Plant More Garden -- Drought to cut off federal water to Calif. farms

[Charlie]

Hey Billy, this kinda sucks, neh? Can you say Perfect Storm? Fuh, fuh, fuh, Forty thousand jobs in one sector in one state.

full article above

Drought to cut off federal water to Calif. farms Friday, Feb. 20, 2009 By GARANCE BURKE - Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Federal water managers said Friday that they plan to cut off water, at least temporarily, to thousands of California farms as a result of the deepening drought gripping the state.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials said parched reservoirs and patchy rainfall this year were forcing them to completely stop surface water deliveries for at least a three-week period beginning March 1. Authorities said they haven't had to take such a drastic move for more than 15 years.

The situation could improve slightly if more rain falls over the next few weeks, and officials will know by mid-March if they can release more irrigation supplies to growers.

Farmers in the nation's No. 1 agriculture state predicted it would cause consumers to pay more for their fruits and vegetables, which would have to be grown using expensive well water.

"Water is our life - it's our jobs and it's our food," said Ryan Jacobsen, executive director of the farm bureau in Fresno County. "Without a reliable water supply, Fresno County's No. 1 employer - agriculture - is at great risk."

The drought would cause an estimated $1.15 billion dollar loss in agriculture-related wages and eliminate as many as 40,000 jobs in farm-related industries in the San Joaquin Valley alone, where most of the nation's produce and nut crops are grown, said Lester Snow, director of the Department of Water Resources.

[Billy]

If the Sacramento River's flow rate drops too much, it would cause the death of many of the river's fish. Already this year, salmon fishing has been banned in an attempt to let the species revive itself. "The Worst President Ever" had water diverted from the Klamath in 2001 for the benefit of farmers and it ended in the largest salmon kill ever. Salmon catches since have been a small fraction of what had been previously caught.

this recent historical precedent still in our memories, we are loth to repeat it.

Already, 90 percent of the fish in the oceans are gone. Most of the common lands with their free game are gone, and now the commons of the sea are polluted and over fished. Its' hard to believe that Atlantic cod, the main stay of fish and chips, is an endangered species.

we gonna turn to to save us from starving, Monsanto?

On the upside, our flirtation with a precocious spring in California is over, and it looks like rain now, as far as the eye can see.

Hand turned about half of my garden to see what effect my no dig gardening has had on the beds. Where there was clay three years ago, the soil rolled off of the shovel like so many crumbs. One of the earthworms was a foot in length! I covered up the beds with alfalfa and seeded with rye. Part of the garden also got red clover. Hoping to get some seeds germinating tomorrow or next weekend.

[Billy]

I've tried to reason with them to just send my check, whether I show up or not, but they seem to enjoy my company, sooo I keep goin' in. We are in the finishing phases of the wine making (Haven't seen a grape for about 5 months now, 'cept in a store. Even that makes me feel faint;O) Mostly checking volatile acidity (vinegar) and SO2 levels and keeping an eye on residual sugar and malic acid. They are trying to get the former down to .1g/100ml and the latter to zero. It's a losing cause though. Just as we are getting this vintage to bed, the buds on the vines are swelling, and a new round of maximum effort starts its' journey to our rendezvous this fall.

New clinical trial was reported in the "fish wrap" this morning, linking alcohol consumption to cancer.

is in spite of the fact that they have a whole section devoted to wine I guess the medium is the message. Be stylish, and have a drink. Just, don't barf on the carpet. It's one of those hip things to do, like dangling a cigarette from your lips.

You'd think that the French were dropping like flies from cancer. I think I'll look up cancer cases in France. It would be a pisser to trade in heart attacks for cancer.

Gotta go, happy hour is here. It'll probably be a little more reflective than usual.

[Persephone]

They eat smaller portions. They eat (or ate, when I lived there) FRESH food, but probably now are shopping in supermarkets, eating processed food. :(

But one of more important differences is that they WALK. They don't all get in the car in the driveway, get out at work. drive to the supermarket, etc.

P.

Check your ancestors.

[Rony Rose]

OT but where did you live?

[Persephone]

Paris and La Rochelle.

The latter has a fascinating history of religious warfare between Catholics and Protestants (inter alia; it is -- or was long years ago -- a charming little city. Near enough to Firenze that we used to go in to buy ceramic 2nds, some of which I still have).

Memoreee Lane...

Persephone

[Billy]

700 miles?

How long were you there? What beaches did you go to, and were they sand or pebbles? What arrondesment were you in, in Paris?