Why we love the valley
By Discover StaffThere are as many reasons for loving the Central Valley as there are people in it.
As a farmer, John Warmerdam, knows the climate and soil are important around here.
“We have a great Mediterranean climate for growing all of the different crops we grow here,” says Warmerdam, whose father owns Warmerdam Packing in Hanford. “You can grow pretty much any crop that grows in this climate and grow it well.”
But like most things, it’s the people that separate us from other places.
“The agricultural community and the people I work with and meet, their ambitious ingenuities and work ethics, they share the same passion for farming,” Warmerdam.
“The people that I come into contact with in the Valley...you can’t beat the people in Fresno,” says Jenifer Alcorn, three-time world boxing champion. “They’re very friendly and always supportive. They support and are proud of the Valley. We’re the biggest little city in California.”
For Terry McKittrick, the mayor of Dinuba, the Central Valley’s name says it all.
“We’re centrally located. We’re close to everything to the north, to the south, to the mountains and to the coast.” He also enjoys the accessibility to local fruits and vegetables and the Valley’s ethnic diversity. “The Valley is made up of all different kinds of people. It’s really a good hodge-podge.”
Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce president Eligio Nava, who spends much of his free time outdoors, says the Central Valley’s natural resources are important. High on his list of recreation is canoeing down the San Joaquin River, which he does 10 or so times a year.
But as the owner of Super Tacos, the taqueria and sports bar on Blackstone Avenue in Fresno, Nava knows there is a wide selection of restaurants available in the Central Valley, offering everything from authentic Italian, Chinese and Mexican dishes to Vietnamese and classic American fare. It’s the reason many chain restaurants use the Valley as a test market. “The combination we have is really unique.”
Local artist and downtown Fresno historian Pat Hunter enjoys the downtown Fresno skyline, with its combination of historic and contemporary architecture, the rural parts of our Valley, with farmhouses, barns and tank houses, which remind us of our agricultural importance to the world and the cultural diversity, community spirit and friendliness of Valley people.
As might be expected, Dan Pessano, from Fresno’s Good Company Players, says he enjoys the collection of artists living in and around the area. Yes, Fresno has its many theater groups and the Rogue Performance arts festival. But there are theaters and artists living and working all around the Valley, in Visalia, Madera and Porterville. “There is a little theater heartbeat in all those areas.”
He also enjoys the traditions of Triple-A baseball and watching guys who might one day be major league stars. Especially in a stadium like Fresno’s Chukchansi Park. “I don’t think there’s anything better than baseball on a summer night.”
Here’s what some others say about what makes the Valley a great place to live.
“I like the fact that I can get anywhere in the Valley at any time without having to plan ahead for traffic delays like those encountered in Northern and Southern California. I like the fact that people in the Valley are down to earth and do not think too highly of themselves, regardless of their financial status. I like the fact that people in the Valley appreciate, trust and support law enforcement officers. This has become a rarity across our nation. I like the Valley because we have conservative values based on faith and family. Too many fast-paced cities have lost these values.”
— Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer
“As a Fresno native who lived more than a decade away and then returned to raise my children, my perspective on the beauty of the Central Valley is somewhat different than that of someone who has lived continually in the region. Perhaps it is easier to see the good points of the Valley when compared to the more than 40 countries in which I worked. Undoubtedly, the wide-open spaces that allow a person to spread their wings are one of the key benefits of the area. So is the combination of rural and urban living now available to local residents. I love that my children will know the difference between a fig tree and an oak tree, but can still get a top-notch education that would compare favorably with any big city in the nation. There is the rapidly developing appreciation of our Valley’s colorful past, which, in conjunction with a vision for the future, allows us to see the boundless places we can go as a region. Finally, I love the rich tapestry of people who live in the San Joaquin Valley. From its earliest days, the area has successfully blended peoples from all over the world.”
— Elizabeth Laval, great-granddaughter of commercial photographer “Pop” Laval
“I was born and raised in Fresno. It’s my home and I love it. I love the land I live on because it’s filled with wonderful memories. There are old fig trees planted by JC Forkner (more than 100 years ago). They are wonderful twisted, old trees, and cedars planted by dad. The garden is filled with bushes and shrubs and trees with a long history. It gives me a wonderful sense of satisfaction to be living with history around me. I love the long growing season... It’s just a wonderful place to be. I love the closeness to the high Sierra and going out to the river. ”
— Margaret Hudson, artist
“The cost of living is very good. Comparatively speaking, you can own a beautiful home in Fresno. If you lived in San Jose or on the coast, there’s no way that you could afford it. You can live very comfortably here. I like the transportation system because you can get anywhere in Fresno in about 15 minutes. ”
— Jenifer Alcorn, three-time world boxing champion
“I grew up in the San Joaquin Valley and left the area for several years. I went overseas and lived in Japan and I lived in the Bay Area, but I came back here. There’s something about this place. Being a chef, the No. 1 thing is the produce here. Fresno is such a big, small town. Here people have that hometown mentality. It’s an attitude that doesn’t exist in other cities. It just feels like home to me.”
