Federal officials plan to announce Friday how much water they can release this year through a vast system of rivers, canals and reservoirs, but Central Valley farmers on the front lines of California's historic drought expect little, if anything.
American agriculture has experienced a boom, with market values of crops, livestock and total agricultural products reaching record highs even as the amount of U.S. farmland declined.
Congress is preparing to send President Barack Obama a massive, five-year farm bill that provides food for the needy and subsidies for the nation's farmers.