4 ms·

Am I missing something? That still sounds profitable just based on the data I read in these comments: 7 ton / acre * $220 / ton - (435000 gallon / acre * $0.4

• anubisresources 9y ago
  Obviously your equation is a big simplification, but you’re missing a lot of the input costs.
• ghshephard 9y ago
  Your math checks out - of the top of my head, 435,000 gallons is approx 1.6 million liters - 1600 m^3 * $0.4/m^3 = ~$640/acre of water, for $1440 of product, or ~ $800 profit (for just water costs) One variable we are missing is transport costs - that $0.40 is for generation, and transportation of water from the ocean to the central valley would probably be expensive.
• Moto7451 9y ago
  Alfalfa is also a nitrogen fixer, so on top of being something farmers can sell it reduces furtilizer costs.