– California Food Facts – Production & Crops California (Beach California):
California food facts are incredibly interesting. Most people think of the Golden State as a tourist destination where you can visit Hollywood film locations, see celebrities and go to beaches. In additional to California ranking as the top destination in the United States, it also ranks as the top food production state for a number of crops.
Though tourists hardly consider the agricultural significance of California as a food growing region, the temperate year-round climate and expanses of land provide foods the nation and world have grown to enjoy and count on. Below are some of the top crops and percentage of the nation’s supply produced in California.
Food Facts
California has been the number one food and agricultural producer in the United States for more than 50 consecutive years.
More than half the nation’s fruit, nuts, and vegetables come from here.
California is the nation’s number one dairy state.
California’s leading commodity is milk and cream. Grapes are second.
California’s leading export crop is almonds.
Nationally, products exclusively grown (99% or more) in California include almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwifruit, olives, persimmons, pistachios, prunes, raisins, clovers, and walnuts.
From 70 to 80% of all ripe olives are grown in California.
California is the nation’s leading producer of strawberries, averaging 1.4 billion pounds of strawberries or 83% of the country’s total fresh and frozen strawberry production. Approximately 12% of the crop is exported to Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Japan primarily. The value of the California strawberry crop is approximately $700 million with related employment of more than 48,000 people.
California produces 25% of the nation’s onions and 43% of the nation’s green onions.
Gilroy, California, “Garlic Capitol of the World,” has hosted 2 million at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival.