The Eastern Coachella Valley is located in Southern California. It is known to locals as a geographical subdivision of the Coachella Valley. In other words, although the Eastern Coachella Valley is located within the same Coachella Valley geographical parameters, it is considered its own. This subdivision is due primarily to the lack of incorporation of rural communities to the entity of the Coachella Valley as a whole.
The Eastern Coachella Valley is made up of four rural and unincorporated communities. These communities include Thermal, Oasis, Mecca, and North Shore. These communities are home to predominantly Latino or Hispanic agricultural working families. Majority of these families are low-income and of Mexican or Mexican-American descent.
Agricultural workers represent the main local labor force. They contribute approximately 430 million dollars a year to the region [8]. These rural and unincorporated communities constitute the back bone of the American Food System. However, despite their noteworthy contribution to the American Food System, they live in impoverished environments and conditions. Challenging water and waste water conditions, plus the few economic opportunities found in these regions are factors that contribute to the continuation of poverty in the area.
Communities and population
The Eastern Coachella Valley is an area whose population is increasing fast due to its location. Its location is of great importance because it is located near the Californian and Mexican Border, in which most immigrants tend to settle in search for year-round or seasonal work. The Eastern Coachella Valley consists of four different cities.
Agriculture
Due to the year-round warm weather and desert climates home to the area, the rural Eastern Coachella Valley has become one of the main agricultural producer bases in the world. The warm year-round climate in the region and irrigation systems has allowed for agricultural sector producers to cultivate a variety of fruits and vegetables. The Eastern side of the Coachella Valley is the primary region in which agriculture cultivation processes take place. This is the same area in which most farm works tend to reside on. Most farm workers reside in this area for seasonal terms or year-round in order to work in the agricultural fields or crops.
The valley is fundamentally the most important region responsible for date crops in the United States. Although the Coachella Valley is well known for its dates, it is also the agricultural land of other vegetables and fruits cultivated year-round or seasonally. Table grapes, for example, are also cultivated seasonally in a great majority of the agricultural fields that make up the Eastern Coachella Valley. Other vegetables and fruits include but are not limited to mangos, peaches, tomatoes, watermelons, melons, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, corn, spinach, cauliflower, aristoches, garlic, onion, green beans, strawberries, celery, potatoes, citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit; and also bell peppers of different colors which include yellow, green, and red.
Companies such as the Prime Time Produce company describe the Eastern Coachella Valley as “[o]ne of the richest growing regions in the world. ” [10] The Eastern Coachella Valley has become the base of Prime Time's operations and many other companies to this day due to its mass productions of diverse fruits and vegetables.
Organizations and activities
Building Healthy Communities
The Eastern Coachella Valley Building Healthy Communities (BHC) organization is a “10-year program funded by The California Endowment. This organization aims to build healthy communities throughout the Eastern Coachella Valley. Their events and activities tend to focus mostly on youth members of the rural communities that make up the valley. Activities and events imposed by (BHC) bring the rural community residents together and their families while simultaneously incorporating information and knowledge concerning healthy alternatives for a better lifestyle.