Remembering NoCal

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It took awhile for me to notice, but there is a thriving agrarian culture in the most unlikely place on earth. Yes, on the strip of highway running through the heavily forested mountains, I began to notice people walking along the side of the road carrying gardening tools and sometimes wearing a backpack.

I bet there is not more than a quarter acre of tillable land in the whole county, but these dedicated gardeners trudge to their remote little plots to tend their vegetables.

Once, I passed a tall, lanky man standing beside his pickup truck holding a hoe. (The garden tool.) He eyed me carefully as I passed and remained stock still until I reached the next curve – about 200 feet away. I had time to see him take one-step to cross the road in the uphill direction of the mountain. Most of the foot traffic responded in similar ways. If I did not know better, I would have sworn they were running a still.

Overall, I expect a vegetable garden of small to moderate size could easily feed a family. The soil seems fertile enough and water is plentiful. Sunlight might be an issue. The ambitious gardener would have to find a clearing or at least a thin spot in the canopy to have a chance to set fruit on a tomato vine, for example.

I kept my eyes open, but I never noticed the kind of roadside stands associated with this much gardening. You know, someone selling beets and artichokes from the back of their antique pickup truck. Odder still, these gardeners seemed to prefer Lexus sedans to trucks.

The next time I pass that way, I will stop and strike up a conversation with some of the farmers. They seemed shy at first, but I bet they are proud of their gardens and eager to show them off to an interested stranger. Maybe I can score, er uh, purchase some fresh veggies or herbs, wholesale.

California! What a wonderful country.

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