—By Tom Philpott I recently wrote a piece about growing interest in California farmland by massive investment funds. But almonds and other tree nuts, the main focus of my article, aren’t the only commodities drawing interest from the smart-money crowd. From what I can tell, a successful California farmland investment require these two conditions: 1) …Read More
Tag Archives: drought
Organic farming more drought resistant: Report
by Robert Ferris | @RobertoFerris, When it comes to groceries, “organic” and “sustainable” usually mean “expensive.” But the supposed productivity gaps between organic and conventional farming may be a lot smaller than thought—and organic farming may be especially competitive during droughts like the one currently crushing California’s massive agricultural sector. A new analysis of more than 100 …Read More
North Coast growers adjust to drought despite rains
By Jeff Quackenbush, Despite significant rains in March and February, North Coast winegrape growers are honing their skills in using less water as the threat of spring frost, summer heat and long-term drought loom in their minds. “I don’t think anyone had any illusions that we would get so much it filled our shortage problems,” …Read More