In dry West, farmers balk at idling land to save water

Tom Brundy stands among alfalfa on one of the fields at his farm Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, near Calexico, Calif. Brundy, an alfalfa grower in California's Imperial Valley, thinks farmers reliant on the shrinking Colorado River can do more to save water and use it more efficiently. But one practice that's off-limits for Brundy is fallowing — leaving fields unplanted to spare the water that would otherwise irrigate crops. (Gregory Bull/AP)