Marin Ag Statistics

Agricultural Land Breakdown

Marin County has about 160,000 acres of land zoned “Agricultural”. Of this, virtually 99.5% is used for seasonal grazing of dairy, cattle and sheep. The production value report for the 2009 Agricultural Commissioner lists 87% of the total reported value to be in dairy, livestock, hay and silage, with 6% in aquaculture, 5% in fruit and vegetable crops, and the remaining 2% in nursery crops. To access crop reports, visit: http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/AG/Main/cropreports.cfm

Read about the history, profile, and face of agriculture in Marin County in Amazing But True: Facts about Marin County Agriculture

The Past Decade

See how the food manufacturing industries in Marin and Sonoma have done over the past decade from these charts and graphs:

- Marin County employee and establishment numbers and payroll statistics;

- Annual payroll of Marin County food manufacturers;

- Annual payroll of Sonoma County food manufacturers; and

- Comparative changes in the food manufacturing industries of Marin, Sonoma, California, and the United States.

Chart the Trends

Check out the trends in agriculture in Marin County from 1945 to 2008, including:

- Annual Gross Dollar Value of Agriculture;

- Acreage in Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts;

- Beef Cattle and Sheep Grazing Inventories; and

- Milk Production and Prices.

Are the Higher Costs of Organic Offset by the Higher Prices They Fetch?

Find out what Leslie J. Butler has to say about the differences in cost of production between organic and conventional milk in California.

The Ripples of Agriculture...

The ag industry stimulates positive ripple effects throughout local communities that are often overlooked or left out of hard data. Read about the economic multiplier effects at play in the California dairy industry and sheep industry nationally.

Delve deeper into relevant studies at the state and national level about the economic impact and business activity created by a variety of crops grown on a diverse range and scale of operations:

- California Grown economic impact studies

- America’s diverse family farms