1950s-1970s
Valley of Heart's Delight (1950s-1970s)
The Santa Clara Valley in California was the nation's leading fruit-growing region, with orchards covering much of the land. As the semiconductor industry grew, developers bought up orchards to build housing, offices, and industrial parks. By the 1980s, nearly all the valley's orchards were gone, replaced by what became known as Silicon Valley.
Then
Farm owners sold land at prices far above what farming could earn; orchard acreage collapsed within two decades.
Now
The region lost its agricultural identity almost entirely, and Silicon Valley became a global tech hub.
Why this matters now
Shows how a fast-growing regional economy can wipe out working farmland within a generation—the same pressure Cross E Ranch faces as Salt Lake City expands.