Actually, if anything, I think the distinction is unfair in the other direction. Alfalfa is a lower value crop than almonds, true. However, as an annual, alfalfa comes to maturity relatively quickly, and doesn&#x27;t require much in the way of ongoing water. As a farmer, if I plant alfalfa this year, it&#x27;s very easy for me to sell the alfalfa and switch to something else next year when water prices go up.<p>Almond trees, on the other hand, require three to four years of water before they become mature enough to produce fruit. That means, as a farmer, if I choose to plant almonds, I&#x27;m locked in for the better part of a decade before I can recoup my investment. And yet, somehow, even in the middle of the longest running and most severe drought in California history, I read reports of farmers planting new almond trees, knowing full well that those trees are going to be sucking water for three to four years before they get even a single harvest. That&#x27;s how confident these farmers are that the state of California is going bail them out with multi-billion dollar public works projects. And that&#x27;s why I have no sympathy for them.