Merced is a service centre for the surrounding rich agricultural area. They seem to be able to grow anything here from stone fruits to chickens. Dairy is their biggest industry here and one of the local dairy’s boasts to being one of the biggest in the country. They milk 14,000 cows per milking session! Meat chickens are the next biggest industry with mind-boggling numbers of chicken wings being generated by a huge local farm. Then almonds are next. They produce 80% of the world supply of almonds here. And I think you would have seen Californian almonds in your local supermarket in Australia.
Merced has six and 8-lane roads running through it, which is amazing considering it’s population. This is another example of the American towns and cities being built around their cars.
There is a large community of Hmong people here from Laos. The Hmong people sided with the Americans during the Vietnam War and to avoid persecution from the winners if that war, many Hmong fled their home country. Australia took many in as did USA and many of those that came to America settled here in Merced. They are great market gardeners and are finally finding their place in the community here after initial prejudices.
I’m making for the Yosemite NP tomorrow, hopefully to do some hiking there. I doubt that I will get Internet access so You may not hear from me for a week or more. I hope the bears don’t get me!
angusmccoll 