Amid a historically wet winter, California farmers are resorting to drastic measures to protect their fields from flooding. A viral video that made rounds on social media shows farmers sacrificing two expensive pickup trucks to plug a hole in a levee.
The recent storms have caused rivers and streams to rise, occasionally causing them to overflow and pose a threat to farmland in various regions of the state. One of the most affected areas is the highly productive southern San Joaquin Valley.
A video shared on Twitter by Cannon Michael, a sixth-generation farmer who manages Bowles Farming Co. in the Los Banos region, shows a man taking drastic measures to prevent the flooding of a pistachio orchard.
The footage, which was posted on Tuesday, features a Chevy Silverado being driven into the water that has broken through an earthen levee.
The driver quickly exits the vehicle, allowing it to act as a barrier against the water flow.
Another truck is already in the breach, serving the same purpose. The farmers' actions were in response to the recent storms that have caused rivers and streams to overflow, threatening farmland across various areas of California, including the southern San Joaquin Valley, which is known for its highly productive agriculture.
