Last week, the city of Tulare ousted its mayor after he got involved in a heated argument on Facebook. The argument centered around agriculture and its impacts on the environment and the economy—but the story is far bigger than a few punches thrown on social media. In the small city of Tulare, agriculture is king. Especially dairy. Factories for Land O’ Lakes and Saputo are just steps away from downtown. And the city water tower is a glass of milk. “It even has a straw coming out of the top,” laughs Alyssa Serpa. “It says ‘Tulare we’ve got it,’ and I think that’s a pretty perfect representation of us.” Serpa is a dairy consultant in Tulare. She’s walking me through downtown where, moments earlier, she had seen a tractor driving by. Here, even the businesses you’d see in any city – thrift shops, hair salons, pet stores – all have signs in their windows that say “my job depends on ag.” “Agriculture is tied to both the town and the people in it,” says Serpa. “We really do believe it’s a
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