Drought
Only the individual dairy farmer – after much discussion with family members and input from lenders and other key advisers – can make the decision to exit.
Federal and state water projects say they will provide little to no irrigation water to many agricultural customers, so farmers must calculate how much food they can grow with their limited supplies.
Some parts of Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska saw precipitation this past week, but dry weather prevails in many areas.
As drought conditions in the West are continuing to expand, hotter temperatures aren’t helping things. Heat that started building over the weekend is not good news for areas already dealing with that drought.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows from North Dakota to Texas, all the way west to California, the most severe levels of drought didn’t ease across the U.S. this past week.
As weather continues to be a factor for farmers and producers, growers across Western U.S. see the impacts of drought first-hand. Now, access to electricity could also be challenged as hydroelectric power dries up.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly 10% of the contiguous U.S. is now under an “exceptional drought,” which is the highest the rate has been since 2011.
As California farmers’ try to battle back from extreme drought, hope is coming in the form of snow. The state’s average snow water equivalent percentage of snowpack jumped from 19% on December 10 to 98% today.
Record-breaking heat. Unprecedented flooding. Hail that proved to be devastating to corn fields in Nebraska. The extreme weather can all be attributed to a ridge of high pressure parked over the country.
Less than 50% of the continental U.S. is in moderate drought for the first time since November, but with another drought record still running strong, forecasts show drought could grow over the summer months.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced agricultural producers have already received more than $4 billion through the Emergency Relief Program (formerly WHIP+), representing 67% of the $6 billion projected to be paid.
The sudden switch from drought to too much precipitation in parts of California now begs the question: Is the weather changing, and will California start to dig out from three consecutive years of drought?
The signs of El Niño grew even stronger this month, and as the weather event looks to make its grand return, significant weather changes could be on deck for U.S. farmers this year.
There are signs that water is the new oil as water rights turn into water fights across the western U.S., says columnist John Phipps. He thinks it’s a battle that could only heat up in the coming years.
The Panama Canal is now cutting its daily ship transits by half this winter due to severe drought.
Georgia wants more water. Here’s how they want to get it.
The world may produce the least wine this year in half a century,
Technology and methods to manage water use in growing produce is the focus of the Agricultural Water Summit.
“Ag and food production as we know it in the U.S. is perhaps at a far greater risk than we even realize.”
Australia, the dusty continent, has permanent measures in place to deal with drought. Perhaps toughest to adopt is separating water rights from land ownership to allow water trading, which puts a high value on the resources. Conservation and mandatory use reporting also play a role.
The company posted a 12 percent drop in fiscal fourth- quarter profit as its trading and processing business continued to feel the effects of drought in the U.S. and a shortage of railcars.
Such crop switching is one sign of a sweeping transformation going on in California--the nation’s biggest agricultural state by value--driven by a three-year drought that climate scientists say is a glimpse of a drier future.
Governor Jerry Brown and California Democratic lawmakers enlisted business support of a $7.2 billion plan composed mostly of new bonds for water storage and delivery to drought-stricken cities and farms.
Recent data reveals that Earth’s groundwater supplies may be under some serious strain.
Heat and extreme drought are causing orchards and farm workers to change their schedule in order to beat the heat. NOAA says last month was officially the hottest June on record, as heat continues to blast the West.
Western Growers has released “Water for Farms,” an online documentary series of five videos that explores the potential impact of California’s ongoing drought.
About 6 million Southern California residents near Los Angeles must restrict outdoor watering to one day a week, starting June 1. The unprecedented action was unanimously adopted by the Metropolitan Water District.
As the Western U.S. faces a megadrought, why can’t the U.S. move water around the country like it’s done with energy? John Phipps explores the physical and political hurdles potential water infrastructure would face.
Intentional or not, humans have helped shape today’s weather patterns. Now they’re looking at technology to protect their future.
From the intense heat in the South to drought blanketing much of the U.S., weather stole headlines again in 2023. What caused such extreme conditions? One meteorologist explains the culprits of the heat and drought.