Description:
Americans enshrine the myth of the self-sufficient, independent farmer. This is the romantic vision of the Andrew Jackson era still shared by many today. Our economic experience in the West is quite different. Our Western agricultural origin story is born of Federal government subsidized support for the Mexican-American War, Transcontinental Railway, the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korean War and Viet Nam War. California farming has been agribusiness from the start. The concept of a family farmer behind a mule and plow cultivating acreage cleared from the wilderness is not our experience. We begin with Rancho Los Megaños, Native American vaqueros and 50,00 head of cattle destined to feed hungry Mother Lode miners. Caterpillar tractors are invented in Stockton to till thousands of acres of peat land. Dry farmers export more grain tonnage to feed the world than the entire Mississippi valley in the late 1870s. Dozens of fruit, asparagus, and vegetable packing houses dot the region to feed Europe and our troops in 5 wars. Join us as the Delta leads the war effort.
Registration Cutoff Date:
Dates & Times:
3/19/2024 1:00PM - 3:00PM
LMC Brentwood Center Room 308
