Agriculture

Agriculture remains one of the most important economic bases of the NSJV, which is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country and a critical part of the state’s economy and the nation’s food supply. Agricultural production generates revenue and jobs in related industries such as food processing, transportation, equipment sales, and other vertically integrated production processes. Many of the top sectors in the NSJV such as manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing are critically integrated with the agricultural sector.

The total dollar value of crops produced in each county was obtained from the County Crop Report of each NSJV county.

NSJV Top 10 Commodities (2016)

Commodity Value
Milk $1,913
Almonds $1,859
Vegetables $883
Chickens $678
Cattle & Calves $649
Grapes $556
Walnuts $438
Nursery Products $386
Potatoes, Sweet $308
Tomatoes $304

Merced Top 10 Commodities (2016)

Commodity Value
Milk $939
Almonds $579
Chickens $381
Cattle & Calves $297
Sweet Potatoes $232
Tomatoes $152
Silage (Corn) $99
Grapes $80
Hay (Alfalfa) $77
Nursery Products $74

San Joaquin County Top 10 Commodities (2017)

Commodity Value
Grapes $396
Milk $387
Almonds $363
Walnuts $317
Cherries $185
Cattle & Calves $104
Tomatoes $79
Potatoes $63
Hay (All) $59
Silage (Other) $51

Stanislaus Top 10 Commodities (2017)

Commodity Value
Almonds $1,056
Milk $664
Chicken $255
Cattle and Calves $233
Nursery Fruit & Nut Trees and Vines $227
Walnuts $164
Silage $134
Turkey $84
Pollination $68
Peaches $62

The largest commodities in terms of production value for each county were obtained from the County Crop Report for each of the NSJV counties. The value of each county’s crop production was then summed to obtain the value for the NSJV.

Data for this indicator was obtained from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), table CA45. The NSJV total was obtained by summing the revenues and expenses of the three component counties.

Total farm wages

Data for this indicator was obtained from both the California Employment Development Department (EDD), and the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). Total annual payroll for each NSJV county was summed to obtain total annual farm wages. Data was adjusted to 2017 dollars using the All Urban Consumers, U.S. city average consumer price index obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Average weekly farm wage

EDD and QCEW as well. Total annual payroll for each NSJV county was divided by employment and then by 52 to obtain average weekly pay. Data was adjusted to 2017 dollars using the All Urban Consumers, U.S. city average consumer price index obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.