It’s that time of year again - the temperature outside is reaching triple digits, towns are encouraging their communities to continue practicing water conservation, and agricultural farmers are nervously preparing for harvest without the risk of a wildfire spreading nearby.
Around this time last year, the California crisis seemed like a pivotal disaster to the environment and farms all over the state.
Today, regions of California continue to combat the flurry of natural disasters and detrimental environmental impacts that are destroying farmers, families, and agricultural crops. But is there one specific plant that poses a greater risk than the rest?
Between the lengthy droughts and intense wildfires bustling on, climate change is continuing to become a challenge faced by many cannabis farmers.
Agricultural Farmers Feeling the Heat
The caution surrounding California’s wildfire season is not to be taken lightly. In 2020, the state hit its largest wildfire season ever, containing 4,000 fires that lit up more than 4 million acres of land. Unfortunately, the past two years have only continued to increase these numbers.
Naturally, more larger, rural, open plots of agricultural land seem to be the hot spot for these natural disasters. Wildfire triggers are anywhere from an electric spark to the unfortunate combination of record-breaking heat and really, really dry vegetation.
Considering the processes and practices these farmers perform daily to maintain their crops, the stakes are high. Farmers are struggling to find sources of water for their crops, with droughts and scarce water sources impacting daily water usage.
For instance, as of spring this year, the state of California has issued approximately 12,700 licenses for cannabis cultivation. That’s around 12,700 cannabis farms that need anywhere from 6 gallons - 6 liters of water for their crop daily.
Additionally, this doesn’t include the thousands of illegal cannabis farms that are continuing to strip water sources dry for the sake of their own plants. A multitude of locations throughout California where illegal grows are hidden are draining watersheds and resources that have been primarily allotted out to other farms, cities, towns, and communities.
Looking at the records of wildfires and droughts occurring just in this state alone, there seems to be a continuous environmental problem and growing concern for agricultural cannabis farmers in this market.
How is Cannabis at Risk?
Considering the great ordeal of wildfires, droughts, and rising temperatures the state of California is facing, there does seem to be some sort of framework regarding water quality control and conservation as well as wildfire prevention and protection.
Yet when a natural disaster concern, such as a regional drought or wildfire arises, California cannabis farmers may not gain the same equal benefits and protections as other agricultural farmers.
In the state of California, cannabis is considered an agricultural product, and not an agricultural crop. This means people growing the cannabis plant do not get access to the same aid as other farmers would - such as those who grow tomatoes, or even hemp.
However, a recent study is showing that cannabis crops and cultivation farmers may be at a greater risk for California wildfires. Considering the average location of these farms, cannabis seems to be more geographically more threatened by wildfires than any other agricultural crop.
Conducted by scientists in the Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management at UC Berkeley, the research found cannabis fields and farms were located in “high” and “very high” CAL Fire hazard zones, closer to wildfire perimeters than any other crop.
In contrast - grapes have the next largest percentage of acreage in high fire hazard zones, although this crop and those who grow it are offered crop insurance for wildfires or any damage caused.
The research report also included recommendations from the authors for fire-safety programs that can help reduce the impacts of wildfires on crops and human health. These suggestions include wildfire-risk reduction activities and how to prevent exposure of wildfire smoke to farmworkers and the crop itself.
“The legal cannabis market in California is facing substantial headwinds from both market forces and a burdensome regulatory environment,” said Ted Grantham, co-author of the study and director of UC Berkeley’s Cannabis Research Center.
“This study shows that cannabis agriculture is uniquely exposed to wildfire impacts, which presents yet another challenge for licensed cultivators in the state.”
Saving Water & Protecting Plants with Geomat
This year alone, record breaking wildfires and droughts have brought on continuous challenges and hurdles for agricultural and cannabis farmers in the state of California.
While farmers struggle to make each drop of water count, illegal cannabis grows and farms are funneling the scarce amount of water left for their own use. On top of that, intensive heat waves and temperatures are having cannabis farms sweating at the thought of losing their crop to a natural disaster.
At Geomat, we understand how detrimental environmental impacts and scarce natural resources can affect an entire operation. That’s why our Cannabis Water Containment solutions & systems are designed with environmental compliance in mind.
Our Patented Water Recovery Systems are used to help agricultural farmers reduce their water usage by recycling and reusing all wastewater and water runoff back for reuse.
Contact us for a quote to learn how your cannabis farm and cultivation operation can make a real world impact with Geomat today!