State Agriculture

Peter King made an interesting statement in a recent column (Nov. 22). He said that California is heading toward the examination of a fundamental question: Is the state’s leading industry--agriculture--worth the trouble?

According to King, agriculture has never come naturally to California. He suggests that agriculture was appropriate in California as long as there was little competition for the state’s resources. As this is no longer true, King suggests that agriculture--an $18-billion industry--may not have a place in California’s future.

We disagree with King’s suggestion that farming in California is any more unnatural than farming anywhere else, and with his apparent willingness to abandon the state’s leading industry because resolving the issues of competing needs is difficult. But, just for a moment, let’s examine his assumption.

If farming in California is unnatural, should we give it up? Quit? Suggest that the state’s 84,000 farmers and their families relocate to a place where farming does come naturally . . . provided such a place exists? Do we also suggest relocation to the hundreds of thousands of farm workers and their families who depend on California’s harvest?

If we can’t find a place where farming comes naturally, perhaps we could select a place that needs the jobs the farm industry creates. That’s one out of every six in California, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Those jobs are mostly off the farm. Jobs in industries such as transportation, banking, marketing, and manufacturing.

Maintaining the state’s economic base is a lot of trouble. But giving up even a portion of our ability to feed and clothe ourselves means giving up an equal measure of our independence. Perhaps King’s point is that independence isn’t as important today in California as it once was.

Rather than extolling the benefits of giving up, King could encourage the people of California’s diverse urban and rural communities to work harder at working together to met the challenges of enhancing the state’s economic health.

BRUCE OBBINK, President

California Table Grape Commission

Fresno