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Feeling the Squeeze



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Florida is in a two year drought. It's one of the worst in state history and it's threatening local crops. According to the US Department of Agriculture, oranges are the smallest they have ever been because of the drought. Follow an orange farmer into the grove to get a closer look at the problem.
vigliotti

15 responses // Feeling the Squeeze

  • http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Story?id=352424&page=1
    Image...
    The agriculture industry is slightly nuts - there's a whole breed of tomatoes said to be delicious that aren't allowed out of the state of Florida because they are "ugly". Really, that's the reason.
    Tori
  • The bigger problem with Florida citrus is all the illegal immigrants these growers attract to the state and the impact it has on Florida. These farmers not only want the rest of us to endorse their slave labor practices but to grant their illegal workers amnesty. I wouldn't even put it past them to somehow register all their employees to vote and to tell them which candidate to vote for. If you saw how the fruit was handled and packaged down here, and the lack of sanitary facilites in the fields where they pick and pakage (strawberries from Driscoll don't get washed, they go right in the packaging from the bare hands of the picker), you wouldn't eat fruit anymore....or at least not without sterilizing it first.
    barkway
  • Another thing people aren't being told about the Florida (southern, anyway) drought is that it's partially the fault of the state for partially draining Lake Okeechobee ahead of hurricane season because the NHC made their dire and inaccurate predictions about the hurricane season(s) which never came to pass. The drought wouldn't have been as bad had they not done this.Smooth move! There's plenty of time ahead of an oncoming hurricane to lower the lake. They didn't need to do it so far in advance as they did and now have caused this drought to be worse.
    barkway
  • Tori, the conditions endured by immigrant workers in the agriculture industry are very compelling. Your anger sounded like it was aimed at the workers and their environment rather than the employers. I think its very important to take our issues straight to the source. Poor Florida though. I hope that a solution comes soon for benefit the local economy, and for the workers who are so desperate for work.
    laprincesa81
  • I agree that this drought is terrible , if you live in this state, to watch the dead trees being burned while you drive by the groves is even worse . But if you can occasionally watch the workers draining the everglades it seems that Floridia does have many dilemmas. Its laws have loopholes and the problems of immigrant workers are quite prevalent in the whole state. Hopefully the social situation will work out someday.
    Videogamechick
  • laprincesa81,
    No anger from me towards the workers at all! For me, it's more like amazement that the industry would prevent healthy, flavorful items from being sold outside the state because they don't look right. I mean, really?!
    Tori
  • Thanks everyone for making this board active. It's exciting to see a good discussion.

    Tori,

    I have to admit I never heard of the "ugly tomato" before reading your post. It's funny to me that a Florida tomato was banned from being shipped out of the state because of it's shape.

    I googled the topic and found this recent blog which says that the ban has now been lifted. Check it out:
    http://technically.us/eat/x/uglyripe-tomatoes-can-leave...

    Barkway,

    You raise valid concerns regarding illegal immigrants. What I can tell you from my personal experience is most orange groves in Florida are small, family operations and are doing all they can to employ legal workers. The Smits, who I interviewed in my pod, only have a legal work force. These small farms have a lot to lose if they get caught.

    The other problem for Florida farmers is they're having a hard time finding a legal workforce that would work out in the grove to begin with. It's a common argument in the illigal immigrant debate.
    vigliotti
  • I've grown ugly tomatoes before. They're actually quite good....and who cares what they look like when you're eating them?!
    barkway
  • I am very impressed with the young talent on this site. Great story from the shooting to the writing. On another note - I have never seen oranges harvested before. Very interesting.

    cheers.
    currentFANN
  • I am watching this topic on TV right now and I noticed that the owner stated that they are trying to grow more trees to make up for the trees that are not doing so well in the drought. Wouldn't it make more sense to not plant more trees and focus more on making sure that the trees that are already there get the water that they need? Am I right or what?
    MarkoWithaK
  • Hi Marko,

    I am not an expert, but I think there are a few options to maintaining a grove during a severe drought. One option is to stop planting and focus on the healthy trees, as you mentioned. I have heard of a few groves that are doing that. Another option is what the grove I featured in my piece will be doing if things don't get better soon. Their goal is to maintain the number of trees in the grove, but trim back each tree to reduce the amount of water each one consumes.
    vigliotti
  • Hey all,

    I wanted to bring your attention to an environmental blog I discovered and fell in love with:

    www.eco-beat.com

    As you can read, it's called eco-beat and it's got some witty and informative commentary and discussion on environmental issues.
    vigliotti
  • Hey... why is public urination LEGAL,,, especiall yin a drought.
    Why does a man have to contaminate a gallon of water every time he pees,,, in order to stay out of jail?
    -- think about it.
    -- you pee outside. you go to jail.
    -- you pee inside,,and contaminate a gallon of water.. you don't go to jail,, but you die... becasue of drought.
    --
    PLUS...
    there is a place.. that is filtering all the sewage.. pee etc..-- they filter it through the land,, and then .. the purify that water... that ends up in the resevoir.
    -- dude.. that is discusting..
    people are supposed to drink that?
    --- so.. you see...-- in essence.. we are already in the process of public urination,, if that product ends up at a plant like that.
    --- so.. instead.. i say.. piss outside..
    because the odds of having to drink your filtered piss are less... plus... you save a gallon of water everytime you piss.
    -- think of how many gallons that would be world wide on a daily basis.
    -- THE LAW IS STUPID !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Do you think the persona that created that Law was on MENSA?
    Luckasa
  • I live in florida. i always hear we need to conserve water and that there is a drought and i never really think much of it. i never knew how important water is. now i know. thanks.
    Daa309
  • Someone should ask the state of Florida why it's giving away millions and millions of gallons of its water to Nestle for free so it can sell it to people in other states in bottled form.

    http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/article4...


    jonesy1001

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