Almond farming originally began in Western Asia, but it wasn’t until the 1700s that it was officially introduced to American soil by Spanish explorers. By the 1900s, commercial almond production in the U.S. had been established in the heart of California’s Central Valley as almond trees flourished in the Mediterranean climate.
West Coast surfer and California avocado rancher, Jamie Johnson, has spent the greater part of his adult years cultivating his love for the land. As a fourth-generation farmer, it was Jamie’s grandfather and great-grandfather who first shared this honorable way of life. As seen in our documentary Jamie Johnson: An American Farmer, Jamie’s first memories of farming began out in the avocado fields as a boy, watching his grandfather touch and closely examine each tree. “Do you have to touch every tree, Grandpa?” He would ask.
Home to 77,857 farms and ranches, California agriculture is thriving. The $54 billion agricultural industry generates at least $100 billion in related economic activity.Read More
