Land, Food, Water and The Future

For those of you interested in understanding some of the supply and demand issues around Water Rights in Nevada and the Colorado River Basin, as well as geo political wrangling, here are some links. If you would like own some Nevada Ground Water Rights, you need to call me, I have some very nice farm and ranch land listed with water rights.

California Recruits Water-Saving ‘Heroes’ as Drought Drags On

Experts offer grim water outlook for NV, CA

Climate change to strain Colorado River

Lake Mead, Key Water Source For Southwestern US, Could Be Dry By 2021

Historic Colorado River Streamflows Reconstructed Back To 1490

Welcome to "The New Normal"

The Water Information Program

Colorado River Interim Guidelines for
Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations
for Lakes Powell and Mead

Current Colo. River Basin dry spell could be worst in 500 years

STUDY SHOWS CURRENT DROUGHT BAD BUT NOT THE WORST UNLV 2004

Woodhouse Tree Ring Study

Future Of Western U.S. Water Supply Threatened By Climate Change

Climate Change Means Shortfalls In Colorado River Water Deliveries

American West Heating Nearly Twice As Fast As Rest Of World, New Analysis Shows

Colorado River Compact

Colorado River Compact Update?

PIPELINE PLANS: Judge kills water ruling

Nevada State Engineer Gives SNWA Water Rights

‘Owens Valley is the model of what to expect’

The Ripple Effect

Great Basin Water Network

Vegas water agency (SNWA) vows fight for groundwater plan, and wins

SOUTHERN NEVADA WATER AUTHORITY’S PROPOSED SPRING VALLEY RULING

Nevada ruling could burst Las Vegas pumping plan

Another Pipeline to Drain Colorado River

Flaming Gorge Pipeline would irrevocably damage the Green River and further imperil the Colorado River downstream.

As you can tell there is plenty of science and opinion involved in these discussions. One thing seems clear to me, we are using or soon will be using more water than we have available. The opportunity to purchase irrigated farm and ranch land is today. The chances this land with water rights is going to get any less expense in the seems very slim.

Today's Investors are buying water rights. Who is buying these Water Rights?

Water Rights laws and use are complicated, yet many parcels with water rights are available today, some at very reasonable prices.

Chris W. Miller is a Nevada Farm and Ranch with Water Rights Specialist

Chris W. Miller
Vegas Grand Realty and Property Management
435-862-5951
702-990-5951

Nevada Water Rights

Land in Nevada

Nevada Ranch Properties

Lincoln County Land Market

Mesquite NV Real Estate Market

Drought, Food, and The Future

Drought, Food, and The Future

The drought has brought in sharp focus many issues, fundamentally it is about water, lack of water. Water however is no where near the top of the discussions we hear.

Perspectives shape views, concerns range from crop production, farm losses, food prices, balance between energy and food ratios, inflation. Food shortages have lead to at least a few regimes demise through out history. Remember, drought is about lack of water.

This brings us to a whole new view and issues, aquifers, drawdown and recharge, we are pumping water out far faster than it is replenishing itself. Some large aquifers are in fact expected by science to go dry. The Ogallala is ancient glacial water, the recharge source has been gone for thousands of years. The Ogallala is the largest aquifer in America.

Since the 1950’s, "predevelopment" when we your started pumping water out of Ogallala with electric pumps instead of windmills, the water table level has been dropping.

Unfortunately, this is a fact worldwide. So food production to feed the estimated nine billion world population twenty five years from now, must be the bigger question.

Questions from an individuals point of view could be, how can I and my offspring really be prepared. Personal responsibility and an individualistic spirit exemplified our ancestors. What can I do now to be prepared, for the generations to come.

Your water source is the key, do you depend on a municipal system? How secure do feel about that? Are you looking forward to a time when the ability to produce a percentage of your our required nutrition may be required? Remember the 2012 drought is leading to food shortages worldwide with six billion people today. World population is expected to increase by fifty percent in the next twenty five years.

With a relatively small parcel of land you can produce; grass feed beef, poultry, eggs, pork, fruits, vegetables, even milk, cheese, and fish, but you have to have a stable supply of water. It is a ton of work. It is how most Americans got through the depression, self sufficiency. We have superior tools and technology than they did. Greenhouses, electric well pumps, solar applications, aquaponics, kitchen counter sized milk pasturizers. The list goes on and on. Self sustainable lifestyles are considerably easier today than it was in the 1930’s.

