blog post How the USDA Helps California Farmers Steward Water and Land By Jelena Jezdimirovic Oct 2, 2019 USDA runs a large portfolio of programs to promote conservation of soils, water, and wildlife habitat on farms. California could make more use of them.
Report Land Transitions and Dust in the San Joaquin Valley By Andrew Ayres, Jaymin Kwon, Joy Collins Jul 20, 2022 Agricultural operations and wind erosion are two of the largest sources of dust in the San Joaquin Valley, and the valley’s air quality may decline with increased farmland fallowing and a warmer, drier climate. This will impact low-income, rural communities first and foremost, but proactive management can help identify high-risk areas and direct funding to cost-effective interventions.
data set PPIC Irrigated Crop Acreage, 2018–22 Jun 24, 2024 This dataset includes a summary of irrigated agricultural lands across California for the years 2018–22. It contains data, sources, and methods used in the June 2024 policy brief Drought and Groundwater Sustainability in California’s Farming Regions.
blog post How Might Small Farms Fare Under SGMA? By Spencer Cole, Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou Sep 13, 2023 Change is coming to the heavily agricultural San Joaquin Valley, as irrigation water declines due to climate change, new environmental regulations, and SGMA. But how will these changes affect farms of different sizes in the valley? We finally have answers.
blog post Could Rangeland Return to the Central Valley? By Caitlin Peterson Mar 28, 2022 As Central Valley farmers confront the need to fallow some farmland to comply with SGMA, we interview two experts about a possible alternative to fallowing: converting formerly irrigated farmland into rangeland. It would keep the land economically productive—and might bring other benefits.
blog post Is SGMA Compatible with Farmland Preservation? By Annabelle Rosser Aug 15, 2022 The implementation of SGMA will prompt land use transitions throughout the San Joaquin Valley, raising questions about how the state's chief agricultural preservation policy - the Williamson Act - will come into play. Many alternate uses are likely to be compatible with the program, while others - namely solar – are more complex.
blog post Bringing Big, Small Farms Together to Manage Water By Jelena Jezdimirovic May 4, 2017 The San Joaquin Valley’s farms come in all sizes. Regional solutions to the valley's water challenges will need to take this diversity into account.
blog post Water Availability for San Joaquin Valley Farms: A Balancing Act By Jelena Jezdimirovic, Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou Apr 21, 2020 California’s largest farming region has wide variability in access to surface water. We examined how the mix of supplies affects solutions to end groundwater overdraft.
Report Solar Energy and Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley By Andrew Ayres, Annabelle Rosser, Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou ... Oct 25, 2022 Hundreds of thousands of acres of irrigated farmland may come out of production in the San Joaquin Valley in coming decades. At the same time, the state needs to ramp up renewable energy generation to meet climate goals. Could solar development on fallowed land help the valley’s residents? Our new report examines the challenges and opportunities.
blog post Commentary: Drought Requires New Strategies for Managing Cropland By Andrew Ayres, Caitlin Peterson Aug 9, 2022 With careful planning, research and development, and incentive programs, the San Joaquin Valley can avoid the worst consequences of land fallowing — and perhaps even create environmental and economic benefits.
