Stanislaus County farms top '06 income by 12%

The farmers of Stanislaus County set yet another record for gross income last year -- $2.41 billion -- according to a report released Friday.

The estimate, by county Agriculture Commissioner Gary Caseri and his staff, was up 12 percent from 2006 and the sixth gain in the past seven years.

Milk, long the county's top farm product, led the way again with a huge increase over its dismal 2006.

Almonds continued strong at No. 2, while walnuts, tomatoes and some nursery products gained, too. Poultry rose slightly, but beef cattle and peaches dropped.

"In a general sense, farming is not a bad business to be in," Caseri said. "The values are up."

He cautioned that the report does not show production costs or profits. Those costs -- fuel, fertilizer, labor and more -- have been rising, too.

Ray Souza, a Turlock area dairy farmer and president of Western United Dairymen, said people in his business are especially burdened by the cost of feed and complying with environmental rules.

Dairy farmers dealt with very low prices and a costly heat wave in 2006. Those forces combined to put some of them out of business, though the total number of cows did not decline.

Recent high prices for milk and several other farm products have brought more money into the county's economy. But those prices also have contributed to inflation at the grocery store, something that many county residents feel.

Caveats aside, it's clear that plenty of money is flowing here from food consumers around the world.

And the $2.41 billion is just at the farm level. Much more income is made at canneries, wineries, cheese plants and other processors of the bounty. Still other businesses, such as tractor dealers and pesticide suppliers, benefit when farmers spend money.

The 2007 gross income keeps Stanislaus among the nation's top farm counties. The same goes for San Joaquin County, which last month reported $2.006 billion for 2007, up 19 percent from 2006. Merced County, another heavyweight, has not yet reported.

The report will be presented at Tuesday's meeting of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the basement chamber at Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St., Modesto.

Bee staff writer John Holland can be reached at jholland@modbee.com or 578-2385.