The Great Lakes & Corn Belt (Chapter 8)

In Chapter 8, we learned about the Great Lakes and Corn Belt region; in particular, we learned about the region's agriculture and other primary-sector activities. The Antelope Valley has also had a strong history of agricultural production, with its first agricultural boom occurring in the 1880s and 1890s during a period of heavy rainfall which led early settlers in the AV to grow alfalfa, barley, wheat, and a variety of fruits and nuts. However, farmers were plagued by the desert's reoccurring droughts, until irrigation powered by pumps and eventually by electricity, allowed for sustainable large-scale agricultural production. By 1920, alfalfa became the Antelope Valley's major crop. Interestingly, farmers in the AV between the 1880s and late 1920s were plagued by an overabundance of jackrabbits who destroyed the crops. So-called "jackrabbit drives" were community events where the jackrabbits were hunted and then barbecued for their meat, and these events were so popular that "city folk" from  Los Angeles came by train to participate in them.

Antelope Valley farm scene, c. 1902:

(Source: http://www.colapublib.org/history/antelopevalley/faq.html#q10)

The importance of agriculture as the Antelope Valley's main industry can be seen in the names of many of the area's communities, such as Almondale, Pearblossom, and Pearland. However, the relative significance of agriculture and other primary-sector activities have declined in the AV due to the rise of aerospace and tertiary industries in the area. It should be noted, though, that agricultural production has increased in the AV since the mid-1990s due to an increase in the production of fruit and vegetable crops, and agricultural acreage in the AV has increased due to the influence of the new carrot industry.

Today, the Antelope Valley produces a variety of agricultural products, including commercial production of alfalfa, small grains (for hay), onions, carrots, peaches, pears, and nectarines, as well as cherries, apples, and grapes on a smaller scale.

The pie chart below illustrates the amount of acreage devoted to the AV's major crops:

As this illustrates, hay, including alfalfa and small grains, is the AV's primary crop. The Antelope Valley is also home to a few local wineries, such as the Antelope Valley Winery located in Lancaster:



Finally, the text characterized the population of the Great Lakes and Corn Belt region as "well-educated," so I was interested to research the statistics for the educational attainment levels in the Antelope Valley. The following bar graphs compare the education levels for the South AV (primarily Palmdale and Lancaster) with the state of California averages:

As the graph illustrates, the AV is above average up to the attainment of an Associate degree, but is below the state average for attainment of Bachelor's degree or higher.

(Sources: http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/Agriculture/High_Desert_Crops/, http://www.city-data.com/city/South-Antelope-Valley-California.html, http://articles.latimes.com/1990-07-06/local/me-278_1_antelope-valley-s-communities)