California is rightfully famous for its beaches and forests, Hollywood, Silicon Valley and big coastal cities like Los Angeles. But one industry where the state really shines may not be so obvious.
The most productive farmland in the world lies in California’s Central Valley and northern vineyards where just four percent of the farms in the United States produce more food than any other American state. Even more amazing, California is the world’s leading almond exporter and its largest strawberry producer, shipping 83 percent of US strawberries.
Not only is this state the fifth largest agricultural producer in the world, its dairy production leads the entire United States. California also leads the country in the output of artichokes, raisins, and wine, weighing in as the world’s fourth-largest winemaker.
The Golden State’s Mediterranean-style climate results in one of the most diverse market producers on Earth. The state grows more than 400 commodities that are traded on the world’s agriculture markets, raised on more than 77,000 farms. Nearly 25 percent of California’s agricultural produce is exported to worldwide markets.
The state leads all others in the United States in cash receipts for farm crops, producing 13 percent of the national value in cash received. Most of these incredible numbers are delivered by small farmers with an average farm size of 329 acres. Over 25 percent of California farms grossed more than $100,000, easily outperforming the national average of 20 percent.
As one of the most important ranching states in the country, California generates nearly a billion dollars in hay production alone. Agriculture generates around 47 billion dollars for the state on the strength of crops like grapes, walnuts, lettuce, and tomatoes. California contributes over 70 percent of the lettuce grown in America and 99 percent of its grapes.
In the Central Valley, 4,000 walnut growers provide 99 percent of walnuts in the United States. More than 60,000 workers produce California’s third-largest export, shipping nearly 1.5 billion dollars in walnuts for the 2015 season alone. Processing tomatoes, used in canning and sauce making, come almost exclusively from California, which accounts for more than 90 percent of processing tomatoes in the country.
Although California is a paradise of wonders, the true wonder is the sheer agricultural prowess of this truly Golden State.
Recently, Elite Farms purchased land in California to conduct their own agricultural endeavors! To learn