Olive trees are taking root as a cash crop in California, with the drought as an inducement, says the Sacramento Bee, which cites a farmer who switched to olives from rice. Olives require less irrigation water than other crops and are hardy survivors of dry spells. “In the Sacramento Valley, where water districts have been shrinking water allocations, the gritty olive tree, with its gnarly bark and thin, dusty-looking leaves, has become a go-to crop,” says the Bee. There are 35,000 acres of olive trees in the state.
Drought conditions have worsened in California, with 33 percent of the state now under “exceptional” drought, the direst rating, up from 25 percent in the previous week, says the Los Angeles Times.