In many areas like Winslow, AZ, where the ancient Hopi dry farming method is used, fields are nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the desert landscape. In California, drought and historically low water usage rights from the government have caused thousands of acres in the Central Valley to lay fallow.  Some farmers are fighting back – by doing very little.  These growers are not watering their crops to allow their plants and trees to force their roots through the dry, compact dirt to find moisture.  Dry farming was common for Napa Valley vineyards until the 1960s when overhead sprinklers were introduced; now some vintner are looking at grape yields from Spain’s Rioja region, which show the viability of the method while concentrating the fruit’s flavor. 

Improved fruit quality and flavor make a strong argument for dry-farming, but by far the biggest concern is the amount of water the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) believes necessary to grow food through 2050. Dr. Ronald Kaiser, Chair of the Graduate Water Program and Professor in Department of Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences at Texas A & M, says there will be enough ground water (where the majority of our potable water comes from) for either agriculture or city’s residents. Over the next 40 years, one side will lose.