Bakersfield serves as the heart of Kern County, an agricultural region consistently ranked among the most productive in the United States. Located in the southern Central Valley, the area’s farming output is characterized by immense scale and diversity. Kern County’s agricultural production regularly generates a gross value exceeding $8 billion, showcasing its economic power in global food supply chains. This productivity is supported by a mix of high-value orchards, vineyards, and essential field crops.
High-Value Permanent Crops
The agricultural economy is dominated by high-investment, permanent crops that yield revenue over many years, forming the majority of the county’s total commodity value. Grapes represent a massive segment of this production, particularly table grape varieties. Kern County is responsible for an estimated 44% of the nation’s total supply of table grapes. These vineyards require significant initial capital and a long-term commitment.
Tree nuts command substantial economic weight, with almonds and pistachios covering vast stretches of irrigated land. Almonds are a major export crop, and Kern County is a leading US producer of pistachios. These orchards contribute billions of dollars to the region’s gross farm receipts. They are considered permanent acreage, planted once and harvested for decades.
Citrus fruits, including navel oranges and easy-peel tangerine varieties, are another foundational permanent crop, with the county being one of the state’s top citrus producers. The mild winters in the southern Central Valley protect these orchards from frost damage, allowing them to consistently produce fruit for the fresh market. Together, these permanent crops—grapes, almonds, pistachios, and citrus—often account for well over 60% of Kern County’s total agricultural value.
Essential Field and Row Crops
While permanent crops generate the highest revenue, annual field and row crops provide diversity and are crucial for crop rotation. Carrots stand out as the most economically significant row crop, with Kern County supplying a remarkable 80% of the carrots consumed in the nation. This high-volume vegetable crop frequently ranks among the county’s top five commodities overall, a rare feat for an annual harvest.
Other field crops include potatoes, which benefit from the Central Valley’s sandy, well-drained soils, and hay and alfalfa. Alfalfa is a foundational crop grown specifically to feed the local dairy and livestock industries. These crops operate on a much shorter cycle than the orchards, allowing farmers to rotate fields and manage soil health between growing seasons.
Cotton continues to be grown, with a focus on the high-quality Pima varieties. Though cotton acreage has declined due to market and water pressures, it remains a significant rotational crop that utilizes the long, hot growing season. The cultivation of these annual crops provides flexibility for farmers to adjust to commodity price fluctuations and changing water allocations.
The Role of Climate and Water in Local Farming
The crops grown in Bakersfield are directly enabled by the area’s Mediterranean climate, characterized by dry, hot summers and cool winters. This extended growing season provides the necessary heat units for crops like grapes and nuts to mature fully, creating the ideal environment for high yields. The soil itself is highly fertile, consisting of deep alluvial deposits washed down from the surrounding Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi mountains.
Despite these natural advantages, the region is semi-arid, meaning farming on this scale is entirely dependent on extensive irrigation infrastructure. The agricultural sector relies heavily on both surface water, supplied largely through projects like the California Aqueduct, and groundwater pumping. This imported surface water is channeled from the mountains and Northern California to sustain crops across the valley floor.
The dependence on water is a challenge, evidenced by ongoing concerns over reduced Sierra Nevada snowpack and the transition to sustainable groundwater management. Farmers must continuously invest in water-saving technologies, such as micro-sprinklers and drip irrigation, to sustain production. This management of water resources dictates the scale and composition of Bakersfield’s annual agricultural output.