Geography 417
California for Educators

California’s Agriculture and Soils

Objectives

•Students will identify and describe the major agricultural zones in California.

•Students will explain how the physical geography affects the agricultural potential of locations in California.

•Students will identify and explain the cultural, political and economic factors that affect the pattern of agricultural production in the state.

Agriculture

•The ability to grow specific plants is heavily dependent upon the climatological conditions of a region.

•In California though it is also a factor of cultural preferences and political will.

•Economics also play a role in determining what is grown where.

Background

•Effective agricultural practice is the taproot of civilization.

•Without agricultural surplus, urbanization and industrialization is not possible.

•Political and military power is often rooted in the ability to produce agricultural surpluses.

•Primary industries form the basis of industrial production in the state. 

•Primary industries are an important source of employment for the state.

•Primary industries are also an important source of basic income for the state, important to the economic health of California.

Top 5 Agricultural States

California         $24.5 (billions)

Texas               $13.3

Iowa                $11.0

Nebraska         $8.7

Illinois             $7

•Top farming state for over 50 years.

•USDA (US Department of Agriculture) has lesson plans, etc.

 

California Agricultural Statistics

•One of the top industries in the state

•1 in 10 jobs is agriculturally related

•$20+  billion annually

•$4 billion worth of exports per year.

•Accounts for 10% of US farm revenue

•1/3 of CA’s 100 million acres agricultural

•Fresno County alone has $2 billion farm economy

Read the legend!

Our stuff is valuable!

Why California?

•Prime valley flatlands

•Fertile soils

•Moderating effects of oceans

•Lengthy growing season

•Unique microclimates - sole producer

•Abundant Irrigation

Soils

•Only a note about soils, though they deserve more.

•Are a product of the local rocks, weather and climate and erosion.

•Quality soil is necessary for productive agriculture and since agriculture is the state’s biggest industry, soils are very important.

•The Great Central Valley has rich alluvial soils.

•The Klamath region has poor soils.

•Desert areas may have good soils.

Generalized US Soil Map

US Soil Map 2

US Soil Map 2

CA Close Up

•MORE COMPLEX, but

•Ultisols-too much rain, not great for agriculture but OK for forestry

•Alfisols- better for agriculture, much of the Great Central Valley, Central Coast.

•Entisols-can be great for agriculture and are common on the edges of the Great Central Valley, Mountains, etc.

•Aridsols-desert soils, sometimes saline and useless, but …

I. Agricultural Regions

•Defined by the type of crops grown, the style of labor and the use of land.

•California has multiple agricultural areas, but four are most important:

–Market Gardening

–Mediterranean

–Commercial Grain/ Livestock Fattening

–Dairy

Why is it there?

•If you were a farmer and you had to make a decision on what crop to grow, what factors would weigh most heavily on your decision?

– Will it _________ here?

–Can I make _______ growing this crop?

 

USDA Agricultural Maps:

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Ag_Atlas_Maps/index.asp

 

Physical Geography

•Clearly there are factors of physical geography that influence the possibilities:

–Soil conditions

–Rain amount

–Length of growing season

•Most of these factors have been covered already.

Economic and Cultural Geography

•Whether you can make money planting one crop or another is end the end the driving force farmer’s decisions.

–Is there a market for my crop?

–Is it profitable?

–Does the government subsidize this crop?

–Does my location offer me a competitive advantage?

Terrain and Profit (fig)

•What does one need to know to apply this in California?

Von Thunen’s Model

•Von Thunen offered a crude, but viable model that explains in part the pattern of agricultural production.

•Certain crops may be grown more profitably close to the market (cities) than others.

•What sorts of crops must be grown close to market?

•What crops can be stored or transported cheaply?

Von Thunen’s Model (fig)

Von Thunen in Practice-Uruguay (map)

Market (Truck) Gardening

•Fruit and vegetables

•Dependent upon seasonal (immigrant) labor

•New Jersey, Michigan, California

>50% fruits, nuts and vegetables

•Where in California would does this type of farming make the most sense?

•What climatic and political factors should be considered?

Vegetable Harvest (fig)

Vegetable Harvest

Broccoli Harvest

Mediterranean Agriculture

•Comes under the heading of specialty agriculture in Calfornia.

•Is somewhat outside of the considerations of the Von Thunen model because it requires a special climate.

•What are some of the typical Mediterranean crops?

•What are the climatic conditions and restraints?

Mediterranean Agriculture-Crete Greece (fig)

Commercial Grain Farming

•Where is the corn belt; wheat belt; rice belt in the United States?

•Are there international competitors?

•Where in California?

Wheat Production

Wheat Harvesting-(fig)

Rice Production

Corn Production

Cotton Production

Pima Cotton!

