Kern County Farm Bureau is happy to announce for the first time in history: Kern County takes the number one spot in agricultural production.
One in five jobs is directly or in-directly linked to the agricultural industry from the farmers to the haulers to the farm workers. It’s an industry that just came from a 9% decrease in 2015 to a 6% increase in this year’s 2016 crop report released last week.
Kern County agriculture is home to over 300 commodities and home to 3 of the top ten private companies for job production, creating jobs in food processing plants throughout the county.
Of the five top producing commodities: tables grapes, almonds, citrus, pistachios, and dairy – together they make up 60 percent of the total value.
Pistachios are new to this line up climbing from the number 7 spot last year to number 4 spot largely due increased yields that nearly doubled from 2015.
"While being in the number 1 spot is a fun title to wave, it’s important to remember these are gross numbers. In fact, we have seen an increased cost to growing food in recent years due to the cost of water, nitrate control measures, minimum wage increases, new overtime regulations, and cost of fuel, The Kern County Farm Bureau says."
KCFB hopes to use this number 1 spot to continue to advocate for its membership and show the value and importance of local food production.
