overall challenge. And the opportunity.
