Salinas-Monterey OverviewLocated in the central coast region of California, Monterey county encompasses the fertile, agriculturally important Salinas Valley. The valley, framed by mountain ranges on the east and west, runs the length of the county and is the site of most of the agricultural activities in the county. The north end of the Salinas Valley opens to the Pacific Ocean, source of the marine influence that cools the valley and makes possible the wide range of crops found here. With a total value of over $1.9 billion, Monterey county is the fourth highest agricultural producing county in California. The total land devoted to agriculture is approximately 1.4 million acres, and irrigated land is around 220,000 acres. Monterey county agriculture is notable for its broad diversity of crops, many of which are grown year-round. Approximately 50 commodities in the county have a gross value of more than $1 million each. In addition, dozens of other products that gross less than this amount are important agricultural commodities of the country's. The highest percentage of acres is devoted to cool-season vegetables, such as artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, Asian vegetables, lettuce, and spinach. In the county's southern half, farmers grow warm-season vegetables, including carrot, pepper, potato, and tomato. Finally, Monterey county is home to a sizable wine grape industry and approximately one-third of the state's annual strawberry yield. |
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California. All contents copyright © 2020 The Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved. Development funding from the University of California and USDA, CSREES. Please e-mail your comments to: vric@ucdavis.edu Last updated: August 21, 2020 |
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