California Farmer Confronts Water, Regulation, and Foreign Land Sales
Fourth-generation Imperial Valley farmer Andrew Leimgruber of Leimgruber Farms has become a national voice for California agriculture, speaking candidly on Fox News and with AgNet West about some of the most pressing issues facing farmers today: water access, overregulation, and foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.
Farming in Holtville near El Centro, Leimgruber specializes in alfalfa and a rotation of vegetables. Despite extreme heat and minimal rainfall—only about two inches annually—his farm has decreased water use by 25–30% while increasing yields. That innovation is crucial in a region where every drop counts.
“We live in an era of allocations and limits. We want to utilize every bit of technology and technique to get the most crop per drop,” he said.
Sugar Plant Closure Leaves a Void
One major concern in Imperial Valley is the upcoming closure of the Spreckels Sugar factory, which will eliminate 700 jobs and put pressure on the 28,000 acres of sugar beets currently in production.
“We hate to see crop variability leave,” Leimgruber said. “That was a top-ten commodity for our county.”
The shutdown could push marginal lands toward solar development—something Leimgruber and many others in the ag community strongly oppose.
The Solar vs. Farming Debate
Leimgruber criticized the push to cover productive farmland with solar panels, arguing it creates a false choice between energy and food.
“If you solve a water shortage and create a food shortage, I’m not sure if you’ve really bettered the state.”
He fears that state officials are quietly advancing policies that reduce agriculture’s access to water under the guise of environmental progress, while prime farmland is sacrificed for solar energy and urban growth.
Agriculture: Undervalued and Overlooked
Despite being a $6 billion industry in Imperial County, agriculture often gets sidelined in state politics.
“They gave tax carve-outs to Hollywood but ignored agriculture,” Leimgruber said, pointing out the missed opportunity to support ag labor with overtime tax relief.
Instead, local leaders continue chasing geothermal, solar, and now lithium extraction as the next economic boom—overlooking the century-long foundation agriculture has provided.
Environmental Contradictions and Global Concerns
Leimgruber pointed to the irony of lithium battery production, which requires immense water resources, and raised alarms about environmental groups supporting overseas food production that causes deforestation.
“They’re clear-cutting the Amazon to replace what we stop producing here. How do environmentalists justify that?”
Foreign Land Ownership and National Security
His recent national news appearance centered on concerns over Chinese government entities buying U.S. farmland—often near military installations.
“We have a naval air station here that houses the Blue Angels and tests F-35s. It just seems like common sense to keep adversaries away from that.”
He stressed that no American can buy land in China, and the U.S. should enforce similar limits.
Generational Legacy Under Threat
While proud of his family’s success, Leimgruber expressed concern about preserving it under California’s increasingly restrictive policies.
“My grandfather’s biggest fear might have been a pest or a weed. Mine is someone in Sacramento thinking my water use isn’t beneficial and taking it away.”
The Colorado River Battle
Imperial Valley relies 100% on Colorado River water—no groundwater and virtually no rainfall. Though backed by strong, Supreme Court-validated water rights, Leimgruber knows they’re under constant scrutiny.
“Our water rights paint a big target. It’s hard to compete with booming cities like Phoenix, Tucson, and Las Vegas.”
A Call for Innovation in Water Infrastructure
Rather than fighting over the existing water supply, Leimgruber believes California must think big.
“Why can’t we be the generation that landed on the moon?” he asked, advocating for new systems to bring water from the Midwest and Pacific Northwest to alleviate pressure on the West.
Owning the Farmer’s Story
Though humble about his “celebrity” status, Leimgruber believes farmers must speak out more often.
“If we don’t step up and tell the story, we’ll be falsified and villainized.”
Social media and platforms like AgNet West can help share the truth: farming is hard, meaningful, and essential.
Alfalfa Markets and Looking Ahead
June is peak hay season, and despite depressed alfalfa prices, Leimgruber continues working 10 to 20 nights in a row to meet dairy demand. He remains cautiously optimistic.
“Ag markets are cyclical. When shortages happen, markets adjust. The next peak is around the corner.”
Reporting by Nick Papagni, “The Ag Meter,” for AgNet West