For much of its recorded history, the Rio Grande Valley has been known for conflict. Agriculture brought a more positive reputation. It’s been called the Glamor Valley (the picture above is the cover of a 1940s book of mine) and, I think better, the Magic Valley.
With the arrival of that railway you can see above, the Valley's boom in the early Twentieth Century was founded on citrus - grapefruit, lemon and oranges - and then vegetables. Old postcards promote a vast market garden for northern dining tables.
Large scale irrigation was only developed a hundred years ago; water for agriculture made the land extraordinarily fertile. This canal - many cross the Valley - is near my winter home.
Hundred of acres are still orange groves.
Here's an old Valley fruit crate label.
My home is on land that was once an orange grove. Fortunately, one of the trees is just out the backdoor (and I also have grapefruit and lemon trees).
Most mornings, when I walk out, one or two oranges are lying on the ground. When there're enough, it's juice making time.
Thirty-six oranges produce this much juice ...
Compare my juice (on the left) with the pallid commercial product. I’m into vitamin C overload.
