Merced County provides the perfect setting for productive farmland. It sits in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, also known as the Central Valley, approximately 92 miles west of Yosemite National Park and 73 miles east of Monterey Bay. Farms in this region thrive in the semi-arid climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The Merced River, San Joaquin River, and multiple creeks, deliver Sierra snowmelt water throughout the region. Farms have good access to water from multiple irrigation districts: Merced, Turlock, Central California, and 11 additional sources.
A high percentage of the United States’ almonds, pistachios, strawberries, and many other crops, are grown in Merced County. Cattle and chicken ranches thrive as well, rounding out Merced county’s top agricultural commodities.
