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California Specialty Crops


What makes specialty crops so special? Specialty crops are fruits and tree nuts, vegetables, herbs and spices, nursery, floricul- ture, and horticulture crops. They’re the ones that are not considered staple foods. It’s the almonds and carrots in your school lunch, the mushrooms on your pizza, the garlic and ginger that flavors your dinner, the cut flowers in the holiday centerpiece, the trees in the park, and the herbs in your medicine. California produces more than 400 different commodities, many of which are specialty crops. They’re all around us!


 Nearly half of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables con- sumed in the United States are produced right here in our state. From the southern California deserts to the mountains in the north, California is home to a variety of soil and climate types that allow the state to produce a wide variety of specialty crops. California produces 99 percent or more of 14 commodities that are enjoyed throughout the United States, including artichokes, dates, kiwifruit, olives, pomegranates, and pistachios.


Inside this newspaper, you will discover the many ways we use specialty crops and learn how agriculture impacts your life daily.


Specialty Crop Categories


Here are a few examples of specialty crops in each category:



Fruit and Tree Nuts
Almonds, blackberries, figs, grapes, lemons, oranges, pears, pecans, pistachios, walnuts.


Vegetables
Asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, eggplant, garlic, mushrooms, squash, tomatoes.


Culinary Herbs and Spices
Basil, cilantro, cloves, ginger, lavender, nutmeg, oregano, sage, thyme, vanilla.


Medicinal Herbs
Boldo, foxglove, marshmallow, passion flower, pennyroyal, pokeweed, senna, tansy, witch hazel, yarrow.


Nursery, Floriculture and Horticulture Crops
Christmas trees, ferns, holly, magnolia trees, marigolds, oak trees, pansies, poinsettias, roses, tulips.





Table of Contents


California Specialty Crops .................................page 2
Pumpkins and Squash: Treasures of the New World...............................page 3
Pistachios are Nut-astic .....................................page 4
Fancy Free, Floral-ly .............................................. page 5
Mmmarvelous Melons ..........................................page 6
Colorful Fruits and Veggies ............................... page 7
California Grows .......................................pages 8 and 9
The Garden Center ..............................................page 10
Have a Berry Special Day ..................................page 11
Underground Edibles ..........................................page 12
Food Safety is a Team Effort ..........................page 13
Superb Herbs ..........................................................page 14
Specialty Words ....................................................page 15
Acknowledgments ................................................page 16


A message for teachers...


For the past ten years, the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC) has produced What’s Growin’ On? to help students discover how agriculture regularly impacts their lives. This year’s edition, focusing on California specialty crops, is inspired by the farmers and ranchers who provide these crops to our society on a daily basis. Specialty crops are crops that are grown and used by people for food, medicinal purposes, and/or aesthetic gratification. Many of these crops are grown in California.


The articles, activities, and Web resources featured in What’s Growin’ On? will help connect your classroom to the specialty crops of California in a unique way. As a teacher you have the opportunity to introduce your students to the fascinating world around them— including agriculture!


All of CFAITC’s resources are developed and reviewed by educators and agriculture industry experts to ensure accurate and factual information about each topic. The activities on the following pages meet Content Standards for California Public Schools for grades three through eight, while encouraging students to gain an appreciation for where their food comes from and to connect them with the world of agriculture.

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