Facts and Stats about California Agriculture

Californiais a land of fruits, nuts,vegetables and much more. The Golden State's farmers and ranchers are the most productive food and fiber producers in
the world, providing high-quality, affordable farm products to consumers here and overseas. Statistically, California is a gold medal winner in a number of categories. The state's farmers produced more than $27.5 billion in farm value in 2002. California has lead the nation in agricultural production for more than 50 years. California agriculture is a diverse blend of valleys, foothills, coastal areas and deserts where a bounty of high-quality agricultural products are grown.   

California owes it agricultural superiority to a moderate, Mediterranean climate, fertile soil, diverse land resources and progressive farmers. California farmers produce more than 250 commodities - alphabetically from almonds to walnuts, and they lead the nation in 75 commodities. California produces all of the nation's commercially grown almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwifruit, nectarines, olives, persimmons, pistachios, prunes, raisins and walnuts.

Its top performing commodities in gross sales are dairy products, grapes, nursery products, lettuce, and cattle and calves.

California's 84,000 farms cover about one-third of the state's total land area. Nearly two-thirds of the farmland is rangeland and one-third is cropland. California ranks fifth nationally in farm numbers, but farms in the Golden State produce more than half of the nation's fruits, vegetables and nuts from just 3 percent of the nation's farmland.

One California farmer supplies enough food, fiber and flowers for 135 people. California farms and ranches are characterized by high-yielding, high-value cash crops that use advanced levels of technology, capital and management.

Twelve California counties were members of the "billion dollar club" in 2002. Nine of the nation's top-ten farm counties are in California.

Some people are surprised to learn that California farms are smaller than the national average. California farms average 330 acres compared to the national average of 436 acres. More than 60 percent of the state's farms are less than 50 acres and another 18 percent are less than 180 acres in size.

Farmland is a precious and renewable resource in the Golden State. The value of California farmland runs the gamut from just a few hundred dollars per acre to more than $100,000 per acre. California ranks sixth in the average value of farmland.

Farming is a family affair in California. More than 97 percent of California farms are family farms or partnerships. More than 6 percent of the state's farms are corporations, but more than 80 percent of those are family-owned corporations.

Less than 1 percent of the state's 34 million residents are farmers and ranchers, compared to 1.8 percent of the total U.S. population. California agriculture is a renewable economic resource, creating income, which is replenished every year.

Agriculture supports 1.1 million jobs, nearly 8 percent of all jobs in the state. In the Central Valley, agriculture supports 30 percent of all jobs. California agriculture and related industries directly account for 7 percent of the gross state product.

California agriculture thrives on the coasts, mountains, deserts and valleys of the Golden State. All but one of the state's 58 counties reports agricultural production. Even San Francisco County produces vegetable and flower crops valued at more than $2 million. Only Alpine County does not generate agricultural production.

The Central Valley extends north to south nearly 450 miles from the Klamath/Cascades to the Tehachapis between the Coast Range and the Sierra Nevada. This alluvial plain contains the largest irrigated agricultural area west of the Rocky Mountains.

This region has nearly half of the state's farmland, two-thirds of the cropland and almost 75 percent of the irrigated land. A number of U.S. crops are grown exclusively in the region, including almonds, figs, kiwifruit, nectarines, olives, persimmons, pistachios, prunes, raisins and walnuts.

The Sacramento Valley, with its cooler winters and higher rainfall, produces small grain crops and seasonal grazing on its non-irrigated acreage. Rice is the predominant irrigated crop in the areas of relatively impervious soils. Fruit and nut crops are produced on deeper, better-drained and more fertile soils. The region also has row crops such as tomatoes, beans, corn, milo and sunflowers. The foothills of the Sacramento Valley support seasonal grazing of cattle and sheep.

The southern portion of the great Central Valley - the San Joaquin Valley - is the most extensive and productive agricultural region in the state. A third of the state's farms and farmland are in this valley. Nearly half of the cropland and more than half of the irrigated acreage in California lie in this region, which is home to eight counties -Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Tulare.

A spectacular variety of crops is grown in the San Joaquin Valley, including deciduous tree fruits and nuts, grapes and citrus, in addition to cotton, alfalfa and a broad spectrum of vegetable and other field crops. Dairy farming is important throughout the region. Poultry enterprises thrive on the valley floor. Beef cattle and sheep production is carried on in the foothills on irrigated pasture.

The Central Coast consists of a number of highly productive valleys lying between predominately north-south mountain ridges of the Coast Range. The climate in these areas is modified by the coastal influence and the soils are typically fertile and easily tilled.

The region contains approximately 10 percent of the land area in California spread across 12 counties - Alameda, Contra Costa, Lake, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Sonoma.

The region features a diverse mix of agriculture including premium winegrapes, dairies, orchard crops, strawberries and vegetables. Not surprisingly, the region features some of the highest value of farm products sold per farm.

The Salinas Valley is referred to as the "Salad Bowl of the Nation" for good reason. Monterey County, with its fertile soils and temperate weather, produces a variety of vegetable crops. More than three-fourths of the state's total production of salad greens comes from the county. Monterey is the leading producer of broccoli with more than half of the state's total production.

The state's North Coast and Mountain regions feature fewer farms in number but they tend to be larger in size per acre than other regions. The area comprises slightly more than a third of the state's total land area, but less than 1 million acres are cropped because of the topography and climate.

The area is suited to timber production and livestock, such as cattle and sheep. Hay, irrigated pasture and rangeland covers privately owned land and leased public land.

