WATSONVILLE — In 1917, Mose Hutchings, who is described as the first commercial lettuce grower in the Pajaro Valley, planted three acres of head lettuce near San Juan Road.
Now, according to the 2016 Santa Cruz County Crop report, farmers grew nearly 3,000 acres of lettuce in the county for a value of more than $20 million.
The Agricultural History Project is celebrating 100 years of lettuce growing on the Central Coast with its latest exhibit, “Lettuce Green Gold,” which held its grand opening Saturday.
The exhibit includes images and videos of the lettuce industry, describing its growth from packing sheds and iced railroad cars to vacuum cooling and refrigerated truck distribution, while also shining a light on the people and machinery that made it happened. It also includes displays of tools, packaging and other items.
“Lettuce Green Gold” is the result of three years of work by Pat Johns, Ron Haedicke and others, said Tom Rider, president of the Agricultural History Project.
Johns compiled the history of the industry, while Haedicke conceptualized the exhibit, including filming the video that runs on screen.
Haedicke said the exhibit will constantly be updated to highlight the many people and companies of the lettuce industry over the decades.
“There are plenty more stories to tell,” he said.
Rider added that visitors to the AHP will have to keep coming back and see how the exhibit has changed.
“It’s very flexible, and it can keep growing,” he said.
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The Agricultural History Project, located at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 East Lake Ave. in Watsonville, is open every second Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is also open by appointment. For information, call 724-5898 or 566-2817 or visit aghistoryproject.org.
