The Big Valley isn’t really desert (also not part of SoCal per se), but it does water for growing the kind of crops it can yield. It is an immensely productive region of our nation — when not being backstabbed by left wing politicians.
“California is the nation’s most productive agricultural state, and is home to a $35 billion agricultural industry. Of the ten most productive agricultural counties in the United States, nine are in California, and the San Joaquin Valley is the single richest agricultural region in the world. California produces more than 400 commodities. It is the nation’s sole producer of a dozen crops, including almonds, artichokes, olives, raisins, and walnuts, and is the leading producer of five dozen more. The state employs 27 percent of the nation’s farm workers, and produces nearly half domestically grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Almost 22 percent of the nation’s milk and cream is produced in California, and the state is by far the nation’s largest producer of dairy products. “
http://www.epa.gov/region9/ag/ag-state.html