This book follows the development of industrial agriculture in California and its influence on
both regional and national eating habits. Early California politicians and entrepreneurs
envisioned agriculture as a solution to the food needs of the expanding industrial nation. The
state's climate geography vast expanses of land water and immigrant workforce when coupled
with university research and governmental assistance provided a model for agribusiness. In a
short time the San Francisco Bay Area became a hub for guaranteeing Americans access to a
consistent quantity of quality foods. To this end California agribusiness played a major role
in national food policies and subsequently produced a bifurcated California Cuisine that
sustained both Slow and Fast Food proponents. Problems arose as mid-twentieth century social
activists battled the unresponsiveness of government agencies to corporate greed food safety
and environmental sustainability. By utilizing multidisciplinaryliterature and oral histories
the book illuminates a more balanced look at how a California Cuisine embraced Slow Food Made
Fast.
