Showing results for California, US
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The Guardian
theguardian.com › us-news › 2019 › mar › 25 › california-water-drought-scarce-saudi-arabia
Who keeps buying California's scarce water? Saudi Arabia | California | The Guardian
April 10, 2019 - Instead, the alfalfa will be fed to cows in Saudi Arabia. The storehouses belong to Fondomonte Farms, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabia-based company Almarai – one of the largest food production companies in the world.
overview of agriculture in California
Agriculture in California - Wikipedia
Agriculture is a significant sector in California's economy, producing nearly US$59.4 billion in revenue in 2023. There are more than 400 commodity crops grown across California, including a significant portion of all … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Country United States
Located in the administrative territorial entity California
Factsheet
Country United States
Located in the administrative territorial entity California
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Agriculture_in_California
Agriculture in California - Wikipedia
2 weeks ago - A total of 15,000 acres of this alfalfa land is owned by a Saudi Arabia-based Almarai, and this feed is exported to Saudi Arabia. California produces 80% of the world's almonds and 100% of the United States commercial supply. Although almonds are not native to California, a hot, dry Mediterranean climate and developed water infrastructure create favorable conditions for commercial cultivation of the crop. Almonds are the state's most valuable export crop. Farmers ...
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Ucdavis
cail.ucdavis.edu › publications › moca › moca_current › moca09 › moca09chapter1.pdf pdf
The Measure of California Agriculture Agricultural Issues Center
A greater portion California farmers (76.5%) are full owners (Figure 1.12) of their farms · than in the United States as a whole (67.1%). Full ownership in California has been above
Discussions

TIL that about 18% of California's irrigation water is used to farm Alfalfa - a quarter of which is exported to places like China, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The title would be more informative if it mentioned the profitability of the crop (in relation to the water used and other crops). The fact the crop is exported to nations that America has a negative trade imbalance with tells me though, that it is an important export. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/todayilearned
100
674
May 28, 2016
Yes, a Saudi Arabian company uses water from Arizona and California to grow alfalfa — A Saudi Arabian company is growing alfalfa on farms in the drought-prone southwestern United States and sending it overseas to feed cows
Charge them appropriately for their water use? More on reddit.com
🌐 r/California
206
3264
April 21, 2023
Why can't California stop almond or alfalfa farming to conserve water?
....because they are. Southern California desert farmers will earn millions to fallow fields, save Colorado River water https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2021/08/27/california-desert-farmers-paid-38-million-save-colorado-river/5609250001/ When the Water Dries Up, Farmers Fallow Fields https://asmith.ucdavis.edu/news/fallow-fields More on reddit.com
🌐 r/bayarea
349
403
June 1, 2022
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Los Angeles Times
latimes.com › environment › story › 2023-10-05 › arizona-ends-saudi-fondomonte-water-farmland-leases
Saudi firm that grows hay in California and Arizona to lose farm leases over water issue
October 5, 2023 - In California, the company owns 3,375 acres of farmland near Blythe, where it pays the Palo Verde Irrigation District a flat rate for Colorado River water to irrigate its alfalfa fields.
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Ucdavis
alfalfasymposium.ucdavis.edu › irrigatedalfalfa › pdfs › ucalfalfa8287prodsystems_free.pdf pdf
Alfalfa Production Systems in California Daniel H. Putnam
Swathing alfalfa. ... Utility, or very-low-quality hay. Forage quality · is typically defined by the needs of dairies since · the vast majority of California’s alfalfa crop is
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Los Angeles Times
latimes.com › business › la-fi-saudi-arabia-alfalfa-20160329-story.html
Saudi land purchases in California and Arizona fuel debate over water rights - Los Angeles Times
January 28, 2021 - So it’s turning to an unlikely place to grow the water-chugging crop — the drought-stricken American Southwest. Almarai Co. bought land in January that roughly doubled its holdings in California’s Palo Verde Valley, an area that enjoys ...
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Californiaagnet
californiaagnet.com › home › what you should know about california family-owned farms
What You Should Know about California Family-owned Farms - California Ag Network
February 24, 2021 - Family farms comprise 93% of all California farms, account for 81% of land in farms, and 71% of the value of all agricultural products sold. This compared to 96% of all U.S. farms, accounts for 87% of land in farms, and 82% of the value of all ...
