USA: Focus on high-value veggies turns a profit for California farms

Published 2024년 5월 17일

Tridge summary

Farm Futures' Best Places to Farm report evaluates the financial performance of 3,056 counties using USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture data. Monterey County, California, known as the 'Salad Bowl of the World,' stands out for its optimal climate and soil for vegetable farming, especially lettuce. The county's agriculture is highly specialized and vertically integrated, playing a crucial role in California's $59 billion agricultural industry. Despite challenges like high land costs and stringent regulations, Monterey County's farms remain profitable, with average farm sizes of 300 to 500 acres cultivating 15 to 20 different crops. Agriculture also supports approximately 20% of the county's jobs.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Editor's note: Farm Futures’ exclusive Best Places to Farm report ranks the financial performance of 3,056 counties. By analyzing proprietary data and the recently released results from USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, Farm Futures averaged weighted ranks of the ratios on return on assets, profit margins and asset turnover for each county. How does your county rank? Visit the interactive map to check the ranking of 3,056 counties and browse other stats. In a region where many farm businesses plant, harvest and process countless fresh vegetables nearly 365 days a year, it’s no surprise that Monterey County, Calif., landed as one of Farm Futures’ Best Places to Farm. “We have the perfect microclimate to grow lettuce,” says Zach Barnes, farm and transplant manager for Dole Fresh Vegetables in Salinas, the county seat. “That’s why we call this the ‘Salad Bowl of the World.’ Some 60% of our nation’s lettuce comes right out of Salinas, and it gets shipped across the nation and the ...

Source: Farm Progress