[tzs]

Because a lot more consumers care about the milk that comes from the dairy cows in California that consume something like 75% of that alfalfa and the meat that comes from the animals that consume the rest than care about data centers?

[smcin]

So, the other 25% does not all go to cattle, certainly not California. Some fraction of that alfalfa is exported in containers to China/Japan/Saudi, for their cattle. Doing that from a semi-desert during a declared drought (2020-3) seems like pretty obvious proof that the agricultural cost of water is distorted and too low. If any of that was artesian water, then it's even worse.

[smcin]

When I try to find out what % of California's alfalfa production is exported, I get conflicting numbers, some as high as 38%, some much lower.