— Chef Roy Harland
“The people are what make Fresno County such a great place to live. It sounds cliché, but it’s true. The rich, ethnic and cultural diversity that makes up the Valley brings vitality and fresh perspectives to the community. It’s our differences that bind us, because, in the end, we are all deeply devoted to the Valley. Hey, clichés can be good.
“As much as I love the Valley, I’ll be the first to admit that things aren’t perfect here ... and that’s OK. What I truly appreciate though, is that there are so many citizens willing to passionately take a stand to make a difference. ”
— Henry Perea, Fresno County supervisor, District 3
“I like the Central Valley because it’s home and has been for many years. I was raised in the Valley and have been working here ever since. We have a good, honest business community. You have people with values who keep their word and it’s their bond. A lot of places you go that’s not true. People are loyal. We have wonderful people working for us. We’ve had people who have been with us for 35 to 37 years. It’s just not that we hired somebody yesterday; they’re a part of our family. So we have an obligation to stay in the Valley. We just love the Valley. Always have and always will.”
— Leo Wilson, president,
Wilson Homes
“We have a unique population here and I think it’s based upon the old-fashioned small-town culture. People really care for each other. I’ve been working with the San Joaquin River Parkway for 20 years now, and the community is just so supportive and generous. Then, I guess that is based on the culture. It’s because we’re far enough from the big cities we can reflect on what we have here in the Valley, which is our agriculture. I know it’s crazy, but I really like the weather. Our climate is just perfect and when it’s really hot that makes you feel your own personal strength.”
— Coke Hallowell, president,
San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust
“As a native of the Central Valley, I have grown up in the midst of an agricultural setting. Plowed fields, fruit trees, vineyards and more make this a truly beautiful place to live. Our community lives ‘close to the earth.’ The Central Valley is a microcosm of the world. The various ethnic and religious groups here make for a multi-faceted and dynamic society. In spite of its accelerated growth, the Central Valley still feels like a community where people know each other and work together. I’m amazed that, after 49 years in the Valley, I still know so many people who have been here just as long.”
— Father Perry Kavookjian, pastor, St. Paul Newman Center
Catholic Church
“Fresno, for as large as it is — half a million people — is still a very friendly town. It’s not like New York where you can say hello to someone on the street and they ignore you. You can still have a friendly conversation here.”
— Henry T. Perea, Fresno City Council Member, District 7
“The Valley is rich with a diversity of cultures and endowed with remarkable artistic talent...
The manicured fields and rows of orchards in the rural areas and the wealth of landscape material in the urban areas offer great pleasure and welcome relief from arid summers.”
— Architect Arthur Dyson
“Having lived in the south Valley and still having family in the area, there is something special in taking the long way around, still being able to see large stretches of open land. You can see livestock. You can see agriculture. And it changes with the seasons. It’s just a visual treat.”
— Cynthia Karraker, founder,
All About Care, Camp Care
“The Central Valley is a hub of sorts, with access to recreational hot spots like Yosemite, Sequoia, the Central Coast beaches and major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. We also have access to top-rate educational institutions including city colleges, state universities in Fresno and Bakersfield and UCs close by in Merced and San Luis Obispo.”
— Jesus Gamboa, Mayor of Visalia and Chief Operations Officer,
Proteus Inc.
“The Central Valley has its struggles. Some might see that as a negative. But it creates great opportunity for spiritual people who want to help impact change for the benefit of all...
Fresno is a minority majority city, and that offers opportunities to explore diversity beyond going to a festival or eating ethnic food. It allows us to bring diverse groups together for real consensus building.”
— Keith Kelly, president, CEO, Fresno West Coalition for
Economic Development
“As Fresno and the Central Valley continue to grow, there are a lot of people coming in with new ideas, and a desire to see real change. That’s an exciting community...
Downtown Fresno is an open palette. Yes, there has been a lot of government money invested, but the real changes are starting to happen from within. It’s definitely starting to find its own voice.”
— Reza Assemi, artist and
downtown developer