Most Americans are aware that much of the West is suffering unrelenting drought, but they may not recognize how dramatically broader climatic shifts are affecting farmers’ and ranchers’ options for the future. … Economists question whether dairies and feedlots for beef production are now reaching their breaking points because of the cost of irrigated hay.  The price of water from Central Valley wells for forage production has now topped $2,000 an acre foot, compared to $250 an acre foot in the most recent years when drought and heat waves were not as challenging. 
-Written by Gary Paul Nabhan, the W.K. Kellogg chair in food and water security for the borderlands at the University of Arizona Southwest Center.

Related article: 

• Wall Street Journal: California Prepares for More Water Restrictions as Drought Worsens