Greetings to our friends in The Golden State! We hope you’re having an amazing conference!
Most people think of sunny beaches and movie stars when they think of California. But, did you know that it’s actually our nation’s top agricultural state? Here are some other interesting facts about California ag:
- California produces more than 350 crops. Of those, the following are commercially-produced
only in California: almonds, artichokes, dates, kiwifruit, figs, olives, persimmons, pomegranates,
dried plums, raisins, clingstone peaches, pistachios, sweet rice, ladino clover seed, and
walnuts. - California grows more than half of the nation’s fruits, vegetables and nuts.
- The second leading commodity, grapes, account for $2.99 billion in cash receipts annually.
Livestock and poultry account for about 27% of California’s gross cash income, with a combined
total of $10.6 billion. - California leads the nation in milk production with over 1.8 million dairy cows, $6.92 billion in
cash receipts. - Over 5.3 billion eggs are produced each year by 19 million hens and pullets of laying age.
- Bee colonies, of which there are over 650,000 in the state, are included in the category of livestock. They are used both for pollination and production of honey, and their value is over $25 million.
- California is the nation’s top agricultural state, and has been for more than 50 years. Agriculture
generates approximately $36.2 billion a year, more than any other state. - More than 60% of the state’s farms are less than 50 acres in size, one indicator of the growing
number of specialty crop operations. - More than 90 percent of California farms are family farms or partnerships.
- The top 10 commodities include: milk and cream, all grapes, nursery products, almonds, cattle
and calves, all lettuce, strawberries, all tomatoes, hay, and rice.
For more information about the California FFA Association visit their website and Facebook page.
