First of all, the land in the Valley is very fertile.
Secondly, in the southern portion, the climate is nearly semi tropical which allows for two crops per year.
And its the only warm fertile place in the country?
One of the few and its the only one with a Mediterranean climate.......meaning crops like olives and grapes thrive.
In addition, there are crops grown in the Valley that can't be grown anywhere else in the US.
One valley, and anywhere else is impossible?
First of all, this valley is a huge plateau that stretches for over 600 miles North to South. And again, CA is the only area of the country that has a Mediterranean climate. And there are only 4 places in the world that have a Med. climate besides the Mediterranean itself. Its happens to be a very special climate.
Doesn't sound likely. Maybe for a very narrow range of highly specific crops, or maybe its just that given the subsidized water they are cheaper to grow in the valley. In any case if they are uneconomical to grow in the valley without subsidized water, or anywhere else in the US, who says they have to be grown in the US?
I didn't say it would be uneconomical to grow them....just more expensive to buy them.
Its either this spectacularly advantages place to grow crops or it isn't.
It is uniquely advantageous. CA is the economic engine that drives this country and the components within that engine tend to be unique and peculiar to CA.
If the advantages are so great than there probably still will be crops grown their, at least high margin crops. The price might be a bit higher, the amount supplied from that specific location might be a bit lower, but there is no need to just stop everything.
More than a bit....the rains stop in April and don't resume until Oct. Irrigated water is absolutely necessary during those intervening months.
Or alternatively if its so uneconomical to grow crops there when the growers pay the full price for the inputs, then there is no need for the crops to be grown their.
There is no way economically we could stop growing things in the SJ Valley without the US experiencing a serious econ. dislocation.
Several of its products including its wines are world reknown and provide major export items for the US.
Wine growing typically doesn't require massive irrigation, and quality wines are high margin products. No need to shut down wine growing, at least not for wines that are in high demand.
Again, there is no rain from April to October. Even a fairly drought tolerant plant like grapes which thrive in Med. climates needs some water.
ou talk about dislocations when it comes to oil; the dislocations that would result from 'shutting down' the SJ Valley would be nearly as problematical for the US
You exaggerate things. Oil is involved in one way or another in the majority of our economy. Vegetables from San Joaquin are a much smaller concern.
Exaggerate. No, not really:
"Agriculture-Crops
A great variety of crops, especially fruits and vegetables, are grown in California. The state accounts for nearly the entire U.S. production of walnuts, almonds, nectarines, olives, dates, figs, pomegranates, and persimmons. It leads the nation in the production of vegetables, including lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, celery, cauliflower, carrots, lima beans, and spinach, and also of apricots, grapes, lemons, strawberries, plums and prunes, peaches, cantaloupes, avocados, and honeydew melons. It is the nation's leading producer of hay and the second leading producer of cotton. California is also the second ranking state in the production of rice, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, apples, pears, sweet corn, and asparagus. Nearly every crop grown in the United States is represented in California fields.
Crops account for 75 percent of the state's annual farm income, with the rest coming from livestock and animal products. Vegetables are grown primarily in the Central, Imperial, and Salinas valleys. Cotton is raised primarily in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Citrus fruit production is centered in southern California and the southeastern San Joaquin Valley. Grapes, peaches, potatoes, barley, and figs are raised chiefly in the San Joaquin Valley; and rice, sugar beets, and pears are raised mainly in the Sacramento Valley."
southlandrealestate.com |
