Crop Growers, Cattlemen Worried With Continued Drought; Food Prices to Skyrocket

HOLLY NOTE: If continued drought forces cattlemen into massive herd sell offs, you will see an initial lowering of beef prices with the market glut. And then - a sharp and stunning rise. Beef prices have already shot up this year, but as stated in this article, it may take up to 6 years to rebuild herds. Expect beef to experience long-term high prices.

To prepare for the coming crunch, one option is to purchase a lot of freeze dried or dehydrated food. That's expensive and in an emergency, you may not have stored enough extra water to reconstitute these foods. MRE's are also a consideration, though they have a high sodium content and lack "dining" desirability. Such foods are best for short-term consumption. Unless you are really hungry, all of these foods will lose their appeal AND eat into your wallet. However, it's wise to store some of these for emergencies.

With rising prices at grocery stores, your best bet is to stock up during sales and take advantage of bulk purchases. This will keep your diet as normal as possible - something that is vital during stressful times. For additional savings, consider purchasing foods through a coop and divide costs among friends and family.

When you find other great deals, stock up! Knowing how to preserve your food investment for best shelf life, maximum nutrition, and long term storage is invaluable. You'll have foods on hand that you're used to eating and viable when you need them.

People tend to forget that not only are store bought foods the best buy and preferable for taste and texture, but eventually you will run out of freeze dried and dehydrated products or your supplier will, so learn to store your own. It will keep your family safe and well-fed tomorrow, and 10 years from now.



December 30, 2007
By Jessica Ablamsky

San Benito County is having a drought that is making life more difficult for the county's farmers and cattlemen.

"I don't mean to be crying into my beer here," said Richard Bianchi, a board member of the San Benito County Farm Bureau, "but ultimately as a farmer, that's what you're looking at."

Vegetables require a lot of water, he said. In 2007, water available through the San Benito County Water District for local farmers was 85 percent of normal, Bianchi said. The district manages water delivered through the San Felipe Project, a massive federal Bureau of Reclamation network that brings water from near the Oregon border to San Benito and Santa Clara counties.

"It makes things a little bit harder," Bianchi said. "Guys are planting less because they're not able to water it."

An above average rain year could have made up the difference, but there hasn't been much rain, he said.

This is the third year of the drought.

Last year, San Benito County received a little more than 5 inches of rain, according to the Web site from the San Benito County Water District. The year before, the county received a little more than 8 inches of rain.

The average rainfall for the county is 13 inches per year, according to a Web site from the San Benito County Government.

There is an equal chance, over the next three months, of above average, normal, and below average rain, according to a Web site from the National Weather Service.

The major rain months are December through February, said Bill Coates, the county director and farm advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension.

So far this month, there has been less than one inch of rain, according to a Web site from the University of California.

"My whole livelihood depends on the amount of water," Bianchi said. "If you're not living it everyday, it's a lot harder to grasp it."

The situation is not yet dire for vegetable farmers, Bianchi said.

"Ours is more of a long-term problem," Bianchi said.

Next year might be more difficult.

If it was a normal rain year, growers were told to expect a water allocation in 2008 that is 55 percent of normal, Bianchi said.

To protect Delta smelt, a small fish, farmers that use water from the Central Valley Project might be allocated even less water next year, Bianchi said.

"Because of the smelt rule, we were told to expect 10 to 30 percent," Bianchi said.

The rainfall this season will have an impact.

"The rainfall is going to be what determines the cutbacks," said Paul Matulich, agricultural commissioner for San Benito County. "The best thing that could happen is a good rainfall and a good snow pack."

Cattlemen are having a hard year as well, said Tom Manning, former president of the San Benito County Cattlemen's Association.

For cattlemen, the options are letting herds graze or buying hay. There has been little or no rain in rangeland, and the price of hay has tripled, Manning said.

"A lot of cattlemen are having to liquidate their cattle because of it," he said.

Manning sells purebred Hereford bulls to commercial cattlemen. He cannot buy more bulls on the open market, he said.

If he had to liquidate half his herd, it would take him between six and eight years to rebuild his herd, he said.

If the drought continues through the spring and Manning cannot find other ground to graze his cattle, he will have to liquidate.

If the drought continues, other cattlemen and farmers could find themselves in the same position, Matulich said.

"Unless we get a good rain year, snow pack, it could put some people out of business," he said.


Total Rainfall Per Year
(in Inches)

2003: 13.04
2004: 12.55
2005: 16.69
2006: 8.13
2007: 5.37

Jessica Ablamsky
Jessica Ablamsky can be reached at jablamsky@pinnaclenews.com

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