Our state’s sunny inland valleys are great for grapes. But that isn’t all that grows here: this region is one of the most fertile farmlands in the world, providing more than 8% of America’s agricultural yield. Across Lodi, Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley, farmers tend everything from almonds and apricots to tomatoes, cotton, asparagus and alfalfa. You might say this area and its farmers are California’s unsung heroes; our meals—and our wine—wouldn’t be the same without them.