Our trip criss-crossing California has brought across many of the places where the nations vegetables are grown. It’s clear that the industry relies on two things, irrigation and cheap labor, both of which are quite concerning.
Driving through the valley’s it is clear it is dry here, everything that isn’t a field is brown, bare and dusty. Tractors and semis churn up dust in the fields and side roads or are found barreling down the road to the next field or market. But each field in stark contrast is bright green and vivid, pure life springing from the brown soil, orange trees, broccoli, spinach and kale. Either black tubes snake between the rows or the reflection of water flooding between the rows bring the water these plants need to flourish. But where does all this water come from? Mostly the Sierra Nevada, a series of dams, reservoirs and canals catch the winter snowmelt and dole it out slowly through the dry summer months. But is it sustainable? Will the next drought be worse than the last? Was that a normal cycle or is climate change making these droughts worse? What will happen when their isn’t enough water? Who will lose out?
The second thing I noticed was the sheer number of people out in the fields, out in the hot sun working to plant, tend and harvest the crop. Each field has 20 to 100 workers doing manual labor. And there are 100s of these fields spread along each valley I drive though. Its pretty safe to assume that these are first and second generation immigrants and are not making top wages to do this work. If these workers left tomorrow, who would step in to do the work? How much more would farmers need to pay to get this work done? And how much would this affect costs down at your local store?
So as you sit down for dinner, look at what is on your plate. What has gone into to growing, harvesting and bringing this food to your table? And know that immigration policy and climate change will have a direct impact on the industry that brings this food to you. And next November demand candidates that gives real solutions. Not ignoring climate change, not chanting to build a worthless wall, but proposing and fighting for change that really addresses the underlying causes and puts this nation on a path to improve the world for future generations.
