Artichokes
Thousands of people – young men, mostly – flooded into California in 1849, lured foolishly by the riches they believed to be found in gold. While they panned the streams, they ignored the true wealth hiding in plain sight. Rugged thistles growing on riverbanks may have appeared inedible then, but in 2023 the Monterey County artichoke crop gleaned a cool $37.8 million. And that was an off year thanks to flooding. Typically the crop is valued at over $45 million a year. So imagine a different history, one where a plant was discovered near Sutter’s Mill, setting off the great Artichoke Rush.
