How Groundwater Regulation is Challenging California’s Small Farmers

A new report analyzing the impact of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) on small-scale farms says the regulation may drive them out of business. Researchers at the University of California Small Farms Network and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers documented the challenges facing small-scale farms with groundwater regulations in Managing Groundwater with Small Farms in Mind: Risks, Barriers and Opportunities in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Based on three years of statewide outreach, surveys, policy document review and engagement with small farmers, the report highlights the value of small-scale farms in California’s priority water basin and says they deserve accommodation under the regulations. The report proposes 50 actionable recommendations to protect small farms while valuing these farms as part of long-term groundwater management, and it also offers recommendations for actions that state agencies could take to support small farms.