Chapter 11 - The Agricultural Core

Monterey Bay is similar to the Agricultural Core because there is a lot of agriculture there too. However, unlike the Agricultural Core, Monterey Bay is a nice place to visit since there is a lot more to do there besides just farming!

According to a website done by UC Davis, Monterey is considered the "salad bowl" of the world because its temperate climate and rich soils produce lots of cool season vegetables, wine grapes, strawberries, and flowers. It is interesting to note that of the packaged salads and pre-cut vegetable industry, 90% comes from Monterey. Wow! That is a lot of easy dinners.

Monterey County has the largest payroll in all the agricultural areas in California.  I found that interesting, but can understand why because UC Davis' website also said agriculture is year round in Monterey and this makes that area have continual labor which is a lot of work.

Chapter 10 - The Southern Coastlands: On The Subtropical Margin

Monterey Bay is more similar to the eastern half of the Southern Coastlands than the western half. Monterey is a really nice place to visit since there are so many things to see and because of this, there are a lot of people from all over the world that vist Monterey!

Some of the most popular attractions to see while visiting Monterey are: Cannery Row, which includes the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey Whale Watching, and Fisherman's Wharf.

  

Cannery Row



Monterey Bay Aquarium



Fisherman's Wharf

Tourism is an important part of Monterey's economy and has been especially important in the last 30 years. Tourism in Monterey supports 1/3 of the jobs there. People visit Monterey most from April through Thanksgiving.  

So, if you haven't visited Monterey Bay, what are you waiting for?

Okie Dokie Artichokie!

Although Monterey and the South seem very different, they do have one major aspect in common. Just what is it?

They are both BIG on agriculture!

A neat aspect of Monterey is that they just don't have one major cash crop, they have many cash crops depending where in Monterey you are.

In one area of Monterey, the artichoke is the biggest cash crop. (Yum Yum!)Not only is the artichoke big in Monterey, people from all over the United States depend on Monterey to grow their artichokes. A whopping 75% of the artichokes grown in the United States comes from Monterey!

In a different area of Monterey, strawberries are the biggest cash crop.

Another interesting fact about Monterey is that there are festivals that occur in the areas that have farming to celebrate that area's cash crop! These festivals have food that you can buy with the specific cash crop in it.  They also have arts and crafts for sale, music, and contests. The next time I go to Monterey, I am certainly going to plan it around one of these festivals.

Submarine Canyon

Often times when people hear the term "topography," they think of mountains, or at least I do.  Mountains are an obvious form of topography such as the Appalachia and Ozark mountains which are found in parts of Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia.  However, there are areas in the United States that have very little or no mountains, so just what is the topography in such areas?


Monterey Bay is an example.  Upon doing research with regards to the topography in Monterey, many links sent me to Monterey Submarine Canyon.  Who knew such a place existed?  It was exciting to learn about it, and I would like to tell you a little about the topography of Monterey Bay!


Monterey Submarine Canyon is a Submarine Canyon still being studied by scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.  The canyon is about 2 miles below the surface and is 1 mile deep.  Because the canyon is so deep, it creates a great area for marine life to live.

Early Settlement

Just what was it that brought people to the Monterey Bay area early on? Why did people settle there?

Some areas, such as Bypassed East, on a portion of the east coast and part of Canada, brought early European settlers because of its trees and fish (flounder, cod, and halibut). The climate was damp and cold...something not necessarily attractive to people.

Monterey Bay was a good location for early settlers to attract because of the convenient ports and fishing industry potential. The area offered fish and wildlife, natural resources and mild climate. Several types of fish include: salmon, albacore, rock cod, lingcod, halibut and rockfish.