
Nut of the Future?
With droughts inevitable, more farmers are switching from almonds to pistachios, but not everyone is happy about it
Almond trees and grapevines will die if deprived of irrigation for a year or less in a dry place like the San Joaquin Valley, but pistachios can survive for years with almost no water. That means, in crisis-level droughts, the trees might persist where virtually all other crops die.

Storm Chasers
Real-time weather forecasting is helping to balance the need to store more water while still preventing floods
In the face of climate change, environmental stress and population growth, advanced technology can lead to enhanced weather forecasting, which could make a huge impact in preventing floods and keeping reservoirs full.

Going With the Flows
McGeorge School of Law professor Jennifer Harder on water issues, laws and uses
Professor Jennifer Harder is the co-director of the Water & Environmental Law program at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. Comstock’s spoke with Harder about water issues affecting the Capital Region and California.

Delta Blues
The battle over water has been fought to a standstill, but there’s hope that science and technology will make voluntary agreements by all sides possible
For decades, the California water debate revolved around one metric: unimpeded flow, which is the amount of water in the river and streams. While flow is still without doubt the key issue, it is no longer the only one.

Sun Power
Evolving practices help bring solar cooking to the world stage
Solar Cookers International, the world’s leading organization on solar cooking, has been based in Sacramento since 1987. SCI’s work to reduce dependency on fuelwood could have far-reaching global economic impacts.

Growing Pains
Local farmers work hard to respond and adapt to the coronavirus pandemic
Comstock’s spoke with Paul Towers, executive director of Community Alliance with Family Farmers, a Davis-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting family farmers and community-based agriculture, to find out how small farmers in the Capital Region are faring during the coronavirus pandemic.

No Face Masks so California’s Farmworkers Are Left Unprotected
Face masks have flown off the shelves around the United States amid the coronavirus outbreak, even though experts have advised people against wearing them unless they are sick. That has triggered a shortage for farmworkers, who wear masks to avoid inhaling pesticides or field dust.

Will This Be the Year the State Tackles Its Waste Crisis?
Even the special interests that helped kill a California Senate bill aimed at reforming beverage bottle recycling say the state needs to fix its broken system. And one lawmaker who voted no on the bill says he might just introduce his own.

Rural Transplants Find Simpler Life — and Unique Challenges
Many dream of life in the country, but wildfires and economic barriers are making the transition harder than ever
For many, an understanding of rural living is less about population numbers and topography and more about a sense of being.
Part of this month’s Rural Living series.

PG&E’s Shut-Offs Add to the Challenges of Rural Living
There are many benefits to living in rural areas. But doing so comes with its own challenges. PG&E’s answer to the challenges of wildfires: Shut off power — a move that has hit rural areas the hardest.