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Kern County is the third most productive agricultural county in California and relies on imported water supplies to maintain its economy. Crops grown in Kern County are consumed throughout the United States and are exported to countries around the world including Africa, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico and countries in Central America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Kern County agriculture grossed $7.7 billion in 2022. Kern County’s top five commodities in gross income are, in order: Grapes, Citrus, Milk, Almonds, and Pistachios.
With such limited annual precipitation, careful water management practices have been developed by both the urban and agricultural sectors. Kern County farmers are among the most skillful water managers in the world through the use of highly efficient irrigation methods to ensure that a majority of the water applied to local crops goes to meeting actual crop requirements.
Significant advancements in irrigation have been made through the use of drip and low volume application methods, as well as row and border systems. Laser land-leveling, which is widely practiced in Kern County, helps to achieve uniform water distribution. With national and global demands for food and fiber increasing, the water and agricultural community of Kern County will continue to develop efficient technologies to meet future irrigation requirements.