Nevada County’s total gross value of all agricultural commodities excluding cannabis in 2024 was a record-breaking $28.5 million.
This represents a 17% increase compared to 2023, according to the County’s annual Crop and Livestock Report.
However, farm costs are also continuing to rise at an equal or greater rate, impacting profitability for farms, said Nevada County Agricultural Commissioner Chris de Njis. The gross values do not “account for expenses related to labor, seed, planting, irrigation equipment, transportation or other production activities,” he cautioned.
Timber posted a record harvest of $3.3 million, a 429% increase from the year before. Logging operations in the previous year had been delayed while crews focused on salvaging timber in fire-damaged areas elsewhere in the state. Once that was completed, harvesting resumed locally, leading to the spike in activity.
Cattle values saw a notable 12% increase, with livestock and livestock products in general representing 50% of the total value of Nevada County’s agricultural commodities.
If the gross value of legal cannabis had been added, the county’s total gross value of agricultural commodities would have topped $39.9 million. The cannabis gross value, which was tallied separately, amounted to $11.4 million, representing a 6% decrease in market value. At the same time, acreage increased by 16% and the number of cannabis permits rose to 185 from 175 the year before.
The Crop and Livestock Report is available at www.NevadaCountyCa.gov/2024CropReport and includes a calendar highlighting local producers, as well as the activities the department conducted over the past year, including inspecting 6,100 shipments for exotic pests, placing and inspecting 253 insect traps, surveying more than 900 sites for invasive weeds, issuing 20 Certified Producer Certificates, and testing 1,155 weighing and measuring devices at 261 business to ensure accuracy and consumer protection.
“The annual crop report is such a great explanation and showcase of how we are working to protect and support our agricultural industry, which is so important here,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Heidi Hall.
