Salinas

Salinas

Salinas is the Salad Bowl of the World, where most of the country's leafy greens, strawberries, and broccoli come from. John Steinbeck grew up here and the National Steinbeck Center downtown is excellent. The Salinas Rodeo is a century-old summer event. The Monterey Bay is 20 minutes west, but the city itself is a working ag town with strong Mexican-American culture.

Greeley

Greeley is northern Colorado's ag city, sitting on the South Platte River with cattle feedlots, sugar beets, and the University of Northern Colorado. The annual Greeley Stampede every July is one of the bigger rodeos in the country. It's an honest, wide-sky kind of town with deep ag roots. Cheaper than Fort Collins, with mountain access still under an hour away.