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Mother Jones
motherjones.com › environment › 2021 › 06 › foreign-companies-export-virtual-water-american-drought-southwest
Foreign Firms Sucking “Virtual” Water From America’s Parched Southwest – Mother Jones
The company, which also owns land ... of the alfalfa needed to feed its cows in order to “protect the natural resources in the Kingdom.” A 2015 directive from the Saudi government banned the local production of green forage for animals, for which precious groundwater would be used, on farms over 120 acres. A major draw for Almarai and many other corporations may be the easy access to water for landowners in states like Arizona and California...
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Westsacramentonewsledger
westsacramentonewsledger.com › 2025 › 12 › 09 › 557340 › data-shows-90-2-of-california-farms-are-family-owned
Data Shows 90.2% of California Farms are Family-Owned | West Sacramento News-Ledger
December 9, 2025 - One notable difference is scale: the average family-owned farm in California generates $842,650 in sales, more than three times the U.S. average of $269,079, reflecting the state’s larger operations and high-value commodities. ... The data in this analysis comes from the USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture (the most recent release). To identify the states with the most family-owned farms, researchers calculated the share of farms in each state that meet the USDA's definition of a family farm, meaning the majority of the business is owned by the principal operator and individuals related to them by blood, marriage or adoption.
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Ucop
s.giannini.ucop.edu › uploads › giannini_public › c8 › f5 › c8f549ed-510d-4531-a9d0-ad0b680df197 › v21n3_2.pdf pdf
5 Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, University of California
how farmers specialize or mix crops. Three clusters tended to mix crops or · orchards, with no single category com­ · posing more than half of the property · area, while four clusters tended to spe­ · cialize in a particular crop type, with · more than 79% planted in a single crop · type (Table 2). Many grape, rice, almond, and alfalfa/ hay producers tended to focus the · majority of their plantings in their ·
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USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
nass.usda.gov › Quick_Stats › Ag_Overview › stateOverview.php
USDA/NASS 2025 State Agriculture Overview for California
2025 STATE AGRICULTURE OVERVIEW · California · † Survey Data from Quick Stats as of: Oct/14/2026 · Crops - Planted, Harvested, Yield, Production, Price (MYA), Value of Production † Sorted by Value of Production in Dollars · (NA) Not Available (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for ...
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Ucdavis
alfalfa.ucdavis.edu › sites › g › files › dgvnsk12586 › files › media › documents › UCAlfalfa8287ProdSystems-reg.pdf pdf
Alfalfa Production Systems in California Daniel H. Putnam
Farm Advisor, University of California Cooperative Extension, Yreka, CA ... United States. The dairy-forage continuum is the state’s most · important agricultural enterprise, with dairy ranked as the state’s · number-one commodity, exceeding $5 billion per year in recent ... Daniel H. Putnam ... Alfalfa & Forage Systems Workgroup.
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
California Makes Billions Growing Alfalfa on Salty Land — Is the Bill Finally Due? - YouTube
How does California mass-produce the world’s "thirstiest" crop in a desert that receives less than 3 inches of rain a year? Discover the engineering paradox ...
Published: January 7, 2026
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San Francisco Chronicle
sfchronicle.com › opinion › openforum › article › farms-agriculture-corporations-21015386.php
Who controls California farmland? The hard-to-find answer is disturbing
September 1, 2025 - Today, ownership of the land that feeds us is increasingly hidden behind layers of shell companies and trusts, making it nearly impossible to know who controls these resources. Access to transparent land ownership information has long been a goal of small farm advocates. ... Initial findings from our research show dramatic levels of inequality in ownership throughout California.
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The Guardian
theguardian.com › environment › 2022 › sep › 12 › colorado-drought-water-alfalfa-farmers-conservation
It’s the thirstiest crop in the US south-west. Will the drought put alfalfa farmers out of business? | Water | The Guardian
December 7, 2023 - On an early August morning in California’s Imperial Valley, tractors rumble across verdant fields of alfalfa, mowing down the tall plant and leaving it to dry in shaggy heaps under the hot sun. Here, in one of the oldest farming communities in the Colorado River basin, the forage crop is king.
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Kitchen Detail
lacuisineus.com › home › browse › food for thought › food for thought: who owns our farmland – part i
Food For Thought: Who Owns Our Farmland - Part I : Kitchen Detail
September 15, 2023 - In light of the water shortages that occur in both states, it was shocking to know that over 15,000 acres of active farmland in California and over 10,000 acres in Arizona are owned by Fondomonte, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia.
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PubMed Central
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC9629504
Changes to California alfalfa production and perceptions ...
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