The goal of the Spanish missions in California was to create viable, self-sustaining communities. The missionaries brought with them European agricultural techniques, and raised both European and “new world” crops.
The missions were well-organized agricultural enterprises. They planted grain, including wheat, barley, and corn, as well as apples, almonds, citrus, olives, and a wide range of vegetables.
They raised cattle for meat, milk, cheese, and hides, and sheep for meat and wool. They also raised goats, pigs, horses, and chickens.
Grapes were often planted to produce wine for communion, trade, and consumption by the friars. Mission San Gabriel in particular became a notable wine producer.
The agricultural produce of the missions was supplemented – especially in the early years at each mission – by hunting and fishing, and by gathering traditional native foods, such as acorns. Linda Hylkema, Director of Cultural Resources Management at Santa Clara University, reports that archeological digs around Mission Santa Clara de Asís have identified over fifty species of fish and shellfish from the nearby San Francisco Bay.
The friars taught the natives skills such as farming, baking, and drying and preserving fruits and vegetables, providing a dependable year-round source of food.
There were typically three meals a day in missions. Breakfast often consisted of atole, a gruel made from corn, barley, or ground acorns. Lunch would consist of pozole, a thick soup consisting of grain, peas, beans, and meat. Evening meals were frequently another serving of atole, but might include beef (fresh or salted), cheese, bread and vegetables.
The mission friars and soldiers, and leaders among the natives, also had access to foods imported from Mexico, including tea, chocolate, and wine.
