News that the 2006 apricot harvest is projected to be the lowest
in state history probably won’t be met with alarm in most
households.
News that the 2006 apricot harvest is projected to be the lowest in state history probably won’t be met with alarm in most households.
But we feel that slight apprehension is in order. For folks who have lived in these parts longer than a generation, Hollister evokes association with the fruit. Dried apricots from Hollister (or San Benito County) were a staple for a lot of kids from here to San Jose.
Yes, San Jose. And this is where the apprehension part comes in. Without being alarmist, we would hate to see the “Hollister” apricot go the way of the San Jose prune. or San Jose apricot, for that matter. It is worth noting that the Santa Clara Valley was once referred to as “the valley of heart’s delight.” Now it is commonly designated Silicon Valley.
We have nothing against Santa Clara Valley transforming itself from an agricultural center to a technology center. It has been a lucrative restructuring. Santa Clara County is rich in diversity, innovation, and always has a positive eye toward the future. Yet it is kind of sad that the orchards couldn’t co-exist, at least a little.
And we are not sounding alarms that San Benito County is about to wipe out its orchards. The decline has been gradual. The apricot harvest was lowered in part because of weather factors.
But as Hollister and San Benito County grow – adding more homes and subdivisions – certain aspects, such as orchards, will go away because they will not be cost-effective as business. It will make more sense for the landowners to sell.
Maybe San Benito County will maintain a rural feel despite the loss of some agricultural amenities.
Maybe it is simply an apricot thing. At any rate, the fact is that apricot orchard acreage in the county has shrunk from 4,000 acres in the past decade to about 1,000 current acres. That number probably won’t increase.
It is worth a thought. Next time we pick up a bag of “Hollister” dried apricots we’ll remark how sweet these things are, and wonder if the days are numbered for their orchards.
