As if things couldn’t get worse, how does additional price increases at the grocery store sound for 2009?

Many California farmers will allow their farmland to sit idle this year because they simply can’t get enough water, or get adequate bank financing, to grow their crops.

What’s the problem?  [see videos below]

1. Drought – Mother Nature can be a cruel mistress sometimes.
2. Water Restrictions – California will not divert/decrease water supplies for endangering local fish populations
3. Price for Water – Some areas of California are paying up to 5 times higher for water in 2009.  Supply and demand can be a real pain in the arse.
4. Credit Crisis – Banks will not lend to farmers who can’t verify their access to fresh water supplies.  No water access, no money to grow roma tomatoes, fresh asparagus, or watermelons.

Pretty bad time to be a consumer, and even worse time to be a farmer!

Water Will (Eventually) Be More Valuable than Oil

It’s easy to forget about such a basic, life-giving resource like water when most of our daily lives are consumed by far more important things.  But when it’s scarcity begins boosting prices for basic food items that we depend upon, the outrage and news blitz won’t be far behind.

When seeing these videos earlier this week, I couldn’t help but recall an old Robin Williams stand up comedy bit from nearly a decade ago.

I doubt there will be a time in history when drug dealers are selling water over weed, but those people who are buying water rights (like former oil man T. Boone Pickens), might know something that we don’t.

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