Paving Over Prime California Farmland

* Re “Paving Over a Farming Paradise,” editorial, Dec. 8:

Being actively involved in the farming and marketing of California citrus fruits, it does not surprise me that 20,000 acres of California farmland are being sold to real estate developers annually. One only needs to see, and understand, that bottom-line farming profits, in many cases, are break-even at best. For The Times to propose that statute reform should be implemented to preserve California farmland and to slow urban sprawl is shortsighted at best.

The California farmer is faced with the ever-increasing worldwide production of fruits and vegetables and at costs (water, labor, etc.) much cheaper than California farmers could ever hope to compete against. Current crop yields, with the aid of farming technology, are at their highest, thus making for a supply-exceeds-demand situation. In addition, farm loans are becoming next to impossible to obtain when crop projections/profits fall below collateral expectations. It is not uncommon for California crops to go unharvested due to poor market conditions.

Based on the aforementioned scenario, it would be a crime for legislation to be implemented telling a California farmer that he cannot sell his property to the highest bidder, be it a real estate developer or not, when his present crops are not profitable enough to sustain his debt.

R.J. DEAKINS

Temecula

* The urbanization of the California Central Valley is cause for great concern because it is a rich and important agricultural asset. The news report (Nov. 30) and editorial mistakenly refer to the valley as a desert when in fact it enjoys the same Mediterranean climate that is found in Southern California but with more extremes in temperature. Also missing is the fact that the ranches and farming operations replaced a rich mosaic of natural habitat. Native grassland, riparian forest, freshwater marsh, vernal pools and oak woodland supported herds of elk and antelope, millions of migrating waterfowl, grizzly and black bear, condor and eagle, to name just a few of hundreds of species of animals. Native Americans called the valley home for thousands of years without adversely affecting its environment.

Anyone interested in reading a firsthand account of how the valley appeared a little more than 100 years ago should read John Muir’s account of his walk through it in his book “Mountains of California.”

ANTHONY BAKER

Rancho Palos Verdes