Experts see much of Valley ag adapting to climate. And some spots where farming fades
Central Valley farmers and academics gathered to discuss how to produce food amid a changing climate.
They talked March 30 about efforts already underway to capture carbon and other harmful emissions. And they acknowledged that farming might wither in some spots but other ventures could arise on the land.
The Maddy Institute and several partners sponsored the Future of Agriculture in California summit, held live at Fresno State University and online. About 700 people took part, including UC Merced and the state universities in Turlock and Bakersfield.
Experts agreed that Earth is generally warming, meaning more severe droughts in California, punctuated by heavy rainfall years like 2023. The problem is compounded by over-pumping of groundwater.
Some aquifers have pollutants that could harm local drinking water, said Angel Santiago Fernandez-Bou of the Union of Concerned Scientists. He suggested ending farming within a mile of these mostly low-income towns. The land could shift to uses such as solar panels, wildlife habitat and groundwater recharge in wet years.
“It is very difficult being a farmer,” Fernandez-Bou said. “We know that we don’t have enough water in California to sustain our current practices and we will have to cut some agriculture somewhere.”
Fernandez-Bou is a senior climate scientist for the nonprofit group, based in Cambridge, Mass. He previously worked for UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute.
Of the state’s farmland, 10% to 15% could be retired under a mandate for sustainable pumping by about 2040, said Jennifer Pett-Ridge, a senior staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
She also noted that California might capture more carbon by sowing deep-rooted perennials on rangeland now dominated by shallow annuals. And she mentioned “agrivoltaics,” where crops grow under solar panels, conserving water while shading workers from the sun.
The summit also featured the Smart Farm at UC Merced, which soon will provide 45 acres for research and food sales. The technology will include measuring how much carbon a plant captures, along with efforts to conserve water, reduce chemical use and make tasks easier for workers.
The Stanislaus 2030 initiative got a plug at the summit from Karen Ross, California secretary of food and agriculture. It aims to create up to 40,000 well-paying jobs in turning crop and other waste into energy and materials.
Ross also praised the almond industry’s effort on the wood left after trees decline in productivity. It has long been burned in the open. An increasing amount is being chipped up and tilled into the soil.
Ross also noted how dairy manure is being converted into climate-friendly fuel.
“If we could change every truck that drives up and down 99 and 5, we would have an immediate improvement in air quality and reduce the asthma rates for children in the Valley,” she said.
