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See also: California Food Trivia and California Food Festivals
CALIFORNIA FOOD STATISTICS
FARMS & FARMERS
California: has a land area of about 99,689,515 acres
Farmland is 25,364,695 acres or 25.4% of total land
Organic agriculture accounts for about 720,491 acres
Number of Farms: 81,033
Principle Farm Operators:
Men: 66,068 Women: 14,965
(2013 - USDA Economic Research Service: www.ers.usda.gov )
[2007-2008 latest available data]
POPULATION & HUNGER
California has a total population of: 37,691,912
Urban population: 36,849,863
Rural population: 842,049
Food insecure households*: 16.2%
Households with very low food security*: 5.8%
*Food insecurity - Limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
Very low food security - At times during the year, eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake reduced because the household lacked money and other resources for food.
(2013 - USDA Economic Research Service: www.ers.usda.gov )
(Population & Food Security data: 2011)
ALMONDS
California produced 998 million pounds of almonds in 2004. The largest crop on record was in 2002, with 1.084 billion pounds.
ASPARAGUS
According to the USDA, 12,500 acres of Asparagus were harvested in California in 2009 (total U.S. harvest was 29,200 acres).
CABBAGE
California led the U.S. in cabbage production in 2005 with 466 million pounds.
CAULIFLOWER
According to the USDA, 31,400 acres of Cauliflower were harvested in California in 2009 (total U.S. harvest was 35,000 acres).
CHOCOLATE & CANDY
There were 1,040 U.S. manufacturing establishments producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2001. These establishments employed 45,913 people and shipped $12 billion worth of goods that year. California led the nation in the number of chocolate and cocoa manufacturing establishments (with 116) followed by Pennsylvania (with 107).
There were 616 U.S. establishments that manufactured nonchocolate confectionary products in 2001. These establishments employed 26,400 people and shipped $7 billion worth of goods that year. California also led the nation in this category (with 75 establishments).
GRAPES & WINE
California grows over 300,000 tons of grapes each year.
California has more then 500,000 acres of wine grapes. (2005)
California produces over 17 million gallons of wine each year and accounts for more than 90% of U.S. wine production. (2004)
LETTUCE
In 2009 California produced more than 75% of the nation's head lettuce.
In 2006, according to the USDA 70% of the nation's head lettuce was produced in California.
MILK
California produces about 21 percent of U.S. milk production each year. California and Wisconsin together account for about 1/3 of total U.S. milk production. (2010)
RICE
California is the second largest rice producing state, growing about 17.7% of the U.S. rice crop on more than 500,000 acres. Commercial rice production in California began in 1912 in Butte County. California grows mostly medium grain rice.
STRAWBERRIES
California grows about 88% of U.S. strawberries. (USDA 2008)
SWEET POTATOES
1.8 billion pounds of sweet potatoes were produced by major sweet potato producing states in 2007. California was 2nd at 426 million pounds, behind North Carolina at 667 million pounds. (US Census Bureau, October, 2008)
TOMATOES
California accounted for 95% of processed tomato production in 2009.
California accounted for 95% of processed tomato production in 2006.
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