pistachios Archives

Kern County farmland values continue downward slide

July 23, 2024

• by Lois Henry

Farmland valuations continued their downward trajectory in Kern County, in some cases dropping a whopping 47.6% over the first six months of 2024, according to the second quarter Kern County Ag Land Values report put out by brokerage firm Alliance Ag Services LLC. Some farmland has dropped back to, or even below, 2005 prices. “I…

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MEETING NOTES: Accusations of secrecy, slander and horse “pucky,” pervade high desert groundwater discussions

May 19, 2024

• by Sonia Lemus, freelance for SJV Water

Meeting: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority board of directors Date: May 15, 2024 Agenda and Packet: CLICK HERE First topic: Reassessment of importing water from Little Lake, an area north of the Indian Wells Valley in Inyo County. Background: The Indian Wells Valley is a critically overdrafted basin in eastern Kern County. Its residents and…

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MEETING NOTES: Desert groundwater authority wins appeal on pumping fees; and South Kern water district declares official shortage

February 16, 2024

• by Sonia Lemus, freelance for SJV Water

* “Meeting Notes” is a new feature focused on Kern County water districts, funded through a grant from the James B. McClatchy Foundation. Please consider supporting SJV Water to continue this important coverage. Meeting: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority board of directors Date: Feb. 14, 2024 Agenda and Packet: CLICK HERE Major topics: Court rules…

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Delano water bottling plant prompts concerns over exporting native groundwater

January 3, 2024

• by Lois Henry

News of the new Niagara Bottling plant going up in Delano hit the local groundwater agency with surprise and alarm. The plant is permitted to use 1.6 million gallons of groundwater per day, according to a will-serve letter issued by the city in August 2022. That works out to 1,788 acre feet per year, assuming…

Drought

How ag’s footprint has changed since the last drought

November 9, 2021

• by Lois Henry

In the world of farming, not all crops are equal. That is starkly apparent when looking at how crops changed in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley since the beginning of the last drought, according to county crop reports. While most counties saw reductions in overall harvested acres between 2012 and 2020, they also…

NEWS

Kern County farmland values continue downward slide

MEETING NOTES: Accusations of secrecy, slander and horse “pucky,” pervade high desert groundwater discussions

MEETING NOTES: Desert groundwater authority wins appeal on pumping fees; and South Kern water district declares official shortage

Delano water bottling plant prompts concerns over exporting native groundwater

How ag’s footprint has changed since the last drought

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