Grapes

•Grapes are grown in California for three separate purposes.

–They include?

•Where are each grown?

•A few counties are internationally famous for they use specific types of grapes…which counties?

 Grapes

Oranges

•Oranges come in two varieties:

–Valencia (juicers)

•Developed in Santa Ana, California

•Ripen in the Summer, but you can leave them on longer.

–Navels (eaters)

•Fruitless, from Brazil and so they ripen in the _________.

•All are clones of the original, which was a mutant.

Livestock Ranching

•Per acre profit?

•Frequent conducted on what type of land?

•Where in California?

Commercial Livestock Fattening

•Hogs and Cattle brought in for fattening

•In areas of the Great Plains of the US

•Much of the corn and soybeans grown in the US goes to feed cattle.

•Is this efficient?

•Where in California?

Feedlot-Colorado (fig)

Beef Cows

Pigs and Hogs

Commercial Dairying

•Upstate New York, Wisconsin, New England, California.

•#1 agricultural industry in state.

•Why so big in California?

•Butter, Cheese or Milk? 

•Also employs the feedlot system

•Where in California?

Milk Cows

Why this pattern?

Hay Farming (fig)

More Statistics

•25% of agricultural production exported.

–Pacific Rim (55%), Canada (18%), Europe (9%), Mexico (5%).

•25% of agricultural production goes to other states.

•66% of fruits exported

•80% of canned fruits/vegetables for export.

•California produces more than 90% of world’s almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwi, olives, raisins, and walnuts.

Top 15 Farm Products by Value

•Milk and Cream

•Grapes

•Nursery Products

•Cattle and Calves (+)

•Cotton (-)

•Lettuce (+)

•Almonds (-)

•Hay (+)

•Tomatoes, processing (+)

•Flowers & Foliage (+)

•Strawberries (+)

•Oranges (8)

•Chickens

•Rice

 

What’s missing? Why?

Leading Counties by $ Value

•Fresno 5,345,352 Grapes, Almonds, Milk, Poultry, Tomatoes

•Tulare 4,873,743 Milk, Oranges, Cattle and Calves, Grapes,

•Kern 4,092,107 Milk, Grapes, Citrus, Almonds, Carrots

•Monterey  3,823,287  Lettuce, Strawberries, Nursery, Broccoli,

•Merced  3,001,667  Milk, Chickens, Almonds, Cattle and Calves,

•Stanislaus 2,412,339 Milk, Almonds, Chickens, Cattle and Calves, Walnuts

•San Joaquin 2,005,185 Milk, Grapes, Cherries, Almonds, Walnuts

•Kings 1,761,852  Milk, Cotton, Cattle and Calves, Alfalfa, Pistachios

•Ventura 1,547,263   Strawberries, Nursery Stock, Lemons, Celery, Tomatoes

•San Diego 1,536,260  Foliage Plants, Trees and Shrubs, Bedding Plants, Avocados, Tomatoes

Local:

•Ventura - Lemons, Celery, Avocados, Strawberries

•San Bernardino - Dairy, Beef, Alfalfa, Eggs

•Santa Barbara- Strawberries, Nursery, Broccoli

•LA – Nursery Products

•Orange - Nursery, Strawberries

So Cal Ag (fig)

Migrant Workers

•Reason for CA high productivity

•2/3 of agricultural workforce

•Labor force migrates w/seasons

•65-70% born in Mexico, other Latin Amer. countries

•Political/economic crises

•Top countries - Mexico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador

•Many undocumented

•Anti-immigrant sentiment

A different type of Agriculture

Forestry

•Where are the forests?

•How important is forestry to the California economy?

•Which trees are most valuable?

•Environmental issues?

–How much old growth is left?

–What are sustainable harvests?

How important is forestry to the California economy?

•California is the third largest producer of forest products in the US, after Oregon and Washington.

•California forest products companies produce more than $14 billion worth of products every year.

•Since 1987, 60 sawmills, plywood plants, veneer plants, pulp mills and board plants have closed in California.

•They are the leading employer in many Northern California counties.

Sawmill (fig)

Which trees are most valuable?

Douglas Fir provides the largest number of logs, but Ponderosa Pine and Coast Redwood provide the highest dollar values because of their exceptional quality.

Environmental Issues

•How much old growth is left?

• Less than 10% of the original old-growth forest is left and much less than that of old growth redwood.

•What are sustainable harvests?

•Most of California’s forests are second or third growth forests, many of which were clear-cut.

•Today environmentalists and forests scientists still can’t decide whether trees should be harvested every 30, 40, or 50 years. Also, most argue that clear cutting must stop.

•VERY complex.

Clear Cutting (fig)