The oil industry, hydrology, geology, climate change studies, well monitoring, flow gauge measurements of seeps and springs, weather monitoring of precipitation and snow pack, all add to our data and knowledge about what is going on below the surface of the land. We have a great deal of science regarding which water sources are stable, or in balance and which are not or may not be.

Where you own land will determine whether you have water or not.

Chris W. Miller
Vegas Grand Realty and Property Management
435-862-5951
702-990-5951

Nevada Water Rights

Land in Nevada

Nevada Ranch Properties

Lincoln County Land Market

Mesquite NV Real Estate Market

World Food Shortages, Food Inflation, Shrinking Arable Farm Land, Water Shortages, and Water Rights

Leading the way to higher food production utilizing less water and energy is a lofty goal to feed the increasingly hungry world. As the population expands demand will increase. Energy and fresh water use are both exponentially becoming critical to humanities ability to not only survive but save our planet.

Food production requires both energy and water. Quality food production without growth hormones, pesticides, and many other types of toxins has become high priority for many consumers. Look at Whole Foods success and the organic food craze. Who in the world would not choose a healthier diet given the opportunity?

So how do we get from old traditional farming techniques to a more efficient, productive, resource conserving food producing world? Can the free market with innovation and capitalism driven by consumer demand really make the numbers work? New innovative irrigation technology has made huge strides in recent years in both production and water consumption. We all know the government spending our money, picking winners and losers is not the answer, it up to you and me.

From the beginning of cultivation and farming, they have lived and died by the fickle and unpredictable weather, praying for rain, cursing floods and drought. Weather affects crops to the extreme. Our world weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable. You can not argue with the statistics, the ice caps are melting and the last ten years have had record warm temperatures. Drought currently grips much of the world. The weather has the potential to put world food supplies at extremely vulnerable levels in the near future.

Drought and flooding today is having a dramatic affect on food production in Europe, China, Africa, America, and Russia.

As the wealth effect spreads throughout the emerging markets, protein is in increasingly higher demand. This is not a fad; China and India are demanding more beef, pork, dairy, and poultry. These countries consist of billions of consumers; all who would like to eat more like Americans, less rice! The middle class in these countries is exploding and they now have the discretionary income to demand higher quality foods. China has 20 percent of the world’s population and only 7 percent of the arable farm land. They have a serious problem with drought right now compounding their dilemma.

At the same time the aquifers of the world are dropping. Much of the world’s food production is not only subject to fickle weather patterns requiring the pumping ground water. This resource may be a far greater problem than peak oil. It is a combination of dwindling availability and contamination.

The average cow will drink 30 to 50 gallons of fresh water or a bath tub full per day, and eat up 90 pounds of feed. Hogs or pork production is not much different. Growing corn requires nearly 3000 gallons of water per bushel, Alfalfa requires about one acre foot per ton of hay, which is 325,851 gallons of fresh water per ton. These farm animals are the only source of the beef and pork the world demands. Cows are of course the primary source of dairy. All protein rich foods.

Speaking of the cattle, pork, and dairy industries, if you think you can keep antibiotics out of animals, dairy, and farming, you are dreaming. Prior to penicillin people regularly died from simple infections. You or some of the people you love would be dead today if you had been denied antibiotics.

So this brings us to the balance of the human food sources, fruits, vegetables, and grains. None of these grow without fresh water and good quality arable farm ground. Arable farm is a shrinking natural resource world wide. Aquifers world wide are dropping and irrigation pumping restrictions and reductions are becoming common in some of the most fertile and productive growing areas in the world.

The world will reward richly those who can produce quality food utilizing less water, less energy, and less land, or better yet turn today‘s unproductive lands into food producing regions.

Nevada has abundant affordable land, sunshine, and excellent solar intensity. Much of this land does not produce crops today. Can geothermal climate control coupled with solar, heat and cool green houses? Can hydroponics growing techniques reduce water consumption? Is it possible to eliminate the weather risk and seasonal limitations in farming by bringing farming indoors?

There are many ways you protect yourself and help solve the inevitable food and water shortages. Build your own greenhouse, get some egg laying chickens, get involved in your community gardening program or help develop one. Become educated about water consumption and use. Plant a garden. Move to a small farm.

If you are interested in the business opportunity utilizing affordable land to bring food production indoors in Nevada, call Chris W. Miller at 435-862-5951. We have the business plans, water rights, and the land.

