As you drive down Highway 101 going south, there are acres and acres of farmland on both sides. As you look out the windows you probably are wondering what is growing in the perfectly symmetrical rows. Salinas Valley, being one of the premier growing areas in the country stretches from Salinas in the North to San Ardo in the South. It is surrounded by the Santa Lucia Range on the West and the Gabilan Range on the East. The valley was named during the 18th century Spanish Colonial times. The name comes from the Spanish word,” Salina” meaning “salt marsh”. During the late 18th and early 19th century many Italian, Portuguese, and Swiss-Italian immigrants came to the Salinas Valley and the surrounding area to work the land and create a new life. Before colonization, the area was inhabited by the Salinians, an indigenous group of people who hunted and gathered and spoke the Salinian language.
Agriculture dominates the Valley’s economy. Being labeled the “Salad Bowl” the valley grows many types of lettuces, broccoli, artichokes, celery, cauliflower, and wine grapes. One of the main reasons that the Salinas Valley is so good for growing in the soil. There are many different types of soils. The 2 major ones are Granitic and sedimentary. According to the usda.gov website “The Salinas series consists of deep, well-drained soils that formed in alluvium weathered from sandstone and shale.” Another reason for the superior growing conditions is the weather. The area has a Mediterranean climate that supports year-round growing conditions. Growing season averages between 200-350 days a year. The third reason is the supply of water. The farms and fields are supplied by an underground water supply thanks to the nearby Lake San Antonio and Nacimiento and the large watershed from the surrounding mountain ranges.
As of 2019, there were 393,315 acres that produce crops in Monterey County. Organic crops alone accounted for more than 68,000 acres with a gross sale of $412,347,000. According to the Monterey County Farm Bureau,398,985,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables are exported to other countries every year. Some of our biggest trading partners are Canada, Taiwan, Mexico, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the European Union. The top exported items are Lettuce, Strawberries, Celery, Broccoli, and Cauliflower. These farms are located next to Highway 101. This gives them prime access to the major ports in Oakland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Big companies like Dole, Fresh Express, and Taylor Farms are located in the Salinas area. These companies are heavy hitters in the salad business. Another fact I thought was interesting was that 80% of the consumed salad in the US is grown in the Salinas Valley. Some of the other major producers of goods in Monterey County and the Salinas Valley is OceanMist Farms. They are located in Castroville. They grow a wide variety of goods including artichokes, celery, head lettuce, asparagus, beets, cardoon, and Brussel sprouts. As I mentioned in a previous blog they are located in Castroville which is known as the “Artichoke Capital of the World”. According to OceanMist’s website, “Their first artichoke was grown here 9 decades ago. The perfect Mediterranean climate helps them grow the artichoke to the gold standard. During the winter the artichoke operation moves down to Coachellas in the southern desert to continue the year-round operation.
The neighbor to the North, Santa Cruz County produces a lot of items too. I will discuss that in a separate blog. Hopefully, I have shown you why the Salinas Valley is such a good area for growing an assortment of vegetables. Thank you
Talk to you later
Joe
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