With its Mediterranean climate and ideal location between the
Sierras and the San Francisco Bay area, the San Joaquin Valley is not
only a major agricultural hub but it's also the place where thousands
of people call home. Fast-growing and more affordable than the Bay
area, the San Joaquin Valley is also the world's largest producer of
raisins and home to the top ten agricultural counties in the U.S. While
this area is well-known for its vineyards and crops, it is also rapidly
becoming home to many Bay area commuters, retirees, and anyone looking
for a slower-paced lifestyle.
Farming
caught hold in the valley in the 1800s when growers began taking
advantage of the area's long hot growing season and abundant sunshine.
The fertile and mild San Joaquin Valley provides the perfect conditions
for viticulture as well as growing grapes, apricots, figs, almonds,
alfalfa, walnuts, and other crops. While the valley only gets 10 inches
of rain each year, water from the Sierra Nevada provides the perfect
irrigation system for crops. With the arrival of the railroad in the
late 1800s and the birth of irrigated farming, crops replaced cattle
ranching in the valley. Legend says the state's first raisin crop was
grown when a massive heat wave in the valley shriveled up grapes on the
vine, yet Armenian immigrants are credited with bringing their
extensive viticulture knowledge to the region. Today, along with being
the largest raisin producer in the world, the San Joaquin Valley
produces more than half of all grapes grown in the United States.
While
the San Joaquin Valley has long been home to farmers, immigrants, and
their families, its reputation as a burgeoning wine country and
peaceful oasis away from the city has attracted thousands of new
residents in recent years. Now one of the most rapidly expanding
regions in California, San Joaquin County and the surrounding San
Joaquin Valley communities are home to more than 620,000 residents.
For information about homes for sale in the San Joaquin Valley, please contact Sherman & Associates at (209) 334-2136.
