Thursday, December 24, 2015

Campaign to “Drill for Will” Rescues One Valley Farmer

Water wells going dry have impacted thousands of Central Valley residents, and Valley farms as well. One of the farmers severely affected is Will Scott Jr., who grows vegetables near Fresno. He’s one of only 500 African American farmers in California, and President of their statewide organization. His domestic well went dry so he can’t use the house on the farm. More seriously, his Ag well is producing only a fraction of its capacity. Unless he drills deeper for more water, the flow eventually will stop. But luck and generosity of spirit came his way. After learning about it, another farmer in the same predicament launched a ‘Drill for Will’ campaign to rescue Scott. By word mouth and media coverage, an outpouring of support resulted, with contributions coming from all parts of the nation. Pacifica’s Vic Bedoian reports from Fresno.