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Drought not as bad in desert, but farmers still feeling it

Posted by: Maven on July 20, 2009 at 6:26 am

From Desert Dispatch:

The current drought that has gripped the rest of California hasn’t had as big an impact on the Mojave Desert, but some local farmers are still feeling its effects.

Ruth and Jim Harmsen, who have owned Harmsen Family Dairy in Hinkley for 29 years, said they’re doing everything they can to be more efficient with their water. In addition to owning 1,200 cows, the Harmsens farm 300 acres of alfalfa. They use groundwater to irrigate their fields, but have had to cut their alfalfa production by 30 to 40 acres because the fees the water master charges has been continually increasing.

“There’s not much we can do,” Ruth Harmsen said. “The only thing (is to) cut back on acreage and put different types of irrigation that uses less water.”

July 20, 2009 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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