There's good economic reasons why family farms across the country are in so much trouble that people can't stay on land they grew up on. The exception is for farms that can grow specialty crops that reach nearby niche markets, and of course if a fad dies or a law written for the benefit of a larger competitor or a distributor's benefit, then they're in trouble again. In any case, CA ag is not family farms in any sense most people understand. Standard crops like rice out here take huge acreages, with huge capitol investments in irrigation, water rights agreements, and the equipment on the upper end of John Deere's ranges. This size bias was partly due to a bank fad in offering shaky credit to farmers during boom years, about 20 years ago, which in bad years afterward led to foreclosures and consolidation of land ownership in the hands of banks all over the country. Which, of course, led to larger fewer farms with corporate owners. If you've ever seen rippers and land planers (which use laser levels) capable of leveling a swath that's the width of a 4-lane highway, you get how much financial gambling is involved.
Re: Importing Agriculture and water
In any case, CA ag is not family farms in any sense most people understand. Standard crops like rice out here take huge acreages, with huge capitol investments in irrigation, water rights agreements, and the equipment on the upper end of John Deere's ranges. This size bias was partly due to a bank fad in offering shaky credit to farmers during boom years, about 20 years ago, which in bad years afterward led to foreclosures and consolidation of land ownership in the hands of banks all over the country. Which, of course, led to larger fewer farms with corporate owners. If you've ever seen rippers and land planers (which use laser levels) capable of leveling a swath that's the width of a 4-lane highway, you get how much financial gambling is involved.