History of San Joaquin Valley

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.