Despite regulations that have reduced the size of the timber industry, private foresters make a valuable contribution to the state's economy. Forests cover about 32 percent of California's land area and most of the state's timber harvest comes from this region.

Dairying is conducted on the coastal plains of Humboldt County. Winegrape and pear production is found in Mendocino County. Lassen, Modoc, Shasta and Siskiyou counties are known for potato production and the region is also renowned for its strawberry plant propagation.

This region, renowned for its sunny beaches, skyscrapers and amusement parks, is an important agricultural region. Farms in the region tend to be smaller in size on the average than other parts of the state, but the average value of farm products sold per acre and per farm exceeds many other regions.

Crops such as avocados, citrus, vegetables and flowers grow along the South Coast in the moderate climate and breezes from the Pacific Ocean. Farming occurs in each of the region's eight counties - from Santa Barbara in the north to San Diego in the south. Los Angeles, the nation's top farm county in the 1940s, now ranks 28th in the state but is a major producer of nursery plants, vegetables, hay and peaches.

Alfalfa, cotton, citrus, dates, small grains and winter vegetables thrive in the hotter interior valleys of Coachella and Imperial where the farms are generally larger in size compared to the coastal regions. Irrigation is critical for crop production in the interior valleys.

Top Farm Exports (in millions $)	Top Export Markets (in millions $)
Almonds $686 Cotton $605 Wine $471 Table grapes $395 Dairy products $322	Canada $1,137 European Union $1,024 Japan $948 China/Hong Kong $321 South Korea $278

Foreign buyers have a yen for California-grown commodities. In fact, the state is the leading farm exporter in the nation with $6.5 billion in agricultural exports in 2001. More than 2 million acres in the state produce for the export market led by almonds, cotton, wine, grapes, dairy products and oranges. Canada is the state's largest single customer, followed by Japan and Mexico.

If California were a country, it would be the sixth leading agricultural exporter in the world. The state's agricultural industry sells an average of $18.2 million in farm exports daily to destinations far and wide.

Water is an essential for food production and farmers make the most of precious water supplies. The state Department of Water Resources says managed wetlands, wild-and-scenic rivers and other environmental uses account for 46 percent of California's applied water use. Agriculture accounts for 43 percent and urban uses for 11 percent.

Farmers use the most advanced irrigation technology to maximize water efficiency. They have invested billions in water-conserving irrigation products such as microsprinklers, drip irrigation and wheel-move systems to deliver water to thirsty plants, vines and trees. In the last 30 years, agriculture's share of water has remained constant, but farmers have boosted production in tonnage by 67 percent during the same period.

Many farmers reuse irrigation water by employing irrigation return systems to capture water after it has run through fields and pump it to the head of the field to use it again. Some irrigation districts in the state report on-farm efficiency levels exceeding 95 percent. The state Department of Water Resources calls California's irrigation efficiency "higher than usually perceived by the general public."

Cotton, alfalfa and rice are sometimes criticized for their consumption of water, but they produce valuable benefits that may not be readily apparent to the public. California's cotton industry produces a premium fiber sought the world over by mills to produce fine linens, towels, dress shirts and other apparel. Alfalfa is a multiple-harvest crop that helps feed hungry dairy cows that provide consumers high-quality milk and dairy products year round. Rice fields provide valuable habitat for migrating waterfowl.

California farmers contend with thousands of crop-damaging plant diseases, weeds and insects that compete for our food. Just as backyard gardeners take steps to protect their fruit and vegetable crops, farmers use smart strategies to fight insects and disease.

A system known as Integrated Pest Management, or IPM for short, is widely used on California farms to fight damaging insects with environmentally friendly techniques. IPM is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests through a combination of techniques: biological control, habitat manipulation, changes in cultural practices and the use of resistant varieties. Pesticides are only used when necessary.

The use of beneficial insects is an important element of IPM. California is home to more than half of the nation's 95 commercial insectaries -commercial businesses where beneficial insects are raised. Many successful beneficial insects are being reared such as lacewing, which feed on aphids, leafhoppers and mites. Other popular beneficial insects include the six-spotted thrip, trichogramma wasp, and certain types of spiders, snails and ladybugs.

California farmers use bats and owls to help control damaging insects, rodents and other pests. Farmers encourage bats, burrowing owls, kestrels and other winged friends to reside on farms and ranches by building nesting boxes. Some farmers use bats to control nighttime flying insects such as moths, stinkbugs and naval orangeworms.

Agriculture is more than food, fiber and flowers; farmers contribute to our way of life in many ways. A wide variety of consumer products is derived from plant and animal by-products such as adhesives, lubricants, solvents, pharmaceuticals, heart valves, paper, ink, film, shampoo, toothpaste, crayons, shoes, paint, wallpaper, buttons, piano keys, candles, shaving cream, lotions, perfume, asphalt, leather gloves, musical instrument strings and charcoal briquettes.

Farmers have even found innovative uses for seemingly useless agricultural products. Almond and walnut shells and waste wood products help generate steam and electricity at co-generation power plants. Almond hulls are used for animal feed. Walnut shells are an ingredient in abrasives used to clean airplane jet engines and the tiles of space shuttles. Crushed walnut shells are also used in pet litter and asphalt roofing materials.

Each day, consumers have a connection to farms through the food they eat. Food is a bargain. In fact, the average American earns enough income in less than 40 days to pay for his or her family's food supply for an entire year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service reports that American families and individuals spend, on average, 10.6 percent of their disposable personal income for food. The farmer's share of each dollar spent on food at the retail level is about 21 cents. The rest pays for wages and materials for processing, marketing, transportation and distribution.