Wheat fields, San Luis Obispo County

Description: Photograph of wheat fields in San Luis Obispo County. The photo captures rolling hills dotted by trees, viewed here at left and in the distance.
Wheat production in San Luis Obispo County can be traced to the Mission San Luis Obispo in the 1770s. It was in the Santa Margarita Valley that the Mission built an outlying farm that the fathers named “Asistencia de Santa Margarita.” The farm’s wine-grape vineyards and wheat fields were farmed by the Mission Chumash. As farmers began to procure former mission lands, wheat farming spread throughout the county. Areas included (but were not limited to) the Arroyo Grande, San Juan, Estrella, Edna, and Santa Margarita valleys. The Gold Rush of the 1840s provided a boon for local farmers who produced the grains and goods needed for the area’s growing population. Grain production continued after the population boom, with San Luis Obispo becoming a leader in wheat production between the years 1880-1890. Though the bulk of grain production eventually shifted to the Mid-western U.S., San Luis Obispo County continues to produce grains on a small scale along with other agricultural products.
Caption: Text from negative sleeve: 2865. Wheat Field. San Luis Obispo County.

Repository: University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections
Local Identifier: uclamss_1300_5341
ARK: ark:/21198/zz002d7h4h
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Rights statement: copyrighted
Funding Note: Access to this collection is generously supported by Arcadia funds.