Avocado grower pulls plug on 700 trees as costs climb

After six years of trying to make his avocado orchard financially sustainable, Todd Schwarz says he’s shutting off the water to 700 trees and abandoning most of the operation. Schwarz announced the decision in a post on Nextdoor, describing it as one of the hardest decisions of his life. In 2020, he and his family purchased a 10-acre orchard they named Avocado Dreams, investing money, labor and years of effort into the agricultural venture. Now, he says, rising production costs have made continuing the operation financially unsustainable. “Today, with a heavy heart and an even heavier hand, I turned off the water to 700 avocado trees,” Schwarz wrote. The decision effectively shuts down 70% of the orchard. Approximately 250 trees will continue receiving water, al­though Schwarz expressed doubt about whether even that reduced operation can remain financially viable. According to Schwarz, water costs have increased 40% since 2020, while fertilizer expenses have doubled.

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