California's Fertile Central Valley Suffers From Statewide Drought

BUTTONWILLOW, CA - APRIL 16: Dust billows as a farmer plows a dry field April 16, 2009 near Buttonwillow, California. Central Valley farmers and farm workers are suffering through the third year of the worsening California drought with extreme water shortages and job losses. The office of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger predicts Central Valley farm losses of $325 million to $477 million and total losses for crop production and related business to be between $440 and $644 million. Central Valley is expected to lose 16,200 to 23,700 full-time jobs and food prices are expected to rise nationwide. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)