In this article published in the New York Times, author Stephanie Strom addresses the various consequences of the three-year drought in California, especially for agriculture, farmers and consumers.  Due to the drought, farmers are “forced to make dire choices that could leave as much as 800,000 acres, or 7 percent of the state’s cropland, fallow” (Strom, 5).  Because farmers will be unable to harvest water-intensive crops, their decisions on what to plant and how much of it to plant “will translate directly into higher prices at the grocery store” (Strom, 7).

Californians won’t be the only ones affected, however, as “between one-third and one-half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables are grown in California” (Strom, 8).  Already, the effects of this drought have been felt by consumers: “Last year…vegetable prices were 3 percent higher and fruits cost 2 percent more” (Strom, 9).

Strom also identifies the difficulties facing farmers and consumers based on a growing population and the inaccessibility of water for crops resulting in uncultivated land.