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photo credit: Courtesy of Sonoma CountyThe Sonoma County 2024 Crop Report released Tuesday showed the county's agricultural economic output had shrunk by nearly 10% last year.
Increased output and value for organic milk and apples helped offset the decline in overall crop value of 9.3%, which was driven by drops in the value of wine grapes harvested and a poultry industry upended by an outbreak of avian flu.The value of nursery plants sold, which represented the county's third-most valuable category, was also down by about 7% compared to 2023, recording about $62 million in gross sales in 2024 compared to $67 million in 2023.
The 2024 report showed the county's agriculture producers grossed about $857.6 million, down from about $945.7 million in 2023. Wine grapes still dominated the county's agricultural value overall, generating nearly $627 million of the total in 2024, or 73%.
The 2024 report showed the county's agriculture producers grossed about $857.6 million, down from about $945.7 million in 2023. Wine grapes still dominated the county's agricultural value overall, generating nearly $627 million of the total in 2024, or 73%.
But the value of wine grapes harvested saw an overall decline of about 12% compared to 2023, due partially because "significant tonnage was left on the vines due to decreased demand," county agricultural commissioner Andrew Smith wrote in his introduction to the report.
As a subcategory, the largest increase was in organic milk, which rose in value by 50%. A steep rise in production and demand overcame a drop in production of conventional milk, which also dropped in price per unit.
Organic milk sales increased from about $48 million in 2023 to nearly $72 million in 2024. Meanwhile, conventional milk sales decreased by about 20%, from about $10.5 million to about $8.5 million. Taken together, milk sales totaled over $80 million, the second-most valuable category in the crop report.
Milk sales are included as a livestock product in the overall category that also includes poultry products, namely, eggs. The increase in organic milk sales was enough to drive a small increase in the overall category of livestock and poultry products, despite severe challenges faced by the county's egg industry, which lost about 1.2 million chickens to culling measures ordered by the county in response to an outbreak of avian flu that began in 2023 and continued into 2024.
The county's egg production was down by about half in 2024 from 2023, recording about $20.8 million in sales compared to $40.6 million in 2023.
"Sonoma County's agricultural community continues to demonstrate resilience in the face of challenges, from market fluctuations to disease outbreaks," Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. "This year's report underscores the dedication of our farmers, ranchers, and producers who bring high-quality, sustainable products to local residents, restaurants, and markets."
The most notable increase by percentage recorded in a single category was in the value of apples, which saw a 21% rise from 2023, driven by a 9.2% increase in tonnage produced. Prices for Gravenstein apples were down by 12%, but other varieties that ripen later in the season were up by about the same amount and are harvested in greater numbers.
But apples represent roughly $3.9 million of the total, so the increase in value was only about $350,000 from 2023.
Highlights and notable movements elsewhere in the report included dramatic increases in both miscellaneous vegetables and apiary products.
Miscellaneous vegetables include cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale, as well as other veggies such as mushrooms, squash, melons, potatoes, tomatoes and others. That category generated just $2.1 million in gross output in 2023 but jumped to about $15 million in 2024. It marked a more than sevenfold increase in value while only twice the acreage was planted.
Apiary products, which include honey, wax and hives that are rented to farmers for pollination, generated $168,000 in 2023 but brought in more than $3.5 million in 2024.
Roughly twice the overall weight of Dungeness crab was harvested in 2024 from the year before, with crabbers hauling in 2.6 million pounds compared to about 1.3 million in 2023. The value shot up to $9.5 million from $3.7 million.
Lingcod production, a small fraction of the overall fishing industry, was down dramatically, from about 7,000 pounds brought in in 2023 to about 1,800 pounds in 2024, representing just 25% of the total value.
