Oranges are a $1.1 billion industry in California. This week's cold wave comes at a crucial moment: only 30% of the current crop has been picked. And with 90% of America's oranges coming from California, the big freeze means that prices are likely to double as soon as next week. We get a damage assessment, look at the migration of the citrus industry from Southern California to the Central Valley and learn the role of the Orange in California's history and mythology.
California Oranges, Then and Now
Credits
Guests:
- Joel Nelsen - president of California Citrus Mutual
- A.G. Kawamura - Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture
- Douglas Sackman - Historian and author