Silicon Valley used to be “The Valley of Heart’s Delight.” Fruit was planted starting in the 1880s and covered the valley with fruit trees in a few years. The soil is incredible here (if you don’t have clay by the bay). A house a few doors down was rebuilt 15 years ago and they dug a basement. They had topsoil down 15 feet and then hit a cobblestone ancient riverbed!
Los Altos was one big apricot orchard back in the day. The largest remaining orchard is in the hills and owned by some family named “Packard.”