The San Joaquin Valley is the most important area in the state for production of tree fruit and nut crops like almond, apple, cherry, chestnut, fig, kiwifruit, loquat, nectarine, olive, peach, pear, pecan, persimmon, pistachio, plum, pomegranate, prune, quince, and English and black walnut.
 What's important for growing fruit and nut trees in the valley? It's the soil, water, and the summer and winter weather. This relatively flat region is blessed with some of the best soils in the world. For the most part the soil is made up of alluvial deposits from several California rivers: Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, Fresno, San Joaquin, Kings, Kern, and Kaweah. Maximum temperatures average 104° F in summer but day and night averages even out to 84 degrees. Winter lows average 45°, but the the last few years serves as a reminder that the temperature can fluctuate widely.