Learn about California's dominance as an agricultural producer and about its reliance on immigrant laborers
Fruit and vegetable harvesting in California.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Don't let film photography become a lost art.Media Editors: Lauren Sims , Kira Helm
-
© 2025 Thomson ReutersRobots competed in tennis, track-and-field, boxing, martial arts, and other sports at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.It was a world before streaming services.Media Editor: Lauren Sims
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.An overview of Ronald Reagan.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.On October 19, 1987, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 508 points, about 22.6 percent of its value.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.O'Connor became the first female U.S. Supreme Court justice on September 25, 1981.
-
Public DomainU.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan speaking at the Berlin Wall, June 12, 1987.
News •
Immigrant families detained in cold and sunless rooms beyond 72-hour limit, advocates say
• Nov. 13, 2026, 6:56 PM ET (AP)
Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, cut off his ankle monitor, DOJ says
• Nov. 10, 2026, 3:07 PM ET (AP)
3 games, 2 days, 1 program. The Bethesda men's basketball team does things very differently
• Nov. 8, 2026, 2:35 PM ET (AP)
California's fifth consecutive Catholic governor exemplifies the faith's deep roots
• Nov. 8, 2026, 7:16 AM ET (AP)
2 licensed skydivers die in California after their parachutes become entangled
• Nov. 7, 2026, 5:02 PM ET (AP)
Transcript
NARRATOR: California leads the United States in agricultural production. The state's farms and fields yield an amazing variety of products: from grapes, plums, lettuce, strawberries, and oranges to broccoli, dates, cotton, rice, and sugar beets. California produces nearly one-third of the United States' canned and frozen vegetables and fruits.
Farming is a year-round job, with some crop ready for market almost every month. Laborers, including many Mexican Americans and Mexican nationals, do much of the work on the farms. The days are long, the work hard, and the pay low.
California's overall dominance in agriculture is unmatched by any other U.S. state.
Farming is a year-round job, with some crop ready for market almost every month. Laborers, including many Mexican Americans and Mexican nationals, do much of the work on the farms. The days are long, the work hard, and the pay low.
California's overall dominance in agriculture is unmatched by any other U.S. state.
Last Modification: