Brief Bio & Intro : Our family has farmed in the Central Valley since 1976. We have farmed row crops in Kings County, pistachios in Kern County and Madera County. Since water is the lifeblood of Farms and Cities located in the Southern San Joaquin Valley I have been involved in water issues.
I have co-chaired our local Farm Bureau Water Committee and have attended numerous water meetings with politicians and Natural Resource Agencies in California and Washington D.C.
In 2009 I was honored to be chosen as Agriculturalist of the Year for Kings County.
My concern is for the long term economic plight of the Southern Joaquin Valley Counties of the Central Valley including Kings, Kern, Tulare, Fresno and Madera Counties. Collectively, every California resident has a stake with Water Legislation, how water policy is interpreted and enforced.
As Valley contracted water deliveries have been cut over the last few years we have learned that the Bay Area communities have grown at faster than expected. All the population growth in the Bay area has increased demand for more water, whether it's for drinking water or the need for more fresh water flows to flush their sewage water to the ocean the simple solution for them is to take our water.
I have lived and farmed in the Central Valley Water Districts that have seen their water deliveries reduced due to Congressional Legislation and/or court actions. I have witnessed and experienced firsthand the devastation this does to communities. We simply cannot afford to allow this to continue.
GOAL : It is my goal to provide readers with factual educational information and observations of the economic risks facing the valley residents. I'm confident that residents of this great valley once given the facts will be better prepared to defend our water rights, our jobs and economic future.
Thank you, Russ Waymire, Hanford, Ca.
