Rachael Goodhue and Philip Martin

from ARE Update Vol. 17, No. 4, Mar/Apr, 2014

View Article PDF: Labor, Water, and California Agriculture in 2014

Abstract

Labor and water are critical inputs for California agriculture, and both were in the news in 2014. Over half
of the hired workers on California farms are unauthorized, and a recent slowdown in unauthorized Mexico-
U.S. migration has pushed up farm wages and left farmers unsure if they will have sufficient seasonal workers.
California is in its third consecutive year of drought, prompting reduced allocations of water for San Joaquin
Valley farmers and others, and renewed discussions of mechanisms to store and move more water from
north to south.

Keywords

Farm worker, immigration, labor shortage, drought, water marketing

Citation

Rachael Goodhue and Philip Martin. 2014. "Labor, Water, and California Agriculture in 2014." ARE Update 17(4): 5-8. University of California Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics.
https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/file/1453327769/16933/