Chris W. Miller
Vegas Grand Realty and Property Management
435-862-5951
702-990-5951

Nevada Water Rights

Land in Nevada

Nevada Ranch Properties

Lincoln County Land Market

Mesquite NV Real Estate Market

Retire Secure, Happy, Healthy and Self Sufficient

The UN may be wrong about the world’s oceans running out of fish
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100518/ts_afp/speciesfishunus/

The news about food shortages today and tomorrow may be wrong
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_security/

The news about fresh water shortages may be wrong
http://environmentalism.suite101.com/article.cfm/environmental_cost_of_global_freshwater_shortage

The IMF may wrong about fiscal deficits and global financial crisis
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2009/RES111009A.htm

Al Gore and his wacky environmental friends may be wrong about global warming
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17718399

This writer seems be advocating a China approach, “But if resources are limited, the last thing we need is a growing population. We would be better off with a smaller population, so that earth’s limited resources can be shared among a smaller number of people, providing more for each person. If families start having only one child each, this would be helpful from a resources point of view, but it would make it even more difficult to pay off out all of the outstanding debt, in addition to paying for Social Security and Medicare benefits for all the seniors.” From The Intelligence Daily
http://www.inteldaily.com/2010/04/social-security-and-medicare-funding-issues-even-worse-when-one-considers-resource-constraints

These people believe it is government’s responsibility, “Governments are responsible for providing access to adequate food to eliminate hunger, malnutrition and starvation.
http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=145

Obama and his crowd would probably go for this idea! Actually they may be taking us down this road of becoming a totally dependant society deliberately.

These people say oil sands may as hazardous as the Gulf oil leak, “Oil sands development is 'kind of like the gulf spill but playing out in slow motion', said report co-author Doug Cogan, director of climate risk management at RiskMetrics. He called it a 'land-based' version of the gulf disaster.” http://www.globalissues.org/news/2010/05/17/5627

Much of this information feels like it is presented with a bias agenda, and some seem to lack basic common sense, whether it is backed by a guy with a degree in a science field or not.

We do know between 15,000 to 25,000 children die each day around the world because of malnutrition and water borne disease. We do know malnutrition is a serious problem in the United States for seniors and children living in poverty.

We do know we are overdrafting aquifers around the world and fresh water tables are dropping in many parts of the United States and around the world.

We do know the demand for food and fresh water will increase as the world’s population increases.

Many around the world can not help themselves out of this daily nightmare. Unfortunately this scenario is going to get worse as we place greater demand on finite resources.

Many are convinced these trends will lead to a resurgence in rural America. So there you have it, my agenda. I sell rural land in Nevada with water rights. A place where you can create a sustainable self sufficient lifestyle that could protect you from becoming a statistic.

Lifestyle is what draws most people to rural living; it gives them a sense of getting back to their fundamental roots. Raising a garden, chickens that lay fresh eggs, fruit trees and farm raised meats.

I am convinced economics, urban blight and a desire for an active productive lifestyle will bring many more to consider affordable rural lifestyles. Retired does not mean dead, although it might if you don’t stay active.

When you combine a nice little piece of land and a small efficient home with proper solar orientation, a mild climate, some good dirt and water, you have the basic recipe.

Marketing to retirees has largely been focused on golf, activity/recreation center with social clubs in large planned unit developments, which is fine for some, but there are other options.

Your grand children will enjoy visiting your “farm”.

I have some good friends, they live in what he and his wife lovingly refer to as their “bunk house”, it is small but quite luxurious. It is completely solar, with propane and a wood burning stove. A solar pump provides water. They raise most all their own food, and have a nice little income from extra produce sold at the farmers market. They have television and internet, and a small green house. They tell me this new lifestyle is the greatest thing they have ever done, short of raising some great kids. They are some of the happiest people I know!

They also tell me they sleep very well at night knowing that no matter goes on in the world, they “feel” secure.

Our ancestors lived off the land; you can go back to a slower, simpler, more rewarding way of life. The biggest difference today from back then is modern technology. Instead of plowing your garden behind a horse, you can ride a small tractor. You can raise chickens to lay eggs or broilers that are designed to be eaten. You can have peacocks and geese as watch dogs and security systems.

We are looking at and working on developing larger tracts for mini farms. Some bankers seem to think this idea is crazy and have told me no one will ever buy it. I would appreciate your thoughts, ideas, and input. Does this make sense to you?

Chris W. Miller
Vegas Grand Realty and Property Management
435-862-5951
702-990-5951

Nevada Water Rights

Land in Nevada

Nevada Ranch Properties

Lincoln County Land Market

Mesquite NV Real Estate Market