Chapter 11: Agricultural Core - Produce Statistics

Chapter 11 is about the Agricultural Core region, which Monterey County is not a part of. However, the following are some agricultural produce statistics about Monterey County.

Monterey County Produce

• Number of acres that produce crops: 176,992 acres in current production. In fact, for every 1 acre of buildings and pavement, there are 4 acres of strawberries, lettuce, grapes, or other crops.
• Number of crops grown: Farmers grow more than 150 crops.
• Top 10 crops produced: Strawberries, Leaf Lettuce, Head Lettuce, Broccoli, Nursery stock, Celery, Grapes, Spring Mix, Misc. Vegetables, and Spinach.
• Total crop values: The 2010 Monterey County Crop Report calculated $4,033,718,000. Strawberries were the top crop at $751.1 million, leaf lettuce was second at $724.6 million, and head lettuce was third at $511.9 million.
• Number of pounds exported from Salinas Valley: 562,853,022 pounds of fruits and vegetables are exported to other countries.
• Largest international trading partners: Canada, Taiwan, Mexico, and Japan.
• Number of jobs: 2 in 5 households receive an agriculture-related income, which equals about 45,000 jobs.

Picked Strawberries

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Chapter 10: Southern Coastlands - Pacific Coastline

Chapter 10 is about the Southern Coastlands region, which Monterey County is not a part of. Because of the location of the region, I am going to talk a bit about the coastline of Monterey County.

Monterey County has 99 miles of Pacific Coastline, which is more than any other California County and part of what makes Monterey County one of the most breathtaking places in the country. Monterey Bay is 19 miles of coastline across at its entrance and about 300-350 feet deep on average. To preserve the coastline, there are laws to protect it. For example, the Pacific Grove coastline is protected as a marine garden fish refuge, and Point Lobos and Carmel Bay are protected as ecological reserves that have strict regulations about fishing or the taking of marine life.

Pacific Coastline from Highway 1

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Chapter 9: Changing South - Poverty

Chapter 9 is about the Changing South, which Monterey County is not a part of. The chapter does talk about persistent poverty being a problem for the South, however, so I am going to talk a bit about Monterey County's poverty.

Food Line at Food Bank

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2009 the percentage of persons living below poverty in Monterey County was 17.2%, which was higher than the California poverty level of 14.2%. Childhood poverty also rose from 17% to 27%, meaning more than 1 of 4 children are living in poverty (in California and the rest of the country it's 1 in 5). The increase in poverty is due to the current recession and lack of jobs. Employment is actually decreasing and that means there has been "an increase in the number of people served by social services: families who need CalWorks, the state welfare program, and CalFresh, the state food and nutrition program."

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Chapter 8: Appalachia - Regional Programs

Chapter 8 is about the Appalachia region, which Monterey County is not a part of. The chapter does talk about regional development programs of that region, so I am going to talk a little about some regional programs of Monterey County.

The Monterey County Department of Public Works has several programs designed to "promote the economic vitality and enhance the quality of life for the people of Monterey County by providing for safe and efficient, high quality, environmentally sensitive public road and bridge systems, environmental systems, public facilities, and public services." Examples of these programs include the following divisions:

Tynan Village in Salinas (Built as Part of Affordable Housing)

• Redevelopment and Housing: handles redevelopment projects and affordable housing programs.
• Human Resources: provides employment opportunities.
• Facilities Divisions: maintains safe and efficient operation of County buildings and grounds.
• Architectural Services: handles new facilities and major renovations.
• Road and Bridge Design, Construction, Maintenance: deals with the designing, construction management, operation, and maintenance of public roads and bridges. 
• Transportation Planning: issues various transportation permits for the road system.

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Chapter 7: Bypassed East - Fishing

Chapter 7 is about the Bypassed East region, which Monterey County is not a part of. The chapter does talk about fishing being an important part of that region's economy and since it is also an important part of Monterey County's economy, I am going to talk a bit about that.

Moss Landing (One Fishing Port)

The commercial fishing industry gives large revenues and important services to Seaside, Sand City, Monterey, Moss Landing, and the surrounding Monterey County areas. Moss Landing has about 300 commercial fishing boats (more during specific seasons) and Monterey has about 130 commercial fishing boats. The fishing boats catch a lot of fish like Salmon, Sablefish, Swordfish, Squid, Sardines, Granadiers, Anchovies, Mackerel, and different rock fish. Processing plants are located in Monterey, Salinas, Seaside, and Watsonville.

Squid Catch

Still, like in the Bypassed East, there has been a decline in catch, which has made many Monterey County fishermen seek additional sources of income.

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