The C-Free Diet: If we didn't have California, what would we eat?

Slate ^ | July 10, 2013 | Brian Palmer

[EveningStar]

Food scientists at Cornell University have produced a strain of broccoli that thrives in hot environments, which may make it possible for states with stiflingly hot summers to grow the vegetable. California, where cool coastal fog is perfect for growing standard broccoli, currently produces more than 90 percent of the broccoli grown in the United States. If California were to disappear, what would the American diet be like?

Expensive and grainy. California produces a sizable majority of many American fruits, vegetables, and nuts: 99 percent of artichokes, 99 percent of walnuts, 97 percent of kiwis, 97 percent of plums, 95 percent of celery, 95 percent of garlic, 89 percent of cauliflower, 71 percent of spinach, and 69 percent of carrots (and the list goes on and on). Some of this is due to climate and soil. No other state, or even a combination of states, can match California's output per acre. Lemon yields in California, for example, are more than 50 percent higher than in Arizona. California spinach yield per acre is 60 percent higher than the national average. Without California, supply of all these products in the United States and abroad would dip, and in the first few years, a few might be nearly impossible to find. Orchard-based products in particular, such as nuts and some fruits, would take many years to spring back.

[SpaceBar]

I am visiting family in the Bay Area for Christmas, and am shocked how it’s starting to look just like New Jersey (not a compliment).

[RC one]

If the rest of the nation were to lose California’s agricultural riches tomorrow...

what an utterly stupid premise.

[dowcaet]

I guess some folks at Slate really think California is going to secede from the United States. All these lefties are nutcases.

[Bernard]

If we didn't have California

All that water that is currently diverted to that natural desert would be available for use elsewhere, at a smaller cost to society. And California would look more like the deserts in Mexico.

[EveningStar]

Up a rope, Salon.

Actually it's Slate. I made a boo-boo.

[Husker24]

It’s not the liberals growing that produce. Besides, who says we still can’t trade with the independent country of California?

[central_va]

I got a problem with the USA invading another state, even crazy CA. So ease up.

[mulligan]

No problem.

[jcon40]

Well you’ve certainly raised the bar here. Lots of interesring stuff to research from your comment. Thx

[Doogle]

....just think how much more could have been produce if it weren’t for fake drought call by control
freak liberal politicians

[cherry]

we'd eat potatoes, and apples, and corn, and wheat products...we'd eat berries of all kinds and cherries and lots of mid western or Texas beef....

people don't remember that NYS used to be the number one apple producer, and was also a big Cherry grower....and makes wonderful cheese...

we'd have lots of great wines and great cheeses from our Northern states...

I love California for its beauty and its amazing farmlands and redwoods etc...

but if they don't want to be part of us, let it be...

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“But what kind of nut ... When you don’t know what’s on the other side? ... Native: Oh, Berries, herbs, naturally grown fruits, and organically grown vegetables.”

Stan Freberg interviewing The Native.

[stars & stripes forever]

Somehow I think this is the first article (of many) that advocates a “grateful tax” to the indispensable state of California to pay for the underpaid farm workers who pick the vegetables that keep the rest of the country healthy.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Indoor or sky-farming.

(Drops mic)

[StAntKnee]

Slate, Salon. What’s the diff, eh?

[WKUHilltopper]

Salon wimps...what would you eat? Because, even though you’d encourage secession, you’d be the one getting “seceded”. We’ll keep the land, you can GTFO...either by choice or choice made for you.

[dfwgator]

Lots of Texas Beef.

[sevlex]

The real question is can California survive not receiving tariff-free electricity from the other states?

[pepsi_junkie]

Recently I bought a table and inside the drawer was a slip of paper that said "This product contains wood dust, a substance known to the state of California to cause cancer." Wood dust. The manufacturer had to get those slips printed, someone had to put them in place, and someone had to verify they were there or woe be to them if they ended up in California wihout them.

So for me the question is what if all the ridiculous regulations that California imposed no longer ended up imposed on every product sold in all the other 49 states, what might that do to our production costs? Hmmm?

[VanShuyten]

I guess we’d have to buy our produce from Mexico.

Oh, wait....