A version of this article, written by James McWilliams, appeared in The New York Times about a year ago. Given the recent media emphasis on California’s drought, it seemed an opportune time for The Daily Pitchfork to run a reminder that animal agriculture is the state’s largest consumer of ag-based water. It also serves as a precursor to an upcoming piece that we’ll be running on the failure of foodie writers to address the role of meat and dairy in the state’s severe drought.   -jm California is experiencing its worst drought on record. Just three and a half years ago, Folsom Lake, a major reservoir outside Sacramento, was at 83 percent capacity. Today it’s down past 30 percent.  Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency. President Obama has pledged $183 million in emergency funding. The situation is, by any assessment, dire. With California producing nearly half of the fruit and vegetables grown in the United States, attention has naturally focused on the water required to grow popular foods such as walnuts, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, almonds and grapes. These crops are the ones that a recent report in the magazine Mother Jones highlighted as being water intensive. Who knew, for example, that it took 5.4 … Continue reading Water Wasted On Livestock During California Drought