Since the economic crises began California went from producing 25% of the USA's food to nearly 50% of the food consumed in the USA.

Projections have us producing 60% of the food in 5 more years.

Crops are slowly shifting from fresh vegetables to grains (wheat mostly). Drought resistant wheat is being raised more and more out here.

Seems to me that California is striving to produce as much food as possible. Federal grants and subsidies are also playing a roll in the push toward more agriculture out here.

This course of action makes no sense when you consider the salt build up from irrigation which is slowly killing the Central Valley. 10 years ago we were on a downward trend as farming was being closed/shut down to prevent salts build-up or to reduce the speed. NOTHING has been done to address the salt, yet here we are on a very fast paced upward trend in farming.