Water rights are a hot topic lately, especially in the arid Southwest. It’s even harder for small farmers who often can’t afford the increasing cost of water to irrigate their crops. Pair that with urban growth and developers with money to spend and it can be difficult to imagine an easy path forward for sustainable agriculture in these areas. Check out an excerpt from this article in the Arizona Sonora News and find a link to the full piece below.
As cities grow, agriculture is sacrificed, because the water and land available for development is in farming areas….
Phoenix is poised to become the fourth largest city in the United States by 2020, Burgess said. It is now sixth. This population growth is pushing the metropolis farther south, replacing farms with homes along the way.
And water is part of the reason why, though it’s not the cost of water that’s prompting famers to sell.
Farmland often comes in a package deal with water rights, and developers make offers that most farmers can’t refuse.
Future of S. Arizona desert farming and development floats on water
Elizabeth S. Eaton, Arizona Sonora News, Dec. 9, 2016
Read the full article HERE.
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