The Subtropical Enviornment

Unlike Simi Valley, the subtropical environment is a place where the environment is warm and humid, wet, and tropical. This area is filled with many ports  and is a main shipping focus for the American economy. This land is full of deltas, harbors, and many water ways, Simi Valley is not however. As I have mentioned before, Simi Valley is surrounded by mountains, the nearest beaches are not far, but do require some commuting to.

One thing the city of Simi Valley and the subtropical environment have in common is citrus, and the growth of. Chapter 10 talks about the large amounts of citrus and crop farming going on in the subtropical environment, especially in Florida. Citrus fruits, rice, and sugarcane are the region's most important crops. This was once true of the city of Simi Valley.

In the 1920's and 30's farmers were still involved in dry-land farming, and Simi Valley was a perfect place for such labor. There were once over 135 citrus ranches in what was then known as the Tapo District. Simi Valley also produced grapes, strawberries, carrots, walnuts and other types of row crops.

An orange crate label from Tapo Citrus Association

The Subtropical environment is and most likely always will be an area of high farming, especially of citrus fruits. Simi Valley however is not, it is now more industrialized and farming is no longer an activity. However there is still evidence of the ever once bustling citrus production in Simi at such historical centers as Strathearn Park.

Credit:
Simi Valley A Journey Through Time, by Patricia Havens, 1997
 http://www.simihistory.com/index.html