Ava Acharya/Los Altos Town Crier
This year’s Apricot STEM fair combines science and history by showcasing the care and upkeep behind Los Altos’ historic crop – apricots.
“Apricots have been integral to this community since before its founding,” said Anna Toledano, the museum’s executive director.
Before technology development became the dominant industry in Silicon Valley, the area was widely agricultural. And, in Los Altos, much of agricultural life in the early to mid 20th century centered on J. Gilbert Smith’s apricot orchard.
Smith established the orchard, and began building his farmhouse, in 1901. In 1981, the Los Altos City Council designated the orchard as a historical landmark.
“Before Silicon Valley … apricots were really the name of the game out here,” Toledano said. “And, we are dedicated to telling that story.”
Museum Director of Communications Diane Holcomb noted how integral apricots were to day-to-day life in the Los Altos area before the 1970s tech boom.
“My mother would tell stories, because she used to live downtown in a house, and she cut apricots for Mr. Smith,” Holcomb said. “Migrant workers would come, and their kids would teach Spanish to the local kids, and the local kids would teach English to the migrant workers…more
A heat wave led to an unusually early, and especially tasty, season for apricots from the Los Altos Heritage Orchard. Photo: Clarke Conde, Town Crier
