How the California Drought Will Affect our Food Prices and Availability

This post was originally published in June of 2014. It still holds true today especially with Governor Brown issuing statewide mandatory water restrictions.

by Arlene 

The  drought in California is the WORST it’s been in 500 years. The Weather Channel will be offering a special program soon entitled Cracked : The Soil in California.

Stock up now on the items that are produced primarily in California. as soon they may be extremely cost prohibitive or non-existent. California produces approximately 3/4 of all vegetables, nuts and fruits grown in the USA.

In California the following crops are grown:

• Celery
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pistachios
• Pomegranates
• clingstone peaches
• artichokes
• black  and green olives
• apricots
• plums
• prunes
• figs
• brussel sprouts
• tangerines
• tomatoes
• potatoes
• cantaloupe and honeydew melons
• lettuce
• persimmons
• strawberries
• spinach

One company alone processes 6 MILLION pounds of carrots per DAY [True…..I verified that incredible number – Rourke]. The Modesto area of California is known as the WORLDS basket of celery. California wines will also be unavailable.

Recently we have purchased apricot jam, mango jam, dried celery, olives, almonds, raisins, dried apricots (we cannot find canned anywhere), apricot tea, mango tea, canned artichokes and canned and freeze dried spinach.

Calif. is the largest producer of dairy in our nation. California has 1.75 million dairy cows.

National Geographic magazine is doing a ten issue report on Food Scarcity and the relationship with changing climate. I recommend everyone read these excellent articles.

Parts of Texas and Oklahoma are in a worse drought then during the Dust Bowl era. The mainstream media isn’t showing this but Fox News did – hundreds of California residents waiting on extremely long lines for hours to get a gallon or two of drinking water. Many farm laborers are out of work now and more will be. Small town stores are closing. Where will these people move?

Beekeepers will no longer be trucking millions of bees to pollinate the almond groves which are now fields of dust. The dramatic weather and climate changes are now creating many areas of disasters. Spring wheat planting is being postponed due to flooding and hail in the Dakotas and Texas.

I highly recommend the book THE RESILIENT GARDENER – food production and self-reliance in uncertain times. Written by Carol Deppe, this is an excellent resource with practical information to help us all deal with these uncertain times.

Eventually there may be an exodus of millions of people from California seeking water and literally seeking greener pastures. The cumulative effect from the California drought will affect the US and the world for years to come.

[From Rourke in June of 2014: Although the drought in California is incredibly bad let’s hope it is short lived and does reach the critical disastrous levels of which Arlene speaks of. UPDATE April of 2015: Looks like the situation has not improved and is heading in the wrong direction.]

From the Supply House: Here are a few popular survival & preparedness items available at deep discounts on Amazon. Many items are available with Free Shipping on orders over $35. 

The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times – The title pretty much sums it up. This book covers growing and using five key crops: potatoes, corn, beans, squash, and eggs. Great reviews!!

Survival Seed Bank – Heirloom Seeds – Wide variety of seeds and all non-GMO! Right around $30.00 and free shipping on orders over $35 makes this an affordable seed-saving option.

LifeStraw Family Water Purifier – One of the best values when it comes to providing clean, safe water for your family. Easy to use and inexpensive. Filters and purifies up to 4755 gallons. Great deal and highly recommended. 

WaterBOB Emergency Water Storage System: Excellent expedient method to store a large amount (100 gallons) of water.

Israeli Battle Dressing/Compression Bandage: Perfect for a range bag or Get Out of Dodge Pack.

Paracord Spool Tool – Probably the best accessory for carrying paracord in a neat and orderly fashion. Under $20 – holds up to 100 feet of paracord, includes self-container cutter, and a place to store a Bic lighter.

Remember….purchases made earn this site a small commision with no additional expense to you.

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Emergency Essentials is a legend in the preparedness industry helping people prepare and survive for more than 25 years. They offer great monthly sales with an emphasis on long term food storage. They carry both Mountain House and Provident Pantry freeze dried and dehydrated food. 

Their monthly sales offer up discounts as high as 70%. My personal favorite to take advantage of are the deep discounted food sales. I have taken advantage of these sales in the past  – stocked up on Mountain House Freeze Dried Eggs and Bacon. Tasty! Oh – and who doesn’t want BACON as part of their food storage program? They have it!

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Thank you!

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