A drought in the Central Valley of California is prompting some lettuce and melon farmers to abandon their fields this winter – saving limited and precious irrigation water for other crops, such as almond orchards. The drought, coupled with a recent Federal decision to limit the irrigation water available to California, has left many farmers without good options over the winter growing season.

The Central Valley produces literally 100% of the cantaloupes in stores over the summer months, and most of the spring and fall lettuce crops as well. Fresno County agricultural officials predict that the lettuce acreage planted will drop to half the level seen in 2005 this year. US Department of Agriculture analysts say that the reduced field production is likely to lead to price spikes, as produce simply doesn’t come out of the fields. The situation is not likely to reverse itself anytime soon, as Federal water allotments could be cut even further in the coming year. Richard Howitt, an agricultural economist at UC-Davis, estimates that as many as 60,000 jobs could disappear due to the water issues.

This is likely to be a painful time for lettuce and melon farmers. In my view it is another argument for making a shift in the way we handle fresh produce production. Rather than growing the nation’s lettuce in one drought-prone California zone, it would make a lot more sense to have distributed lettuce production across the country. Although California is the most geographically and climactically suited region for lettuce production, hydroponics techniques make geography and climate almost irrelevant for agricultural production. The coming cost spikes in lettuce and melon may provide incentives for growers outside the “melon belt” to invest in the production of these popular fruit and vegetable crops.

I’ll have more coverage in the coming months of how hydroponics can make a powerful and profitable addition to farms nationwide.