District

Central Valley
The 21st Congressional District stretches from the
fertile San Joauqin Valley to the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Mt. Whitney
Mount Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet..

Giant Sequoias
The Giant Sequoia is the world's largest tree. It occurs naturally only in a narrow 60-mile band of mixed conifer forest generally between 5,000-8,000 ft. elevation on the west slope of the Sierra Nevadas.

Crops
Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley grow hundreds of different crops, including much of the domestic produce consumed by the American people. 
  
Milk Products
The 21st Congressional District is the largest milk-shed in the United States, producing more milk products than all but a handful of states.
The 21st Congressional District is primarily rural and agrarian, covering most of Fresno County east of the City of Fresno and all of Tulare County to the south; 42% of the population is in Fresno County (the 21st also includes part of the City of Fresno) and 58% in Tulare.

Amid the farm fields, which represent the backbone of the region’s economy, are small cities—among them, Visalia, Tulare, Clovis, Reedley, and Porterville. These small communities are connected by State Route 99, the primary transportation corridor through the Central Valley. This stretch of highway is also the primary corridor for commercial traffic in California, including extensive transportation of agriculture commodities. Recognizing the significance of the roadway, Congress passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) in 2004 designating SR 99 the California Farm-to-Market Corridor and a future interstate.

 
Along the southeastern reaches of the 21st Congressional District loom the giant peaks of the Sierra Nevada, including Mount Whitney, at 14,494 feet.

South of Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states, soar the historic trees of the Giant Sequoia National Monument. These trees, which are the largest in the world, occupy 38 magnificent groves and are a frequent destination for tourists, hikers and nature lovers.

The City of Fresno, the largest in the Central Valley, is a creation of the industrial age, founded by the Central Pacific Railroad; its city fathers bred the local wine grape, developed the raisin industry and introduced the Smyrna fig. Fresno County produces more farm products in dollar value than any other county in the United States.

Tulare County trails closely behind Fresno County in terms of agriculture production value and is ranked number two in the United States. The area of Tulare County is larger than the State of Connecticut and includes the highest mountain peak in the lower 48 states and a significant portion of the most fertile and productive agriculture acreage in the country.

Throughout the Central Valley agriculture is remarkably industrial in its precision. At the same time, the region retains much of the historic characteristics associated with the family farm, with many generations of farmers tilling the same land. Size and efficiency are essential for sustainable agriculture in California, which is one of the most costly and highly regulated places in the U.S. to do business.

The crop base in the 21st Congressional district is diverse and includes more than 300 varieties. Milk, oranges, cattle, grapes, alfalfa, plums, cotton, nectarines, corn, peaches, grapes, poultry, almonds, and pistachios are among the largest in production. These products are grown, packed and shipped to consumers all over the world, with a significant share of exports destined for Asia. Local farm commodities also have significant sales in nearby and Canada and Mexico.

It is impossible to examine the 21st Congressional District without commenting on the region’s dairy industry. With nearly $7 billion in production value, milk and milk products are the region’s most significant agriculture commodity. Demonstrating the size of the industry, farmers in Tulare County alone produce more milk than all but 3 states in the United States. Indeed, there are few places in the world that boast the size and efficiency associated with milk production in the 21st Congressional District.