This Tiny California Town Is Known as the “Avocado Capital of the World”

Everyone loves avocados. there are many ways to eat avocados. You can eat them in tacos, in quesadillas, on toast, or just on their own. This healthy fruit is extremely nutritious, too. It’s one of those that doctors call a healthy fat type of fruit. This amazing fruit originates in Mexico but is now grown in more Mediterranean types of climates worldwide. Let’s take a look at this tiny California town that is known as the “Avocado Capital of the World.”

About Avocados

First off, let’s give you the lowdown on avocados. They are a fruit that comes from an evergreen tree that is part of the laurel family (Lauraceae). About 5,000 years ago, native tribes in Mexico domesticated the plant to create the avocado. Scientists believe avocados come from southern Mexico and Guatemala. Currently, the world’s number one producer of avocados is Mexico, which produces 30% of the fruit’s worldwide harvest. Unfortunately, with climate change in the midst, avocado production is becoming extremely hard due to the regions where they grow and how droughts have affected them — mainly in California, Mexico, and Chile.

About Fallbrook

Fallbrook is an area part of the county of San Diego, located east of Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps base. It has a population of 30,000 people and it is also a more inland community. The Payomkawichum people lived here for thousands of years before the Spanish settled in the area in the 1700s. Olive trees were planted in Fallbrook and were a major cash crop for the region from the beginning of the 20th century until after World War II. Rudolph Hass, for whom the Hass avocado is named, planted 80 acres of avocado trees in Fallbrook in 1948. From there, the enthusiasm for growing avocados took off. Today, there is even a festival each year to honor the importance of avocados in the area called the Fallbrook Avocado Festival.

Avocado Production

Avocados are important to California’s economy. In fact, current California Governor Gavin Newsom named the avocado as the state fruit in 2013 when he was Lieutenant Governor. Furthermore, a whopping 90% of avocados are produced in California. Of that 90%, 60% are produced in San Diego County. You can just imagine how important avocados are. The Farmers and tree pickers who work in the fields rely on avocado demand and consumption. The Hass avocado is what California produces the most, which accounts for 95% of all avocados produced in the state.

Conclusion

And there you have it, the tiny California known as the “Avocado Capital of the World” is none other than Fallbrook. Located in San Diego, the area as a whole is known as the avocado region of the state and even the country. With avocados in hot demand throughout the world, the business will be booming for avocado farmers. Now, go treat yourself to some avocado toast!