Celebrate California Farmers and Farmworkers

When it comes to agricultural output, California is truly the cream of the crop. The Golden State produces one-third of the nation's vegetables and two-thirds of its fruit. And those grapes you're enjoying, either in a bowl or in a glass? Odds are they were grown on a California farm.

While the California sunshine, mild temperatures, and fertile soil make for optimal growing conditions, there would be no California agricultural industry without hardworking farmers and farmworkers. They toil day in and day out all year long to cultivate everything from juicy oranges and peaches to crunchy almonds. In recognition of those tireless workers, California Grown has designated October California Farmer and Farmworker Month.

To mark the occasion, California Now Podcast host Soterios Johnson interviews farmers located in two of the state’s richest agricultural regions—the Central Valley and the Central Coast. Johnson first learns about the family history and traditions of a multigenerational peach and stone-fruit farm outside of Fresno. He then talks with an urban winemaker based in Paso Robles who got her start cleaning wine cellars. After that, he chats with a Central Valley grape and almond farmer who has been working the fields for 50 years.