When I was in college, I took a Chinese History class (I have been fascinated with China since reading "The Good Earth" when I was a child). I chose to write my term paper on the history of food in China. I pulled together reams of material to document the courage of the people who created incredible dishes using items that most guailo wouldn't touch.

These days, I will not eat any food that originates in China, because the pollution there is so ubiquitous. I have no way of knowing what foods are safe to consume.

In the battle to save farmland and water there are some success stories like the one below but the challenges ahead are greater than ever.

And living in California's central valley, it's a genuine scare to think we're going dry like northern China. Just this past Sunday, my neighbor came to ask if they could tap into our water system until they could get someone to deepen their well - theirs had gone dry at 110ft deep. With all the farming operations around here - turning to groundwater to produce crops - the end is inevitable and within sight. While we aren't farming, we still have to have water to live here. And when our well gives up it's last - then what? This place will be virtually worthless. It's a very demoralizing prospect.
And farmers here are happy with banner years for them with the things they grow. It's determined ignorance of the impending dust bowl that's quickly advancing. Signs along hiways tell that our water shortages are caused by Pelosi, Reid, Obama and others. I guess the fact that they don't seem to notice the lack of precipitation is in line with their pumping up all the groundwater so we can sell stuff to the hungry Chinese. Our personal well is now 240ft deep, but well drillers are going flat out 24/7 to drill wells to 600 and even to 1000ft so farmers can keep producing almonds and citrus fruit. Maybe..... when they've sucked all the water out of our place - they'll offer us a pittance for our couple acres of dirt. They can then plant it in their crops also - and flood it with water from a thousand feet down.