California’s link to agriculture is as deep and rich as the state’s amazing soil. Growing food in the Golden State—which produces more than half the country’s fruits, vegetables, and nuts—not only fills our tables with fresh foods, but also creates a lifestyle you can experience first hand. Imagine biting into a fresh peach at a farmers’ market or produce stand, or driving through beautiful orchards or flower fields, or visiting a family-run farm (more than 90 percent of California’s farms are still family-owned). Here’s how you can experience “California Grown” first hand.
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The state’s lush northern half is ideal for a wide range of crops. Abundant winter rains and cool nights combine with hot summer afternoons to create ideal conditions for crisp, sweet apples and delectable pears. Walnuts and olives also thrive, and the region has emerged as a leading producer of premium olive oils—not to mention delicious olives. The hilly coast and broad Upper Sacramento Valley are filled with opportunities to see, do, and taste.
Discover the Bounty: Northern California
In the state’s northeast corner, follow the Tehama Trail, linking farm stands overflowing with heirloom tomatoes, nectarines, and sweet plums. Olive orchards blanket the region; at Lucero Olive Oil in Corning, sample extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars. February brings the Capay Valley Almond Festival, northwest of Sacramento, a five-town seasonal celebration. Along San Francisco’s bay front, visit the local artisan food purveyors and twice-weekly farmers’ markets at Ferry Building Marketplace.
From the fog-kissed coast to sunny interior valleys, Central California is home to world-renowned growing areas. Near the coast, Salinas Valley, a major producer of lettuce, boasts the nickname “Salad Bowl of the World,” while nearby Castroville is the main growing region for artichokes. California also produces 70 percent of the nation’s asparagus, much of it grown inland, near Stockton. Other Central Coast crops include sweet raspberries, and juicy table grapes.
Discover the Bounty: Central California
Follow the Fresno County Fruit Trail through leafy orchards to produce stands overflowing with nectarines, peaches, and plums. Expansive Simonian Farms offers an enormous variety of dried fruits and nuts, as well as produce, treats, and tangy pomegranate jelly. In April, taste everything asparagus (even ice cream) at the Stockton Asparagus Festival. Or in October, enjoy the California Avocado Festival, “three days of peace, love, and guacamole” in Carpinteria. For fresh artichokes picked from surrounding coastal fields, stop by Pezzini Farms in Castroville.
Like a real-life Garden of Eden, just about everything grows in Southern California. Flowers and plump strawberries thrive in the region’s coastal valleys. Avocado groves cover foothill slopes near San Diego, while orange blossoms fill spring nights in citrus regions from Ojai to Riverside with a sweet perfume. Even the desert lands of the Coachella Valley are productive, with oasis-like stands of dates producing delicious, sticky-sweet dates.