Should a Saudi company be allowed to do this in California

[UndertheHalo]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2016/0328/Why-Saudi-Arabia-bought-14-000-acres-of-US-farm-land

 

 

Alfalfa.  so they can feed their cows.  Seems incredible that such large crop for that kind of plant would be allowed with the states water situation.

[arch stanton]

To me the bigger question is about the long term solution to the water situation. Desal and reclaimed waste water are a fact of life in every other desert environment on the planet.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Meh. Is what it is. They own a lot more than people realize. Whoever owned it sold it, so not much we can do.

[Amazing Larry]

"Christopher Thornberg, an economist at the University of California at Riverside, called alfalfa farms a "shocking waste of a resource" and suggested California consider seizing land under eminent domain."

I would love to give this guy a swift kick to the nuts.

[Amazing Larry]

Meh. Is what it is. They own a lot more than people realize. Whoever owned it sold it, so not much we can do.

The most likely bought already existing alfalfa farms. They are everywhere in the Palo Verde Valley (Blythe).

[ten ocho recon scout]

"Christopher Thornberg, an economist at the University of California at Riverside, called alfalfa farms a "shocking waste of a resource" and suggested California consider seizing land under eminent domain."

I would love to give this guy a swift kick to the nuts.

agreed.

Is it me, or...i dont know...wouldnt you just kind of expect the saudis to buy land off the 15 near zzyzx? For comfort appeal. Like when we go to other countries and still stop at mcdonalds.

[UndertheHalo]

The most likely bought already existing alfalfa farms. They are everywhere in the Palo Verde Valley (Blythe).

 

 

interesting.  did not know that.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Based on that video posted in the other thread, i can say i wouldnt want to be one of those farmers only.com chicks working for the saudi alfalfa farm.

[Rico]

"In California, some farmers say Almarai is a well-run company that has boosted the economy by growing its own alfalfa and buying more hay from neighboring farmers. The company recently broke ground on a plant in California's Imperial Valley to package hay into ship-ready bales."

[ABC]

At some point the world is going to have to switch to more sustainable crops and proteins as the main source of diets.

[Amazing Larry]

interesting.  did not know that.

The only reason I know that is because my family has a house out there on the Colorado River. It seems like a very easy crop to grow. Flood the fields a couple times, cut the grass, bail it, stack it, profit. They grow cotton and other crops out there too.

[gotbeer]

The bigger issue IMO is the arcaic water rights system. 

[Amazing Larry]

The bigger issue IMO is the arcaic water rights system. 

 

I wonder what sort of treaty we have with Mexico concerning how much water we let flow to them. A decent amount still runs down there but not enough to make it to the Sea of Cortez. I would think we would take as much as possible due to the drought.