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There’s a Place That’s Nearly Perfect for Growing Food. It’s Not California
Posted by Mother Jones: Tom Philpott on April 20th, 2015
Mother Jones: California is by far the dominant US produce-growing state--source of (large PDF) 81 percent of US-grown carrots, 95 percent of broccoli, 86 percent of cauliflower, 74 percent of raspberries, 91 percent of strawberries, etc.
But all three of its main veggie growing regions--the Imperial Valley, the Central Valley, and the Salinas Valley--face serious short- and long-term water challenges. As I recently argued in a New York Times debate, it's time to "de-Californify" the nation's supply of fruits...
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The Surprising Connection Between Food and Fracking
Posted by Mother Jones: Tom Philpott on January 30th, 2013
Mother Jones: In a recent Nation piece, the wonderful Elizabeth Royte teased out the direct links between hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and the food supply. In short, extracting natural gas from rock formations by bombarding them with chemical-spiked fluid leaves behind fouled water--and that fouled water can make it into the crops and animals we eat.
But there's another, emerging food/fracking connection that few are aware of. US agriculture is highly reliant on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, and nitrogen...
Food and Extreme Weather
Posted by Mother Jones: Tom Philpott on July 9th, 2012
Mother Jones: As the climate warms up and "extreme" events like heat waves and droughts become more common, what will become of food production? I started to examine that question in my last post, published Wednesday. A front-page article in Thursday's New York Times brought a stark reminder of why the topic is crucial. Reports the Times' Monica Davey:
Already, some farmers in Illinois and Missouri have given up on parched and stunted fields, mowing them over. National experts say parts of five corn-growing...
Climate Change Is Already Shrinking Crop Yields
Posted by Mother Jones: Tom Philpott on July 9th, 2012
Mother Jones: For years now, people have wondered how climate change will affect farming. How will humanity feed itself during a time of rising temperatures and recurring drought?
Here in the US, we're starting to get a taste of things to come—and it's bitter. Brutal heat is now roiling the main growing regions for corn, soy, and wheat, the biggest US crops. According to Bloomberg News, [1] 71 percent of the Midwest is experiencing "drier-than-normal conditions," and temperatures are projected to be above 90...