Investors are buying up rural Arizona farmland to sell the water to urban homebuilders

[thinkalot]

Originally Posted by NYLIER

Being a farmer and living in a farming community, I was very surprised to see that post. Farmers are the hardest working people in this country and we would be in big trouble without them. They deserve the utmost respect.

No one is saying get rid of farmers. We should have the farms where it rains and that isn't in Arizona.

[gemstone1]

Originally Posted by thinkalot

No one is saying get rid of farmers. We should have the farms where it rains and that isn't in Arizona.

A perfect solution, but not practical....who pays for the relocation ?

As a whole, we humans can be pretty short sighted. Farms are in AZ because the price at the time was right, no one else wanted the desert land, there is ample sunshine, and at the time, there was plenty of water. No one looked to the future, or at least they were not heard.

A prime example: Santa Clara Valley, in CA. Known to have some of the best soil in the country, farmers/ranchers could grow anything, and did. When I was a kid, commercial orchards were everywhere, growing cherries, apricots and prunes....thousands of acres. Fast forward to today, that perfect soil on the valley floor is covered by concrete, asphalt and homes. Did no one see how wrong it was to take such a valuable resource out of the food production cycle ?
Or was it short sighted and instead, seen as a perfect place for a home, farming be damned ? I grew up there, it was a perfect place for a home with almost perfect weather...but at what cost...

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by NYLIER

Being a farmer and living in a farming community, I was very surprised to see that post. Farmers are the hardest working people in this country and we would be in big trouble without them. They deserve the utmost respect.

I agree that farmers deserve respect (most any profession does for that matter), but stating farmers are the "hardest working people in this country" is strictly personal opinion & rather narrow minded. Police officers & firefighters certainly have tough jobs, and most of them work their asses off to protect the public. Loggers, military combat jobs, coal miners, steel workers, and many others also are extremely hard working. I'm fairly certain all of them would claim to have the hardest job in the country.

Originally Posted by thinkalot

No one is saying get rid of farmers. We should have the farms where it rains and that isn't in Arizona.

Exactly ... especially in the desert regions of AZ. We definitely need farmers, but agriculture is more productive in wetter regions, such as the Midwest & South. Agriculture in AZ demands over 70% of the available water supply, which is ridiculous considering the persistent drought & water cutbacks. Arizona cotton farmers have also received over a billion dollars in federal subsidies. Enough is enough.

[NYLIER]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I agree that farmers deserve respect (most any profession does for that matter), but stating farmers are the "hardest working people in this country" is strictly personal opinion & rather narrow minded. Police officers & firefighters certainly have tough jobs, and most of them work their asses off to protect the public. Loggers, military combat jobs, coal miners, steel workers, and many others also are extremely hard working. I'm fairly certain all of them would claim to have the hardest job in the country.



Exactly ... especially in the desert regions of AZ. We definitely need farmers, but agriculture is more productive in wetter regions, such as the Midwest & South. Agriculture in AZ demands over 70% of the available water supply, which is ridiculous considering the persistent drought & water cutbacks. Arizona cotton farmers have also received over a billion dollars in federal subsidies. Enough is enough.

If you want to look at every profession, then lets throw the waitress into the pot. The only difference between the professions you mentioned and the farmer is that a farmer's work is 24/7. There is no end of the day for them. Just maintaining the equipment is a full time job. Police Officers are the least respected with the mindset of the country today.

[NYLIER]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

A perfect solution, but not practical....who pays for the relocation ?

As a whole, we humans can be pretty short sighted. Farms are in AZ because the price at the time was right, no one else wanted the desert land, there is ample sunshine, and at the time, there was plenty of water. No one looked to the future, or at least they were not heard.

A prime example: Santa Clara Valley, in CA. Known to have some of the best soil in the country, farmers/ranchers could grow anything, and did. When I was a kid, commercial orchards were everywhere, growing cherries, apricots and prunes....thousands of acres. Fast forward to today, that perfect soil on the valley floor is covered by concrete, asphalt and homes. Did no one see how wrong it was to take such a valuable resource out of the food production cycle ?
Or was it short sighted and instead, seen as a perfect place for a home, farming be damned ? I grew up there, it was a perfect place for a home with almost perfect weather...but at what cost...

So the farmers in CA sold their pristine land to developers. That is really sad.

[gemstone1]

Originally Posted by NYLIER

So the farmers in CA sold their pristine land to developers. That is really sad.

It is sad, but that was not the point I was making. Farmers/Ranchers have the right, just like anyone else to sell their most valuable resource to the highest bidder...after all, their land is their 401k, or retirement vehicle. Buy low, sell high...just like we all hope to do.

My point was that no one took the long view. What would the ramification be if those prime growing acres were taken out of agricultural production ? What would the lasting effect be ? Would the production move to less valuable land ? Where is that (isn't that what Arizona Farmers/Ranchers did )? And who/what defines "valuable" ? Farmers/Ranchers ? Developers ? Planning Commissions ? They all have their own agenda.
Farmers/Ranchers: maximize production. Developers: maximize profit. Planning Commission: promote growth/maximize tax revenue.

I'm not smart enough to propose a solution, but I am smart enough to see the folly of short sighted decisions seemingly made for profit alone.

[thinkalot]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I agree that farmers deserve respect (most any profession does for that matter), but stating farmers are the "hardest working people in this country" is strictly personal opinion & rather narrow minded. Police officers & firefighters certainly have tough jobs, and most of them work their asses off to protect the public. Loggers, military combat jobs, coal miners, steel workers, and many others also are extremely hard working. I'm fairly certain all of them would claim to have the hardest job in the country.



Exactly ... especially in the desert regions of AZ. We definitely need farmers, but agriculture is more productive in wetter regions, such as the Midwest & South. Agriculture in AZ demands over 70% of the available water supply, which is ridiculous considering the persistent drought & water cutbacks. Arizona cotton farmers have also received over a billion dollars in federal subsidies. Enough is enough.

It's not like what they grow is that good. I never had a crunchy honeydew or cantaloupe until I moved here.

[gemstone1]

Originally Posted by thinkalot

It's not like what they grow is that good. I never had a crunchy honeydew or cantaloupe until I moved here.

Then try Yuma fruit stands in melon season, just like ripe peaches...you go to Willcox in season.