Why is Farming Important to San Diego County?

San Diego’s Mediterranean-like climate makes it an ideal place to grow agricultural crops and livestock products. More than 3 million people live in San Diego County, and more than 5,000 farmers call it home and make their living on 250,000 acres. The high cost of water and land make farming here expensive and San Diego farms have specialized in integrating agricultural activity and urban living, growing crops that optimize limited acres. San Diego far surpasses its fellow top producing counties in terms of average dollar value per acre with an agricultural production more valuable than other urbanized areas of California, such as San Francisco, Orange County, and Los Angeles combined.