Where drought once dominated headlines, flooding now takes the stage in certain parts of California. Dairy producers often cited drought as their number one concern in 2022. Unbeknownst to them, a water crisis was on the horizon. Massive flooding has devastated the state’s largest dairy hub in Tulare County, a 33,000-plus head operation.

Dairy producer Ryan Junio operates a 4,200-head dairy operation in the same county, where he’s evacuated one dairy that sits on the Tule River. But Junio reports that despite dry corrals, the water continues to encroach the operation on three sides. And with another storm coming, more cows must be moved to safer areas – no small task, particularly for milking schedules.

California Milk Producer Council’s Geoff Vanden Heuvel, director of regulatory and economic affairs, says the state is “in the early stages of this situation.”

Read more on California flooding and its impact on dairy producers here.